The Music Branch has been one of my favorites and always will be. Each song from a motion picture, animated, foreign and documentary sometimes makes it stronger a film as well as capturing the audience. When I was 5 my parents were watching the Oscars and when I heard The Lion King playing I got up and started dancing and singing to the songs that were nominated. It was those moments that made the songs from such amazing composers and song writers that made me want to watch the Oscars each year.

It’s a good thing the Music Branch has woken up from there “Inception” and now they are going to pay attention to what each song has to offer this year and I hope to see some of these songs at the Critics Choice, Golden Globes and Oscars this year.

I hope to be proven wrong with this category, and I also hope we get songs that are well written and serve the film in the ways you’ve provided. The problem for me is that it is a problem that can’t be corrected by a change in the nomination process: it has to start with the artists themselves which translate to awards recognition. At this point, I don’t think that’s going to be corrected hence why I argue for disbandment of this category. Like I said, I hope you guys are right and I’m wrong by the time we see the nominees, but consider me skeptical.

Can I also say that, despite our differences, I’m glad we can have a reasonable discussion about this topic with everyone arguing their points without descending into hyperbole. Another great thing about the Awards Circuit.

Music has always been an integral part of the cinematic experience and while that traditionally has been championed through score, songs have the innate ability (when properly used) to further define or amplify a character’s motivations and desires. Mark’s examples are astute ones up above, and recent winners “Al Otro Lado del Rio” from ‘The Motorcycle Diaries” and even “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” from ‘Hustle & Flow’ further exemplify how important songs can be catalysts in telling the story, not distractions or quasi-intermissions from the story being told. An extraordinary example is Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler” which should have garnered The Boss a second Oscar, but fell into the politics of placement and rules and the still-in-place “Clip Reel” approach to voting.

The whole points system l agree was ludicrous, but that was the only thing I felt was wrong with the category, honestly. Members of the music branch still had to watch every song and take into consideration how this song worked for the movie as a whole. To me that goes in favor of your point about seeing the song in its vital way. The problem is that I don’t think there are good songs anymore.

I’ll put it this way: You can find great songs out there that accomplish exactly what you’re talking about. I just think that number is dwindling. When I saw that they only nominated two songs last year, I was knew that was embarrassing, but also thought it was pretty apt. I didn’t think there were enough songs out there to honor with an Academy Award nomination. I appreciate that you believe the rule change will offer a better selection, but I personally believe the quality has gone down. “Falling Slowly” is a beautiful song that fits your example, but songs like that are few are far between (sorry, Mark Johnson, but I’m not as taken with “The Weary Kind” as you).

My assertion is that tastes have evolved throughout the years, and I don’t think the Original Song category means the same for a film as it did in the past. Songs have become almost an afterthought of a film, and the number of composers and musicians that do put in the effort to make their songs special don’t seem to number five every year. I don’t doubt there’s a good song out there, but you then need four more to fill it up, and I don’t think that’s going to change because people as a whole (aka Academy members) don’t put much stock into it. This post has gotten very long now, so I’ll end it with a positive note: watching Jon Stewart invite Marketa Irglova back after the commercial break was a wonderful and sweet moment.

The problem with today’s, or past years of the category to be precise, were pretentiousness and ludicrous rules the Academy implemented. First the transition between the Academy’s age affected their taste in not only the “Oscar movie” but on what an “Oscar song” should be. Secondly because the Academy decided to take itself extremely seriously. It applied rules in this category such as, the ridiculous rule of points per selection, making the number or nominees vary based on the “judges good will” per year. And on top of that, the qualification process was just out of control. And the fact that a film could have multiple nominees here didn’t make this category very friendly to more mature films. Over the years this category became a Disney or animation heaven.

It is safe to say that there are many more problems with this category besides the ones I mentioned, but the fact is that with this new rule, hopefully, a more diverse and interesting category can be created.

I like the change from Art Direction to Production Design, as it should be since art directors are not nominated. It’s a small change that I really like.