Oscar shows his age

At 86, the Academy Awards they are a-changing. And the changes seem to be aligning with a public face, which is quite interesting considering the first Oscars were a private affair. Sunday's show will reach a viewing audience spanning 200 countries. Now that Downton's done, of course.

By the way, they weren't called "Oscars" until the 1930s, when legend has it an Academy librarian said the 13-inch statuette looked like her Uncle Oscar.

How are they changing? They're aging. The average age of this year's best actress nominees is 55, including Meryl Streep (64) and Dame Judi Dench (79). For the first time in eight years, no nominated actress is younger than 30, nor - almost, save Amy Adams at 39 - younger than 40. Last year's average age was 39.

The men are the younger gender this year. For best actor, the average age is 47, but the curve is skewed. Four of the five picks this year are between 36 and 44. Then we have Bruce Dern who is 77.

The shift may reflect tastes of average movie-goers, who are also aging. The fastest growing demographic in cinemas are 40-50. The average age of voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has risen to 63.

There's where we've seen marked change - the voters - perhaps due to criticism of the Academy in 2012. At the time, the Academy's 6,000 or so members were 94 percent white and 77 percent male with a median age of 62, as reported by an extensive profile in the L.A. Times last year. So last summer The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences invited 276 new members, more than 100 representing their attempt to "reach out" to more diverse populations, including women, foreign-born artists, and more races and ethnicities. A few hundred seems a small percentage, but last year's tie in sound editing between "Skyfall" and "Zero Dark Thirty" proves even one vote can make the call.

Speaking of diversity, the first African-American to get an Oscar (for Best Supporting Actress) was Hattie McDaniel in 1940 for "Gone with the Wind." Of course, she played a servant. More than two decades later came Sidney Poitier's Best Actor win in 1964, "Lilies of the Field."

Maybe the gap is closing after eight decades with non-white nominees averaging only 4 percent. In 2002 and 2010, winners included Halle Berry (actress, "Monsters Ball") and Lee Daniels (director, "Precious"), whose 2013 film, "The Butler" was very popular with audiences but not nominated.

Speaking of discrepancy, "Best Pictures" are not necessarily high-grossing. Some of the lowest grossing films won the big Oscar. Among them are "The Hurt Locker" ($17 million), "The Artist" ($45 million), and "Crash" ($68 million). Compare that with "The Butler," which grossed $167 million and counting; its overseas takings aren't finished.

Mature themes, aging nominees, older audiences (with ticket prices up from a quarter the first year to $10-$12 now, today's young can ill-afford to go to the movies), emerging diversity among voting members... maybe the Academy is maturing as it approaches the century mark.

More movies for grown-ups? Thank you, Boomers.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network who prefers her Elizabeth George novel to actors and Oscars. Contact her at [email protected] if you know Lynley.