YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsOscars  Doing the new Oscar
math  Films that were long shots for best picture glory now
might make the Academy Awards cut.  June 25, 2009|Ben Fritz
Doubling the number of best picture nominees completely changes
the calculus for predicting which movies will have a shot at the
top Oscar.  It's tough to say how academy members will think
about their expanded voting opportunities. Will they select more
of the oh-so-serious adult dramas that have dominated the Oscars
for the past few years, or will they expand their horizons to
include more celebrated indies, mainstream tent poles and even
-- dare we say it -- comedies?  We know it's too early to make
predictions, but with that in mind, here are five films that
have just seen their chances at a best picture nomination go
from "good" to "great," five independent or quirky films whose
odds just got better and five crowd-friendly movies that might
have a shot now:  Leading contenders  "The Informant" Steven
Soderbergh directs Matt D