Online Bonus: More Movie Myths

Oscar myths: Fact or fiction?
By Kit Bowen

Think there's a formula to winning an Oscar? Think again. Here, we break Oscar's secret seal to expose some of the biggest myths about the Academy Awards -- and tell you what the real story is.

Myth: A Best Actress winner who forgets to thank her husband is headed for Splitsville.
Busted: Actually, it doesn't work exactly that way. Yes, two-time Oscar winner (and now-single) Hilary Swank forgot to thank her husband, Chad Lowe, when she won Best Actress for "Boys Don't Cry" in 1999. But she remembered it loud and clear when she won for "Million Dollar Baby" in 2004. Swank filed for divorce in May 2006. Reese Witherspoon, who won the Oscar last year for "Walk the Line" and thanked hubby Ryan Phillippe, announced her separation from him late last year.
The reality of it is ... Bruised egos? Oscar envy? Irreconcilable differences? Any of our business???

Myth: Movies released in December usually go on to win more major awards than those released earlier in the year.
Busted: Wrong. Here are four out of the last 10 Best Picture winners and their release dates: "Crash" (May 2005); "Gladiator" (May 2000); "American Beauty" (September 1999); and "The English Patient" (November 1996).
The reality of it is ... Although December releases still play a big part in keeping an Oscar contender fresh in Academy voters' minds (e.g., "Million Dollar Baby" came out of nowhere to win), there are those few movies whose quality -- and expertly managed marketing campaigns -- make a lasting impression.

Myth: If an actor wins an Oscar, he/she has made the A-list and is guaranteed a stellar career.
Busted: Have you ever heard of the Best Supporting curse?
The reality of it is ... Just ask Marisa Tomei ("My Cousin Vinny"), Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Jerry Maguire") and Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite"). Although these Oscar winners all have had steady careers, none of them has truly recaptured the certain magic that earned the golden statuette.

Myth: A newbie actress playing an ugly, trampy, downtrodden or gender-challenged character can't win an Oscar.
Busted: Cases in point: Julia Roberts' Oscar-winning turn as a hardhead in "Erin Brockovich;" Hilary Swank's win playing a boy in "Boys Don't Cry;" Halle Berry's award-winning performance as a demoralized mother in "Monster's Ball;" and Charlize Theron's win for playing a serial killer with no eyebrows in "Monster." Need more proof?
The reality of it is ... The prettier the actress really is, the better her chances of winning if she strips down to the minimum. Being able to sing (Sissy Spacek in "Coal Miner's Daughter;" Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line") also helps.

Online Bonus: More Oscar myths

Myth: No film has ever won in every category it was nominated for.
Busted: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which won all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated in 2003, beat that myth to a pulp.
The reality of it is... Even stodgy Oscar voters couldn't ignore the LOTR juggernaut of commercial and critical success.

Myth: If you deserve an Oscar, you will win one.
Busted: Maybe if you're Meryl Streep. But for many others, this couldn't be farther from the truth. To name a few celebrated celebs who have never won the Oscar for an individual film or performance despite being nominated several times: Director Martin Scorsese (nominated seven times); Annette Bening (nominated three times); Peter O'Toole (nominated seven times, has one honorary Oscar); director Robert Altman (nominated seven times, had one honorary Oscar). And the list goes on.
The reality of it is... Because of politics, bad timing, differences in marketing or whatever, the Academy Awards isn't always the fair and just awards ceremony we'd like it to be -- especially if you have money riding on someone you're sure is going to win this time.

Myth: If a director, actor or writer wins a Golden Globe, the Oscar is in the bag.
Busted: Not necessarily. In fact, the less glamorous but equally prestigious Guild Awards (SAG, Directors Guild of America and Writers Guild of America) have a much better predictive track record than the Globes. For example, in the last five years, four out of five directors who won the DGA award went on to win Oscars. The exception was in 2002, when Roman Polanski won the Oscar for "The Pianist" while Rob Marshall won the DGA award for "Chicago." In comparison, only three of the five DGA winners also won Golden Globes.
The reality of it is... Timing, marketing strategies and other factors play a part in who or what wins from the time the Golden Globes are handed out (in January) to the Academy Awards (in late February or early March). If we were to guess, however, peer-to-peer accolades probably hold more water than choices by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which runs the Globes.

Kit Bowen is a senior staff writer for Hollywood.com, a leading movie-related Internet site.