The fallout from these misfires can be demoralizing, straining internal relationships and too often destroying careers.

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Instead of showing what he knows about family and love, Mills, striving for aesthetic ricochets, misfires widely.

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If the studio head's star casting misfires at the box office, he or she has an excuse.

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The Knicks hung in, but their inability to rebound Miami's misfires hurt them tremendously down the stretch.

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Aside from the obvious, the misfires have been problematic for two reasons.

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But after that a string of publicity misfires set Cruise back.

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The Walt Disney Co. shoved out Nina Jacobson , the head of live-action production at its Walt Disney studios and No. 94 on last year's list of the World's Most Powerful Women, after misfires such as the The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Alamo.

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Not long ago the category of Best Picture was expanded to a whopping ten movies (every selected film also qualifies for the NHL playoffs.) There are fashion misfires and tributes to legends and occasionally some emotional payoffs, but the Oscars can't escape feeling predictable and dutiful, especially since a calendar stuffed with awards shows has already established a reliable pattern of winners.

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