Cass R. Sunstein, Columnist

Best Movie Awards of 2017 (Behavioral Economics)

The "Becon" winners: an unrealistic optimist, a beguiled soldier, a portrait of grief and a lesson in love.

November 30, 2017 at 5:09 PM UTC

Cass R. Sunstein is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of “The Cost-Benefit Revolution” and a co-author of “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness.”

Best screenplay.
Photographer: Samantha Power

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We’re nearing the end of 2017, which means that it’s time to announce the most coveted of the annual movie awards: the Behavioral Economics Oscars (Becons for short). Created just a few years ago, the Becons, as they are called, have taken the film industry by storm.

A lot of people have been wondering why that happened. The most natural explanation is simple: The best movies explore why human beings do what they do. Awards that focus on that topic are bound to resonate.