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 Blockbuster

Why it should exist: Expanding the Best Picture field to more than five nominees has allowed for a “people’s choice” award of sorts, and it’s worthwhile to recognize not only intimate independent films, but also the big-budget movies that draw millions of people to the theatres each year. This could also be a huge pull for new audiences to watch the Oscars since it would reward films that a wider spectrum of films people know.

Why it doesn’t exist: It’s likely that many feel that box office successes earn their due through dollars rather than critical praise, and it’s not entirely common that high gross numbers and quality coincide, especially not on an Oscar-worthy level. There could also be overlap with the Best Picture category, which isn’t necessarily problematic but is noteworthy.

Who might have been nominated the past five years:
2011: Bridesmaids, The Hangover Part II, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
2010: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Inception, Iron Man 2, Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3
2009: Avatar, The Blind Side, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Star Trek
2008: The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E
2007: The Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I Am Legend, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie.