re: Here's why the Oscars have been falling in the ratings in recent years

There is a trend there. And my knee jerk reaction is that today there are more low quality big budget movies which are big revenue but forgettable because neither the acting nor the story are exceptional.

Which is to argue that reasonable people generally do not believe the latest F&F, Star Wars, or Jumanjii product should be considered for best picture - but can be fun to see in a theater. Decades ago many big budget movies were obviously not CGI or special effects driven and had serious actors doing what they think of as their serious roles.

We actually do have really good actors doing roles for the blockbuster movies critics do not view as candidates for best picture - but there is an apparent consensus that serious actors doing less serious parts will rarely be given oscar consideration.

I am actually kind of fine with all of these things. Maybe occasional consideration should be given to a project like The Matrix for how creative, influential, and well executed the movie was - but we shouldn't mistake popular for outstanding either. And popularity obviously plays something of a role in the same way that genre does - rarely will documentaries be given even a perfunctory nod. Comedies, animation, horror, and action are also generally overlooked compared to tragedies and dramas.