And the Winning Formula is...

The Culture 2013 NOMINEES OSCAR WINNERS, 1970-2012 And the Winning Formula Is ... Four decades of Best Pictures, decoded BY CHRIS WILSON AND HEATHER JONES ACA DEMY AWA RD-WINNING MOVIES stick to a well thumbed manual SURVIVAL of themes and techniques. The pantheon is crowded with mafiosi, extramarital affairs, shoot outs, flashbacks and enough bare skin to make Caligula blush. This chart uses plot keywords from the HÒNOR RACISM INFIDELITY JEALOUSY THEME Internet Movie Database to compare the nine Best Picture nominees for DOCTÓR 2013 with every past winner going back to 1970. Ofcourse, cramming a bunch of popular Oscarthemes into one movie doesn't necessarily spell success. (Otherwise, The Wolfof Wall Street would be this year's runaway favorite.) But the past can offer a few useful tips. Note to future contend ers: Lay off the opening credits. DRUG DEALER MAFIOSO Cops and mafiosi dominated POLICE OFFICER COW BOY the early 1970s CHARACTER FEMALENUDITY MALENUDITY Clothes MASTURBATION stayed on in the early 2000s PROSTITUTION SEX STANDING UP SHOT TO DEATH BEATING FALL DOWN STAIRS Pla toon PUNCHEDIN THE FACE aside, the mid 1980s were quite peacetul BAG OVER HEAD VIOLENCE NO OPENING CREDITS THE PRIZE The statuette is made of molded FLASHBACK pewter and plated four times-with co pper, nickel, silverand NONLINEA R TIMELINE VOICE-OVER NARRATION 24-karat gold DREAM SEQUENCE STORYTELLING Over the decades, NEW YORK CITY churches have shown up more of ten than nightclubs WASHINGTON SMALL TOWN CHURCH NIGHTCLUB SETTING Sources: IMDB; Academy af Motion Picture Arts and Sciences TIME March 3, 2014 2 YEARSA SLAVE AMERICAN HUSTLE CAPTAIN PHILLIPS DALLAS BUYERS CLU GRAVITY HER NEBRASKA PRLOMEN THE WOLFOF WALL STREET ARGO THE ARTIST THE KING S SPEECH THE HURT LOCKER SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN THE DEPARTED CRASH MILLION DOLLAR BABY LORD OF THE RINGS: THE KING CHIC AGO A BE AUTIFUL MIND GLADIATOR AMERICAN BEAUTY SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE ITANIC HE EN BRAVEHEART FORREST GUMP SCHINDLER'S UST UNFORGIVEN THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS DANCES WITH WOLVES DRIVING MISS DAISY RAIN MAN THE LAST EMPEROR PLATOON OUT OF AFRICA AMADEUS TERMS OF ENDE ARMEN GANDHI CHARIOTS OF FIRE ORDINARY PEOPLE KRAMER VS, KRAMER ANNIE HALL ROCKУ ONE FLEW OVE ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST E GODFATHER PART H THE STING THE GODFATHER THE FRENCH CONNECTION PATTON