Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Should there be an Academy Award for Best Comedic Performance?

Community
Search
Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters
View Poll Results: Should there be a new academy award for Best Comedic Performance?
Yes, Definitely
16
45.71%
No, They have no place at the Oscars
19
54.29%
Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll

Should there be an Academy Award for Best Comedic Performance?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-13-07, 01:09 PM
  #1  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Should there be an Academy Award for Best Comedic Performance?

It seems like comics get no Oscar love until they switch genres (Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, to name a few). Should comedies or comedic performances somehow be incorporated into the academy awards? I think YES! Comparing their performances against other actors in serious roles seems like comparing apples to oranges.
Old 02-13-07, 01:24 PM
  #2  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 24,944
Received 272 Likes on 171 Posts
They're hard to define though. Is Little Miss Sunshine a comedy to compete against Wedding Crashers or is it a dramedy that kinda inbetween?
Old 02-13-07, 01:26 PM
  #3  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Jaymole's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: N.Y, N.Y
Posts: 10,533
Received 443 Likes on 250 Posts
Can you name 10 great comedic male & female (5 per) leading performances from the past year that were overlooked? I can't.
Old 02-13-07, 01:28 PM
  #4  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Drop's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Edison, NJ
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I voted no, and it's not because comedic performances don't deserve a place at the Oscars. They do, but right in the same catergory as dramatic roles. It just so happens that the dramatic actor wins. Johnny Depp was nominated as Jack Sparrow, and that was definitely a comedic performace. Alan Arkin is nominated this year, once again in a comedic performance

Most of all, the last thing I want is four more oscar catgories. We'd have to have female comedic, and then supporting for both. What's the guarnatee that we'll even get enough good performances in the current categories category?
Old 02-13-07, 01:35 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,774
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I voted no, but I feel that comedic actors should get more nominations for Best/Best Supporting Actor. Most actors will tell you if you succeed at comedic performances, drama is easy.
Old 02-13-07, 01:38 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 45,326
Received 1,022 Likes on 812 Posts
It isn't that they have no place at the oscars, they shouldn't be held to a different standard. A single, compiled Actor category is plentiful.
Old 02-13-07, 02:04 PM
  #7  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 1,721
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No, just no
Old 02-13-07, 02:31 PM
  #8  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,227
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
No.

A fine performance is a fine performance: comedic, dramatic or other.
Old 02-13-07, 02:44 PM
  #9  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Drexl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 16,077
Likes: 0
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts
Well, the idea is for one award, regardless of male/female, lead/supporting.

I don't know. I agree that it shouldn't matter, but it would be interesting.
Old 02-13-07, 02:53 PM
  #10  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Orange County
Posts: 4,915
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
No.

The Best Actor category should recognize the five best performances of the year regardless of genre.

Steve Carell, for instance, should have gotten a Best Actor nom in 2006. He was certainly as deserving as the other nominees even though his role was comedic.
Old 02-13-07, 03:09 PM
  #11  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 1,981
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If a comic performance is good enough, it'll get nominated in the acting catergories. They don't need to go Golden globes and have seperate catergories, it de-powers the prestige of being nominated. Comedic performers just don't show the same depth that dramatic actors do, that's why they're overlooked. When they can act better, they can come back for a nom.
Old 02-13-07, 05:01 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Mr. Cinema's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 18,044
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
hell no.

There's no Best Dramatic Performance either. Johnny Depp was nominated for Pirates. Unfortunately, Roberto Benigni won for Life is Beautiful, which was a comedic performance. Albeit nowhere near as good as Ian McKellen's performance in Gods and Monsters. I believe Tom Hanks was nominated for Big, and I'd consider that a comedy.
Old 02-13-07, 05:36 PM
  #13  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Times Square
Posts: 12,135
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 2 Posts
NO.

Acting is acting. Once you start breaking it down, we could end up with dozens of categories, which may boost some Hollywood egos, but would dilute whatever value an Academy Award might have.

"The nominees for the best performance as the victim of a serial killer are ......"

...and the categories could go forth and multiply
Old 02-13-07, 06:00 PM
  #14  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Shannon Nutt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 18,362
Received 324 Likes on 242 Posts
Tom Hanks = Forrest Gump
Kevin Spacey = American Beauty
Jack Nicholson = As Good As It Gets
Helen Hunt = As Good As It Gets
Cuba Gooding Jr. = Jerry Maguire
Jack Palance = City Slickers
Kevin Kline = A Fish Called Wanda
Gweneth Paltrow = Shakespeare In Love
Judi Dench = Shakespeare In Love
Whoopi Goldberg = Ghost
Cher = Moonstruck
Olympia Dukakis = Moonstruck


I'm probably forgetting some, but those are all recent winners in performances that were mostly comedic...and I didn't even mention comedic performances in dramas, such as Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.