Calling the Oscars
If it were up to Ben Zauzmer, Disney’s computer-animated “Frozen” would take home the Oscar for best picture this year. But the film isn’t nominated, and he wouldn’t go with his own desires anyway — only his math. For the past three years, the Harvard College junior has employed statistics and percentages to predict winners at the Academy Awards. In his freshman year, Zauzmer, who hails from a suburb of Philadelphia, rightly predicted 15 winners out of the 20 categories he called, including Meryl Streep’s best-actress upset over Viola Davis. “I knew then I was onto something,” he said. Last year Zauzmer nailed 17 out of his 21 calls, pulling data from other awards ceremonies like the BAFTAs, critics’ scores, and historical data. This year, he teamed up with the Hollywood Reporter to announce predicted victories, and has the Sandra Bullock-led “Gravity” winning best picture. “The highest percentage is for ‘Gravity,’” said Zauzmer. “But...