Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies?
Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies?
#1Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies?
Posted: 2/16/08 at 4:09pm
There's an article in today's Washington Post that talks about the fact that comedies and musicals are mostly looked over by the Academy. The writer suggests that they create separate picture and acting categories for the two. That way acclaimed films like Superbad, Hairspray, Enchanted, etc., would be able to get more recognition.
I'm kind of on the fence about this idea. I don't think it's a good idea to create separate comedy & musical categories. As mentioned in the article, there aren't enough musicals produced every year to warrant a separate category for them. An exception would be this past year, which had 5 major movie-musicals, which is great considering that a few years ago people considered the genre almost dead.
What the Oscar Drama Needs Is Some Comic Relief
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Updated On: 2/16/08 at 04:09 PM
#2re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 4:17pmI don't know about a musical category standing alone. Typically there wouldn't be enough films to fall in this category. I do however agree about a comedy category. These films and the actors are often overlooked. Every actor can not pull off comedy, just like every actor can't pull off a drama. It is very rare to find an actor that is truly good at both. Maybe they could combine the musical and comedy category. i think the Golden Globes lump them together.
#2re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 4:24pmI think I might be for them creating a musical/comedy category like the Golden Globes do, since there usually aren't enough musicals to fill a separate category. And I do agree that brilliant comedic performances ought to be recognized more often.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
#3re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 4:32pm
I would probably stop watching the Oscars if they did this.
There would be, what, 8 actors who won an Oscar every year? Two Academy Award-winning Best Pictures every year? No thank you. The prestige and glamour of being an Oscar winner would be greatly diminished.
Instead, they should just be more apt at recognizing great comedic performances.
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The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.
#4re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 4:54pm
They should NOT combine Comedy & Musical. And the Golden Globes should drop "Musical" from the category of award, too. DREAMGIRLS and SWEENEY TODD, though both have comedic elements, are not comedies.
That being said, I'm split on the decision of having two seperate categories for Drama and Comedy. They used to do this with the Best Score category.
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--Aristotle
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LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#6re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 5:20pm
The Academy would never agree to it, so don't sweat it. This has come up many times before, almost annually, and the answer is no.
They will in no way diminish the relevancy of the "best" awards by splitting up the categories. Never gonna happen.
The only award that seems to be "missing" right now, in my opinion, is for music adaptation. We have original and adapted screenplay categories. We USED to have original and adapted score categories. They need to bring that one back... or just get rid of the adapted screenplay Oscar then (yeah, RIGHT).
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#7re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 5:30pmI don't think this should be done, but I do think they should recognized comedies a little more.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
JohnBoy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/06
#8re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 5:36pmNo. In fact, they should eliminated about 1/2 the categories.
JohnBoy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/06
#9re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 5:36pmNo. In fact, they should eliminated about 1/2 the categories.
#10re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 5:39pmI think it would be fine not to have a comedy category if the academy would start to acknowledge great comedic performances. I think they do a better job with musicals than comedies (Chicago, Dream Girls, Sweeney Todd, even more in the past)
#11re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 5:43pmBest12bars, could you possibly elaborate on the Best Adapted Score category? Was this mainly to give recognition to musical adaptations?
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
#12re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 7:11pmI don't know whether they should have a separate one for the Oscars but I do think the Golden Globes should get rid of the Musical part of the Musical/Comedy award- films like Dreamgirls and Sweeney Todd definitely shouldn't be classed in the same category as comedies.
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#13re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 8:02pm
I think that musical and comedy should not be lumped together. Since when was SWEENEY TODD a comdey? Or when were WALK THE LINE, LA VIE EN ROSE, and RAY musicals?
I think the Academy should recognize more comedic turns. A bland Queen Elizabeth over funny and charasmatic Princess Giselle?
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#14re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/16/08 at 8:18pm
" Or when were WALK THE LINE, LA VIE EN ROSE, and RAY musicals? "
I'm sorry, but I'm a little stumped here. Aren't those films exclusively about musicians and aren't they filled with the music of those musicians?
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Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#15re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:57pmSince nobody in the Academy seems to have a memory of what came out before August, I think they should do the Academy Awards twice a year.
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#16re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/17/08 at 4:32pm
No, it's just that most movies pre-August aren't even worth releasing, let alone awarding.
What a stupid, stupid idea. A good film is a good film, regardless of it's genre.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#17re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/17/08 at 4:40pm
A good film is a good film, regardless of it's genre.
I agree, but I think the problem people want to address is the Academy's partiality to tear-jerkers, pretentious, overly dramatic films that believe have to say "something" about the world (aka CRASH, BABEL, NO COUNTRY, A BEAUTIFUL LIFE, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, etc). I don't think the category should be separated but I do think the Academy should try to have a more eclectic mix of films in the Best Picture category. And Musicals should NOT be considered in the same category as comedies, guess what Hollywood? Not all musicals are comedies anymore!
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#18re: Should The Academy create separate categories for musicals and comedies
Posted: 2/17/08 at 7:11pm
They're well made films, therefore they are recognized by the academy. They have made lots and lots of mistakes in the past, but I do think that - overall - they've done a tremendous job at recognizing the best of the best every year.
If a comedy isn't incredibly well written with excellent direction and performances - it doesn't get remembered. What's the problem? There are MANY examples of terrific comedies that HAVE been recognized by the academy. Why? Because they're good. And I'm not talking BEST PICTURE - I'm talking overall. Some wonderful comedies are being recognized by the academy this year. Namely:
Ratatouille
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
The Savages
Charlie Wilson's War
Persepolis
Has the Academy really, horribly, and unforgivably ignored any "great" comedies this year? No, of course they haven't. Would you like to have FOOL'S GOLD or MEET THE SPARTANS eligible for awards?
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
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