I believe that the Oscars are declining because the type of movies they were created to highlight are slowly disappearing. The ideal Oscar nominee is a high-middlebrow film that aims for real artistry, with famous actors, stunning cinematography, and a memorable soundtrack. These movies are not too difficult for art-house audiences nor are they comic-book blockbusters, but rather films that appeal to a wide audience of serious adults. In the past, Oscar races featured conflicts that engaged every moviegoer, such as "Titanic" versus "L.A. Confidential," "Saving Private Ryan" versus "Shakespeare in Love," and "Braveheart" versus "Sense and Sensibility" versus "Apollo 13." This explains why this year's Academy Awards, with 10 best picture nominees, feel like a last attempt to showcase the type of movies the Oscars desperately need. "West Side Story" is being directed by Steven Spielberg in a modern retelling of a beloved musical. "King Richard" features a powerful performance by Will Smith in a sports movie that is inspiring. "Dune" is an impressive adaptation of a classic science-fiction story. "Don't Look Up" stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in a thought-provoking film about important issues. "Drive My Car" is a lengthy Japanese film that explores the intricate connection between a widowed actor and his female chauffeur. Perhaps the previous nominee may cater to a more specific audience, but the important thing is that this year's nominees feature well-known actors, renowned directors, and traditional Hollywood genres. Despite all of this star power, the majority of these films did not attract many viewers to theaters. In February, when the nominees were revealed, nine out of the 10 films had earned less than $40 million at the domestic box office. The only outlier was "Dune," which just surpassed $100 million domestically, ranking as the 13th highest-grossing film of 2021. Altogether, the 10 nominees have only made a quarter of the earnings of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" at the domestic box office. Despite efforts to recreate the old magic, the public's interest seems to have waned. The impact of COVID-19 on the film industry, particularly affecting older moviegoers, cannot be overlooked. Without the challenges posed by the delta and omicron waves, movies like "West Side Story" and "King Richard" may have performed better. Additionally, many of the best picture nominees were released both in theaters and on streaming platforms simultaneously. "Don't Look Up" found success on Netflix after a brief theatrical run. This unique crisis and technological changes provide an opportunity to assess our current situation. Certainly, while non-superhero movie box office earnings are expected to rebound in 2022 and next year's best picture contenders will likely see an increase in ticket sales, it is clear that the Oscars are on the decline. This marks a significant moment in the history of Hollywood, signaling the end of traditional movies as the dominant form of entertainment. However, this does not mean that films will disappear completely, as they will continue to be produced and enjoyed as part of the broader content industry. The concept of "The Movies" as a central American art form, a platform for celebrity, and a cultural institution appears to be coming to a close. The culmination of this shift has been a long time in the making, with hints of change seen in the spread of television, the invention of the VCR, the rise of cable TV, and Hollywood's romanticized view of its fading past. Despite nostalgia for the past, television continued to gain power without overshadowing the dominance of movies. While TV in the 1960s and '70s was successful, it was also seen as disposable, unlike movies which held a more esteemed position in culture. The introduction of VHS tapes allowed for a new way to appreciate films, generating additional revenue to support future blockbuster films. Television stars have been present since Milton Berle, and the '80s and '90s marked the beginning of what we now consider as prestigious TV shows. If you desired true glory, genuine fame, or lasting artistic recognition, you had to showcase your work in movie theaters to gauge the reactions of critics and audiences. Success could lead you to become someone like Robert Altman or Bruce Willis, while failure could result in being remembered as a cautionary tale like Shelley Long or David Caruso. The late 1990s marked the transition to a new era of cinematic wonder with the rise of computer-generated effects. Indie cinema helped develop a new group of talented filmmakers. The year 1999 is often considered one of the best years in film history, with acclaimed movies such as "Fight Club," "The Sixth Sense," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Election," "Three Kings," and "The Insider" released. This year had so many great films that it could justify a Top 50 list. Interestingly, the viewership for the Oscars increased from the late 1980s onwards, reaching its peak in 1998 when "Titanic" won Best Picture. This was seen as a victory for the film industry as a whole, as it combined classic Hollywood with the era of special effects, drawing audiences to the theaters for an experience that couldn't be replicated at home. For teenagers at that time, going to the movies was a significant part of their coming-of-age experience. I remember feeling frustrated as a teenager when I was turned away from an R-rated action movie (I can't remember if it was "Con Air" or "Executive Decision"), but also feeling a sense of maturity when I was able to see "Eyes Wide Shut" (another great film from 1999) on its opening weekend. The initiation process was not just about transitioning into adulthood, but also about learning a specific common language. Certain movies, such as "Austin Powers" and "The Matrix," were essential for socializing as a college student and understanding the cultural references that connected people. However, this eventually led to movies losing their revered status and becoming just another form of entertainment. A positive outcome of this shift was the rise of high-quality television shows, starting with HBO's "Sopranos," which rivaled movies in terms of acting, writing, and directing. The other changes were somewhat unclear. Globalization expanded the market for Hollywood movies, but the global audience favored simpler storytelling that could be easily understood across different languages and cultures, with less complexity and cultural details. The internet, laptops, and iPhones personalized entertainment and made it more accessible, but also led to smaller screens, individual viewing, and watching in short bursts, which went against the communal experience of cinemas. Special effects allowed for visually stunning scenes and brought previously unfilmable stories to the big screen. However, the focus on effects in blockbuster movies created a fandom culture that catered to specific audiences, but sometimes sacrificed traditional cinema elements for the demands of popular franchises like Star Wars or Marvel. The various changes in Western culture have led to a more widespread influence of teenage preferences and entertainment habits into adulthood. This has caused Hollywood to evolve in two main ways. Firstly, there is a focus on producing superhero movies and other familiar properties aimed at teenagers to maintain success in theaters. Secondly, there is a constant creation of content for home entertainment and streaming platforms, resulting in movies that closely resemble TV series in terms of casting, direction, and promotion. The impact of movies on American culture, which was significant even just 20 years ago, is now difficult to comprehend due to various pressures. The internet has now taken over as the primary platform for adult initiation, replacing traditional movie theaters. With the vast array of entertainment options available and the lack of originality in popular movies, it is nearly impossible for a few blockbuster hits to serve as a common cultural reference point. The idea of a movie star as an iconic figure has also become outdated, with superhero franchises often overshadowing the actors themselves and reducing them to mere representatives of the brand. The types of genres that used to create a strong connection between actor and audience, such as non-superhero action movies, historical epics, broad comedies, and meet-cute romances, have all declined quickly. While televised serials can create a bond between the audience and a specific character, this bond does not transfer as easily to the actor's other roles as the larger-than-life persona of movie stardom once did. Male actors from TV's antihero era are often forever associated with their characters, like Tony Soprano or Walter White, while recent female stars in serials like Jodie Comer or Anya Taylor-Joy have not been able to bring their audiences with them to their film projects. It is important to appreciate what this era has brought us, including Comer and Taylor-Joy's TV work. The abundance of content is remarkable, and serialized TV dramas have storytelling capabilities that even the biggest movies lack. In our most recent week of television watching, my wife and I have been switching between the entertaining basketball drama "Winning Time" and Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes in "The Dropout". Next week, we plan to watch the long-awaited third season of Donald Glover's "Atlanta". The quality of TV entertainment available now surpasses what was offered on cable 20 years ago. However, these shows are still different from movies due to their smaller cultural impact, the lesser fame of their actors, diminished communal influence, and the fact that stories made for TV screens sacrifice certain artistic elements in advance. For example, the grandeur of the movie experience, including larger-than-life acting and immersive cinematography, music, and sound editing, are not as prominent on smaller screens. Movies like "Dune," "West Side Story," and "Nightmare Alley" offer significantly different experiences in a theater compared to watching at home. In this context, it is appropriate that the Oscars this year have marginalized awards for score, sound, and film editing, as more movies are being made for streaming platforms, which may lead to a decrease in the importance of audiovisual immersion. Additionally, the condensed format of serial television in our current era lacks the power achieved through storytelling in a single installment, where the efforts of an entire team are condensed into a brief cinematic experience. This intensity is what sets great movies apart from long-form television, which often includes unnecessary seasons, mediocre episodes, or guest-star appearances that detract from the overall quality. Shows like "Lost" and "Game of Thrones" have suffered from not having a clear sense of their direction from the start. While a fantastic movie can be its own unique world that viewers can fully immerse themselves in, this does not diminish the artistic benefits of longer works. "The Sopranos" accomplished things in terms of character development and psychology over its duration that a movie could not achieve. However, "The Godfather" is still considered a more flawless piece of art. In a world where multiplatform content is dominant, the small screen holds more influence than the big screen, and superhero blockbusters and TV series are prevalent, fans of perfection may wonder what to seek out. Restoration and preservation are two important things to consider. Restoration does not mean bringing back the landscape of 1998, but rather hoping for a world where traditional big-screen entertainment, beyond just comic-book blockbusters, becomes more successful and appealing to audiences. One possibility for this lies in the changing geopolitical landscape, with China and Russia becoming less friendly towards Western releases. This could lead to a revival of movies with a more specifically American appeal, focusing on earning a decent profit on a smaller budget rather than spending excessively in hopes of a billion-dollar worldwide gross. The current theatrical experience is focused on maximizing revenue from trailers, ads, ticket sales, and concessions, which may make going to the movies less appealing for adults. One solution to this issue is differential pricing, which some theaters have tried. This could lead to a wider variety of movie experiences, with some films offering a simpler, more affordable night out. With many empty seats in theaters, it is worth considering if a more streamlined experience for non-blockbuster films could attract more viewers. However, since there are limits to these hopes, lovers of cinema must also consider the importance of preservation. Similar to supporters of theater, opera, and ballet, they must recognize that certain forms of artistic experiences will not be sustained on their own. They need support and patronage to cultivate an appreciation for the art forms that previous generations took for granted, especially in today's culture that often prioritizes adolescent tastes over adult ones. To support the preservation of cinema, efforts should focus on making it easier for theaters to screen older films that may be overlooked in the streaming industry's focus on new content, and to prevent classic movies from being locked away by corporate interests. Secondly, there is a focus on incorporating exposure to exceptional cinema into a liberal arts education. While the liberal arts are currently facing challenges, integrating 20th-century cinema into the curriculum can serve as a link to traditional art forms that influenced the development of film. By prioritizing the finest works of cinema, academic institutions can offer a more meaningful alternative to the superficial pursuit of relevance prevalent in popular culture studies. A pivotal moment in my own cinematic education occurred during college when I viewed "Blade Runner" and "When We Were Kings" in a dimly lit lecture hall as part of a course on heroism in ancient Greece. In 1998, I was still experiencing the main popular art form of American culture. Nowadays, a student in a similar situation would be encountering an art form that is no longer as dominant. This is also true of many other things we would want that student to experience, from ancient works like the "Iliad" and Aeschylus, to Shakespeare and 19th-century novels. While the decline of movies may not be able to be reversed financially or technologically, there is still cultural life beyond this type of end. It is now our responsibility to determine how rich this cultural life will be.