Oscar season is when I briefly convince myself that reading Variety over coffee and skimming the New York Times arts section at night qualifies as rigorous film scholarship. For a few weeks each year, I develop confident opinions about categories I forgot existed the previous spring, casually reference “industry buzz,” and begin sentences with “it feels like…” — awards-season shorthand for “I have absolutely no proof, but I am emotionally invested.” Part of this confidence comes from experience.