Oscars are the best awards ceremonies. When Lady Gaga — whom I adore — wins a Grammy, one compulsively thinks of the 6 million unsung musicians who lost, some of whom are geniuses. But when The King’s Speech gets the Oscar, you think: "Too bad for The Social Network." The contenders are few.
And film is inherently a competitive medium. A movie is produced by a large "team" like the Philadelphia Phillies (if you include all the peanut-vendors, stadium-sweepers and lawn care experts) that surges towards VICTORY. Thor is trying to beat Sucker Punch, while Trisha Brown (the choreographer) just wants to expand her emotive vocabulary.
We root for films as if they were the Oakland A’s.