Thursday Theoretical Oscar Category

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. In my love for everything Oscar, it’s always fun to speculate on who or what might have been included given different circumstances. Though there are twenty-four fields recognized on Oscar night, that still neglects a handful of key players. As a result, I’d like to take a look each week at imagined categories, and who or what might have benefited from their existence.

The category: Best Ensemble Cast

Why it should exist: This one actually makes the most sense given that the Screen Actors Guild hands out this very award, recognizing a cohesive cohort of thespians on their collective work rather than individual merit. It’s different enough from the Best Picture race, which rewards an overall rounded film instead of all the onscreen players.

Why it doesn’t exist: Unlike the Emmys or the Golden Globes, the Oscars hand out a small number of acting trophies each year: four. That makes the achievement of winning an Oscar for acting all the more esteemed, and awarding an entire cast would prove much more difficult and diminish from its impact. It’s also possible that these nominees would mirror the Best Picture nominees too closely.

Who might have been nominated the past five years:
2011: The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris
2010: The Fighter, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, The Social Network, True Grit
2009: The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Nine, Precious, Up in the Air
2008: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler
2007: Hairspray, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood