If any of those movies win Best Picture on March 4, then they'll join very small pool of Best Picture-winning movies whose stories centre on women. Of the 89 past Best Picture winners, we counted only 16 movies in which women characters take the spotlight. What gives? Likely, for most of Hollywood's history, the most prestigious directors simply weren't making stories about women. Or, the voting members of the Academy, which have historically been majority white and male , simply didn't prioritise women's stories.