This question originally appeared on Quora. 
Answer by Ken Miyamoto, Produced screenwriter, former Sony Pictures script reader/story analyst, former Sony Studios liaison
It was an outstanding year for sure and further proof that the myth of Hollywood not making great films anymore is just that, a myth.
I wouldn't jump to the entitlement of 2013 being one of the best in decades because almost each and every year we are given amazing films. It's just a matter of going to see them.
What is really outstanding though, particularly from 2013, is that Hollywood has seen the success of such films, both critical and financial, and will take more chances than they would have the years prior with films that don't fall under the blockbuster franchise tag.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Best Picture went to a dark and gritty film about the horrors of slavery. The other frontrunner, Gravity, was a contained science fiction thriller with a lead character that was a woman, and which also became one of the biggest box office successes of the year.
It is years like these in the realm of the film industry that open doors and allow the film industry to take more "risks", at least in terms of their definition of risk.
So bravo to 2013. Bravo to audiences for going to see many of these films. Those combined elements above will give us an even better crop of films in the next 2-3 years and beyond.