None of these veteran know-it-alls — Gold Derby‘s Tom O’Neil, Deadline‘s Pete Hammond, IndieWire‘s Anne Thompson, Blackfilm‘s Wilson Morales — address the woke mind-virus factor, or the fact that the award-season mindset has become fatally myopic. Industry types living and thinking and spitballing on their own tight little island with no awareness of or interest in what. Joe and Jane Popcorn might think about all this. O’Neil: “Joe and Jane who?”

Plus the inescapable fact that none of the supposed Best Picture contenders are home runs. Except, that is, for Top Gun: Maverick. Give credit to Hammond, at least, for stating that Top Gun: Maverick was probably a big #2 favorite when Academy members were filling out their ballots.

Hammond also notes that he’s heard stories about Academy members turning off Everything Everywhere All At Once as they try to watch it at home. Quote: “Some people are really trying [to get it], like it’s homework. [But] it’s so easy to turn off.” Translation: The over-45 crowd hates it.

Thompson on EEAAO: “I tried to tell somebody about what the EEAAO plot is, and I failed.” Also: “A lot people find The Fablemans flat and not exciting.”