Braveheart

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeTo win a Best Picture Oscar, a film has to have something about it.Only 94 films in history have been given this award. They’re not voted on by the eccentric members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who pick the Golden Globes, or by specialist groups of critics, but by the roughly 10,000 members of the Academy. That is to say, the choice is made by distinguished figures from…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeTo win a Best Picture Oscar, a film has to have something about it.Only 94 films in history have been given this award. They’re not voted on by the eccentric members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who pick the Golden Globes, or by specialist groups of critics, but by the roughly 10,000 members of the Academy. That is to say, the choice is made by distinguished figures from…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeTo win a Best Picture Oscar, a film has to have something about it.Only 90 films in history have been given this award. They’re not voted on by the eccentric members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who pick the Golden Globes, or by specialist groups of critics, but by the 6,000 members of the Academy. That is to say, the choice is made by distinguished figures from within…

Mel Gibson spent this past weekend in Scotland, touching down in the country for the first time in 28 years, where he shot Braveheart and became something of a national hero in the process (despite the historical epic’s voluminous inaccuracies and creative liberties). The sprawling saga of William Wallace was a monster-sized hit at the time of release, bringing in $213 million at the box office before winning four Academy Awards from 10 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. At 178 minutes…