The movie was a hit at Sundance in 2014 (it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize) and the connection audiences have made with it stems from a few aspects he’s noticed over the last couple months, since the October 2014 release.
The 5 nominations of "Whiplash" for the 2015 Oscar Awards:
Best Picture
“Whiplash”
Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Film Editing
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
Sound Mixing
”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”