--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why write tearjerkers just because they…" description: "\"“Why write tearjerkers just because they get you better reviews? You know what you have to do to win an Oscar these days? Play a character who’s lost a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/marc-levy-2881_win-oscar_why-write-tearjerkers-just-because-they_2076102.png" --- # Why write tearjerkers just because they get you better… ![“Why write tearjerkers just because they get you better reviews? You know what you have to do to win an Oscar these days? Play a character who’s lost an arm, or a leg, or a mother, or a father, or preferably all of the above. Make it miserable and squalid and base, so people will cry their eyes out…” quote by Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/marc-levy-2881_win-oscar_why-write-tearjerkers-just-because-they_2076102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/marc-levy-2881_win-oscar_why-write-tearjerkers-just-because-they_2076102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/marc-levy-2881_win-oscar_why-write-tearjerkers-just-because-they_2076102.png) > ““Why write tearjerkers just because they get you better reviews? You know what you have to do to win an Oscar these days? Play a character who’s lost an arm, or a leg, or a mother, or a father, or preferably all of the above. Make it miserable and squalid and base, so people will cry their eyes out and call you a genius, but if you inspire people or make them laugh? You’re not even under consideration when awards season rolls around. I’m sick of this cultural hegemony of depression.”” [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Award systems favor tragic, self‑pity narratives, marginalizing uplifting or humorous works. **In simple terms:** Awards often reward sorrowful stories. Key Takeaway Create and promote diverse, uplifting content. Themes culture media criticism artistic value Mood reflective inspirational Type cinematic cultural When to use this quote - film festivals - screenwriting workshops - audience outreach Key Concepts award criteria genre bias creative risk-taking Questions to Reflect On - What stories are overlooked by award bodies? - How can creators break the depression trend? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures may limit artistic variety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Make Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-miserable/) [Tearjerkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tearjerkers-4032361/) [Tearjerkers Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tearjerkers-just-4032362/) [Win Oscar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-oscar/) [Write Tearjerkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-tearjerkers-4032360/) ## Related quotes > [In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to be nominated for and to win an Oscar. It was a step forward, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/in-1940-hattie-mcdaniel-became-the-first-african-american-to-be/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [You win an Oscar, and the movie that comes after that is always going to be compared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/you-win-an-oscar-and-the-movie-that-comes-after-that-is-always-going/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [I'd love to win an Oscar; that would be great. I hope to get a feature film that I've made get a wide release.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-plympton/i-d-love-to-win-an-oscar-that-would-be-great-i-hope-to-get-a-feature/) [Bill Plympton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-plympton/) > [I'm very ambitious. I'm the kind of person who still feels as if they could win an Oscar. Albeit, with no evidence to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-matafeo/i-m-very-ambitious-i-m-the-kind-of-person-who-still-feels-as-if-they/) [Rose Matafeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-matafeo/) > [ It \[winning Oscar\] is the most important event in the career of an actor, an extraordinary moment, beautiful. Some people live their whole life… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/it-winning-oscar-is-the-most-important-event-in-the-career-of-an/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [I love Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman - those are the careers I want. My goal is to win an Oscar, and I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-benson/i-love-michelle-williams-and-natalie-portman-those-are-the-careers-i/) [Ashley Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-benson/) > [You can win your Oscar, and you still wake up trying to figure out how to get your next job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-o-malley/you-can-win-your-oscar-and-you-still-wake-up-trying-to-figure-out-how/) [Rory O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-o-malley/) > [The first thing that your should do when you win an Oscar is thank God. The second thing you should do is forget it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-steiger/the-first-thing-that-your-should-do-when-you-win-an-oscar-is-thank/) [Rod Steiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-steiger/) > [I can safely say that no one who has ever won an Oscar didn't want to win an Oscar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-can-safely-say-that-no-one-who-has-ever-won-an-oscar-didn-t-want-to/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [I don't have any ambition to make lots of money or win an Oscar or anything like that. It's not about that for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-don-t-have-any-ambition-to-make-lots-of-money-or-win-an-oscar-or/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I never place limits on the potential success of my students. If they're going into acting, they're going to win the Oscar... If they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-never-place-limits-on-the-potential-success-of-my-students-if-they/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [You win the Oscar, you get to go into just about anybody's office for a month. I had a lot of meetings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wedge/you-win-the-oscar-you-get-to-go-into-just-about-anybody-s-office-for/) [Chris Wedge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wedge/) > [The year you win an Oscar is the fastest year in a Hollywood actor's life. Twelve months later they ask, 'Who won the Oscar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-robertson/the-year-you-win-an-oscar-is-the-fastest-year-in-a-hollywood-actor-s/) [Cliff Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-robertson/) > [I think Austin Butler should win an Oscar for 'Elvis.' You don't have to see it, all you need to know is I'm correct.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/i-think-austin-butler-should-win-an-oscar-for-elvis-you-don-t-have-to/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) > [My dad won an Oscar in 1951 with an un-Anglicized name, the first Hispanic to ever win an Oscar, and the Academy is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ferrer/my-dad-won-an-oscar-in-1951-with-an-un-anglicized-name-the-first/) [Miguel Ferrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ferrer/) ## More by Marc Levy > [“A amizade não se constroi sem provas de confiança e as confidências são uma delas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/a-amizade-n-o-se-constroi-sem-provas-de-confian-a-e-as-confid-ncias-s/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“Să identifici fericirea când se află la picioarele tale, să ai curajul şi hotărârea de a te apleca pentru a o lua în braţe...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/s-identifici-fericirea-c-nd-se-afl-la-picioarele-tale-s-ai-curajul-i/) [marc levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“I’m going to live in theory, because in theory everything goes perfectly . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/i-m-going-to-live-in-theory-because-in-theory-everything-goes/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“It's when you give something that you have very little of, that you truly give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/it-s-when-you-give-something-that-you-have-very-little-of-that-you/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“Alguna vez has convencido a un arbol de que se haga de noche para dejar paso a los pajaros?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/alguna-vez-has-convencido-a-un-arbol-de-que-se-haga-de-noche-para/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“„Pamćenje je neobičan umjetnik, mijenja boje života, briše ono što je nezanimljivo i čuva samo ono najljepše i najuzbudljivije.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/pam-enje-je-neobi-an-umjetnik-mijenja-boje-ivota-bri-e-ono-to-je/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“(…) jurara a si próprio que permaneceria, fiel toda a sua vida à premissa que fizera um dia ao seu pai, a de nunca…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/jurara-a-si-pr-prio-que-permaneceria-fiel-toda-a-sua-vida-premissa/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“A broken heart hurts like hell, I know, but it’s better than being so empty you’ve got nothing to cry about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/a-broken-heart-hurts-like-hell-i-know-but-it-s-better-than-being-so/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“„Vidiš“, reče on sjedajući, „to je čudno, ali pronalazimo svakojake razloge ne bismo li spriječili sebe da volimo, zato što se plašimo da ćemo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/vidi-re-e-on-sjedaju-i-to-je-udno-ali-pronalazimo-svakojake-razloge/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“Women are fickle, you know. And men are idiots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/women-are-fickle-you-know-and-men-are-idiots/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [It's when you give something that you have very little of, that you truly give. - Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/it-s-when-you-give-something-that-you-have-very-little-of-that-you-2/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“People think writing is an easy job, and in some ways it is. Flexible hours, no boss, no real structure . . . but working without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/people-think-writing-is-an-easy-job-and-in-some-ways-it-is-flexible/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [You may think I'm doing this without taking the time to really think it through, and you're absolutely right. It would take me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/you-may-think-i-m-doing-this-without-taking-the-time-to-really-think/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“every moment is forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/every-moment-is-forever/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [“You only need two or three details to set the scene. More than that and you can lose the reader's interest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/you-only-need-two-or-three-details-to-set-the-scene-more-than-that/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) [Explore all 58 Marc Levy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) ## More Win Oscar quotes > [In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to be nominated for and to win an Oscar. It was a step forward, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/in-1940-hattie-mcdaniel-became-the-first-african-american-to-be/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [I think Austin Butler should win an Oscar for 'Elvis.' You don't have to see it, all you need to know is I'm correct.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/i-think-austin-butler-should-win-an-oscar-for-elvis-you-don-t-have-to/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) > [The year you win an Oscar is the fastest year in a Hollywood actor's life. Twelve months later they ask, 'Who won the Oscar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-robertson/the-year-you-win-an-oscar-is-the-fastest-year-in-a-hollywood-actor-s/) [Cliff Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-robertson/) > [You win the Oscar, you get to go into just about anybody's office for a month. I had a lot of meetings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wedge/you-win-the-oscar-you-get-to-go-into-just-about-anybody-s-office-for/) [Chris Wedge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wedge/) > [I never place limits on the potential success of my students. If they're going into acting, they're going to win the Oscar... If they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-never-place-limits-on-the-potential-success-of-my-students-if-they/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [I don't have any ambition to make lots of money or win an Oscar or anything like that. It's not about that for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-don-t-have-any-ambition-to-make-lots-of-money-or-win-an-oscar-or/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I can safely say that no one who has ever won an Oscar didn't want to win an Oscar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-can-safely-say-that-no-one-who-has-ever-won-an-oscar-didn-t-want-to/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [The first thing that your should do when you win an Oscar is thank God. The second thing you should do is forget it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-steiger/the-first-thing-that-your-should-do-when-you-win-an-oscar-is-thank/) [Rod Steiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-steiger/) > [You can win your Oscar, and you still wake up trying to figure out how to get your next job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-o-malley/you-can-win-your-oscar-and-you-still-wake-up-trying-to-figure-out-how/) [Rory O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-o-malley/) > [I love Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman - those are the careers I want. My goal is to win an Oscar, and I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-benson/i-love-michelle-williams-and-natalie-portman-those-are-the-careers-i/) [Ashley Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-benson/) > [ It \[winning Oscar\] is the most important event in the career of an actor, an extraordinary moment, beautiful. Some people live their whole life… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/it-winning-oscar-is-the-most-important-event-in-the-career-of-an/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [I'm very ambitious. I'm the kind of person who still feels as if they could win an Oscar. Albeit, with no evidence to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-matafeo/i-m-very-ambitious-i-m-the-kind-of-person-who-still-feels-as-if-they/) [Rose Matafeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-matafeo/) > [I'd love to win an Oscar; that would be great. I hope to get a feature film that I've made get a wide release.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-plympton/i-d-love-to-win-an-oscar-that-would-be-great-i-hope-to-get-a-feature/) [Bill Plympton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-plympton/) > [You win an Oscar, and the movie that comes after that is always going to be compared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/you-win-an-oscar-and-the-movie-that-comes-after-that-is-always-going/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [My dad won an Oscar in 1951 with an un-Anglicized name, the first Hispanic to ever win an Oscar, and the Academy is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ferrer/my-dad-won-an-oscar-in-1951-with-an-un-anglicized-name-the-first/) [Miguel Ferrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ferrer/) [Browse all 63 Win Oscar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-oscar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why write tearjerkers just because they get you better reviews? 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