In 1980, Robert Redford's feature debut “Ordinary People,” which swept the most important Oscars, competed with two superlative films (both in black-and-white): David Lynch's “The Elephant Man,” which received 8 nominations but lost each one of them, and Scorsese's masterpiece “Raging Bull,” which also received 8 nods, winning one for editing.

In “All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards,” critic Emanuel Levy points out that one thing all Best Picture nominees share is standout acting, either as an ensemble or in the form of one bravura star turn. Do the math: Every branch of the Academy nominates and votes on Best Picture (unlike other categories, which are nominated by their respective technical and artistic branches); the acting branch is by far the largest branch in the Academy (actors account for slightly more than 25 percent of the organization, according to Levy); ergo, actors vote for movies that feature great acting. (“Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Departed,” “Babel,” “Letters From Iwo Jima,” “The Queen”: check, check, check, check, check.)–Washington Post, Feb 18, 2007

How important is the specific genre of a film for its chances to win the Best Picture Oscar?

The most nominated film in 1983, “Terms of Endearment” received five Oscars out of its 11 nominations. It's one of the few films in the Academy's history, in which two actresses, MacLaine and Winger, were nominated in the lead category; other films include “All About Eve” and The Turning Point,” also with MacLaine (and Anne Bancroft).

Two Vietnam War movies competed for the Best Picture Oscar in 1978: “The Deer Hunter,” with 9 nominations, and “Coming Home,” with eight. While “Deer Hunter got the major awards, “Coming Home” received Best Actor for Jon Voight and Best Actress for Jane Fonda.