Thursday Theoretical Oscar Category

Welcome to a 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 Comedic Performance

Why it should exist: Without adding a slew of acting categories akin to the Golden Globes, this would recognize the fact that comedies are, by and large, ignored by Oscar voters. It would also help to spotlight individual achievement by recognizing an actor or actress with comedic chops, and having Oscar reward comedy would be really cool.

Why it doesn’t exist: Most years, one comedic performer does break through, be it Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give” or Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder,” and I think that’s about as far as Oscar voters will want to go in terms of both legitimizing comedy and admitting that they are biased towards much more serious fare.

Who might have been nominated the past five years:
2011: Jean Dujardin, Brendan Gleeson, Melissa McCarthy, Charlize Theron, Kristen Wiig
2010: Annette Bening, Jim Carrey, Rachel McAdams, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone
2009: Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock
2008: Penelope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., James Franco, Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand
2007: Katherine Heigl, Ellen Page, John C. Reilly, Seth Rogen, John Travolta

Who do you think might have been nominated?