Almost every film that is in serious contention for an Oscar this year is clocking in at no more than two hours and twenty minutes, USA Today film writer Susan Wloszczyna observed today (Monday). She noted that the length contrasts sharply with last year's Oscar contenders, several of which lasted more than 2 1/2 hours and two, The Green Mile and Magnolia, that timed out at more than three hours. Studio execs denied that they were cracking down on directors to force them to release shorter fare. (The shorter the movie, the more times it can be shown at a theater.) Russell Schwartz of USA Films commented, "The directors are policing themselves. They are getting it."

Source: Studio Briefing