The Academy Awards are coming up in a few weeks, which means another long awards ceremony to sit through… if you’re inclined to sit through those things, I mean (I am). But we really shouldn’t complain too much – the awards could be much longer if the Academy accepted every category submitted by the public or never got rid of the outdated ones. Adding these 10 into the mix would probably double the length of the telecast!
1. Best Assistant Director. This category had a fairly short run, from 1933-1937. In the first year, there were 18 nominees and seven winners! Can you imagine how long those acceptance speeches would take today? And in the first year, the ADs weren’t even nominated for a specific film but for their work in general.
2. Best Title Writing. This was given out only once – the first year the Awards were held. The title card, in case you’re not familiar, are the screens (probably actual cards back in the day) that come up between scenes to tell you things like location – that’s what Law & Order uses title cards for. In the case of silent films, title cards often held the dialogue. Like the Assistant Director award, this Oscar was given out for the Title Writer’s body of work for the year, not a specific film. The three films that earned winner Joseph Farnum the rights to this highly unique Oscar were Fair Co-Ed; Laugh, Clown, Laugh; and Telling the World
3. Best Title Design. This one was rejected when it was nominated in 1999. I have to say, I do appreciate a good title sequence – the one that comes to mind is 2007’s Sweeney Todd. But I’m not entirely sure that it warrants a whole Oscar category. What do you think?
4. Best Story. If this sounds like today’s Best Original Screenplay, that’s because it is. “Best Story” was what it was called from the first awards to the ’56 awards, and in ’57 it was eliminated in favor of the Best Original Screenplay. The latter award was introduced in 1940, so there were about 16 years of overlap before the Academy decided the two were similar enough to be considered the same thing.
5. The Academy Juvenile Award. These were rather sporadically awarded from 1934 until 1960 – only 12 people in the world have ever gotten one, including Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple (of course), Judy Garland and Hayley Mills. The Juvenile Awards were mini versions of the full-sized statuette.
6. Best Casting. This category was rejected in 1999. Should a casting director be honored for picking a great actor for the role? Or is it the actor’s job to adapt to adapt to the role?
7. Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production. This was also a one-time-only category for the first Oscars and was separate from the Best Picture Oscar. The only film honored in this category is Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. It was made by F.W. Murnau, who also happened to be a leader of German Expressionism. No wonder the Academy was impressed with its “artistic production.” It also landed the Best Cinematography award and netted Janet Gaynor a Best Actress statuette (technically, it was one of three movies Janet Gaynor won for because they were awarding by “best body of work for the year” then).
8. Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. We still have the Best Original Score category, obviously, but for a period in the ‘90s, the category was split into Musical/Comedy Score and Dramatic Score. Apparently by 1999, the Academy decided that a score was a score whether it was upbeat and lighthearted or dark and brooding.
9. Best Stunt Coordination. This category has been rejected twice in recent years – first in 1999 and again in 2005. A group of industry workers have been rallying to get this included in the Oscars for the past 20 years, and I think I agree with them. Some of those stunts take real talent, guts and planning to pull off. So far, though, the only time the Academy has ever recognized stuntmen was when an Honorary Award was presented to Yakima Canutt in 1996. Canutt made stunts and action sequences happen for films like Stagecoach, Ivanhoe, Old Yeller, Ben-Hur and Swiss Family Robinson. He was also a stunt double for Clark Gable in Gone With the Wind during the burning of Atlanta.
10. Best Dance Direction. For three years in the ‘30s – from ’35 through ’37 – an award was given for the choreographer who designed the best dance sequence. This was back in the heyday of the musical, so it made more sense; you might be a little hard-pressed to find enough films to nominate these days. The most notable winner was probably 1937′s Hermes Pan, who was famous for his collaborations with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In fact, the film he won for, A Damsel in Distress, starred Astaire alongside George Burns, Gracie Allen and Joan Fontaine.
Do you think there’s a category that deserves to be added to the ceremony? One that should be axed? Let us know in the comments!
Comments (38)
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Best Sound and Best Sound Editing could be merged IMHO.
posted by Witty Nickname on 2-18-2010 at 5:02 pm
The Oscars could definitely use an Ensemble Acting category to honor films where the collaborative effort is better than any one performance (Magnolia, Lord of the Rings, etc). Fortunately the SAG awards, I think, do have such an award.
I’d also like to see awards for comedy acting, which is even harder to do than drama but almost never gets nominations. (George Clooney in O Brother Where Art Thou, Vince Vaughan in Wedding Crashers)
posted by Kevin Miller on 2-18-2010 at 5:21 pm
Instead of 10 Best Picture Noms (which I doubt will last beyond this year) they should be spilt into comedy/ musical and drama like the Golden Globes.
And it should be Best Male and Female Actor (you don’t say doctoress, do you?)
Best Production Design (not Art Direction)
Best Sound Design (not Sound Editing)
posted by Indiefilmnoir on 2-18-2010 at 5:23 pm
Except “doctoress” isn’t even a word and “actress” is. Do you say “female waiter” or “waitress”?
posted by Yams on 2-18-2010 at 5:44 pm
I agree with both Kevin and Indiefilmnoir. I think there should be a Best Actor/Actress In A Comedy award . It’s a different kind of acting from acting in a drama and that causes a lot of great performances and performers to go unrewarded. The same with the films, the Best Pictures should be split into Comedy and Drama.
What I don’t get is why we’re still splitting the awards by gender. In this modern age, shouldn’t it be best “Acting Performance” rather than “Actor” or “Actress”? Whether they have a penis or a vagina doesn’t matter in how well they perform their craft.
posted by Melissa on 2-18-2010 at 5:44 pm
I agree with indiefilmnoir (if that is, indeed, your real name): the best picture noms are always good but serious, brooding, oft depressing stories. They need to move editing and score and some of the more technical aspects to the Technical Oscar ceremony, and do two Best Picture winners. Would definitely lighten the room up and maybe shorten the show.
posted by Jeremy on 2-18-2010 at 5:51 pm
I agree- I have always felt that the Best Picture category (and even the Best Director and Actor/Actress categories, for that matter)should be divided into Dramatic and Comedy categories. It seems that a lot of truly great comedies get overlooked by the Academy in favor of the more dramatic films. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time a comedy took Best Picture.
posted by FizzyGurrl on 2-18-2010 at 5:52 pm
I’ve always thought there should be a Best Ensemble award.
posted by kateydidnt on 2-18-2010 at 6:13 pm
I think they should do like the Emmys (Emmies?) and break it down by genre: Drama, Comedy, Chick Flick, etc.
posted by Walter on 2-18-2010 at 6:37 pm
I think there should be a separate Best Comedy category, but I don’t see why it should be lumped together with musicals. Some musicals are comedies, some are dramas; they should be placed into the category where they belong.
posted by Ben on 2-18-2010 at 6:38 pm
I would love to see title design back in there. Doing that takes a lot of work. It combines editing with graphic design and music timing. It’s not easy and some really come out as works of art (if it was category I would definitely choose Zombieland as this years’ winner. Great title design! it was creative and fit the film so well).
An interesting article was on NPR today about unsexing the oscars. Definitely worth reading:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123616955&sc=fb&cc=fp
posted by Lauren on 2-18-2010 at 6:46 pm
I do think it’s time to stop separating Actor/Actress. Just have 10 slots open and the best lead performances be nominated no matter if male or female.
It’s also time to eliminate “Best Song”. That will definitely shorten the ceremony by at least 20 minutes. These days many of the songs nominated aren’t even heard until the closing credits. “Down to Earth” by Peter Gabriel the most recent example of this.
posted by Jenny on 2-18-2010 at 7:26 pm
I totally agree with the comedy thing!! Has anyone from a comedic movie won an award since Marissa Tomei in “My Couin Vinny”? (btw, that’s a movie I can watch over and over and over and over…again)
What will happen with a movie like
“The Hangover”? That movie also deserves something for best ensemble!!
Recaptcha: justice The
comedies deserve love too!!! give them justice!
posted by Meg on 2-18-2010 at 7:34 pm
Kevin Miller, I agree that the Oscars should have an Ensemble award. If there had been one this year, it almost certainly would have gone to the guys from \The Hangover\ which would also take care of the comedy problem!
Jenny, I disagree that they need to eliminate the Best Song category. I just thing they need to change the rules so it rewards Best USE of Song. I recently ranted about this in my blog. Click my name.
posted by Miss Moneypenny on 2-18-2010 at 8:07 pm
Best Dance Direction?
That’s hilarious.
How about the long forgotten, “Best Awkward Pose” category.
Victor@icomplainthereforeiam.com
posted by Victor @ I Complain Therefore I Am on 2-18-2010 at 8:55 pm
the thing that seperates the Oscars from other trite award shows is the scarcity of the award. if you start giving awards for comedies and musicals you dilute the value of them, they need feweer awards not more
posted by JC on 2-18-2010 at 9:21 pm
‘best stunt coordination’ is definitely a worthy category (think Zoe Bell in Deathproof) and I think ‘best title design’ is a good one too. (in this case I’m thinking of Watchmen, in which the title sequence was pretty much the only part of the movie worth watching)
posted by sammylee on 2-18-2010 at 10:21 pm
I’ve seen a lot of movies where the titles were the only entertaining part of the film. They definitely deserve an oscar.
posted by Antinous on 2-18-2010 at 11:15 pm
“Best Short Feature” (which nobody will ever see) should be replaced with “Best Viral Video”
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 2-18-2010 at 11:54 pm
I disagree with Indiefilmnoir. As an Oscar conservative, I think there should be no change whatsoever in the ceremony. Dividing the Best Picture award into 2 categories is a pointless idea. Where’s the suspense if there are 2 categories for best film??? And I would like to stick with “Actor” and “Actress”, thank you very much.
posted by Karl on 2-19-2010 at 8:32 am
I always thought there should be a best comedy category. Comedic acting is some of the most difficult to pull off well.
posted by TJ on 2-19-2010 at 9:12 am
reCAPTCHA: give ovaries
it is just too funny to pass
posted by notreally@home on 2-19-2010 at 9:19 am
Oh, let’s talk semantics for a while.
First: @Yams – Doctoress is a valid word, as is waitress, stewardess, poetess, giantess, hieress, postmistress, actress and so on. As we work towards a gender neutral goal, many of these words have been replaced or eliminated altogether: doctor, wait staff, flight crew member, poet, giant, heir, postal worker and yes, actor.
Over the last few years, the Academy awards show has been very careful to refer to the women as actors.
reCaptcha (not making this up!): simply hogwash
posted by KJ on 2-19-2010 at 10:22 am
Postmistress??!! Where the heck does that appear? I see a female mail deliverer and I call her a femail.
posted by Bubba on 2-19-2010 at 10:42 am
There’s too much promotional value in getting Best Actor and Actress awards for Hollywood to desire combining them. You really think they’ll ever reduce two big boasting points in ads into one? PC stays silent when the pocketbook talks.
posted by VM on 2-19-2010 at 10:51 am
Personally, I would love to see a “Best Scene” award. Because sometimes one scene just stands out as being a cut above the rest. For instance, a dramatic scene that gives us chills, a funny scene that is just off the wall hilarious, a cool fight scene, a touching scene, a beautiful cinematic, a great sports moment, or even a ‘long take’ scene (my personal favorite type of scene, when done right – think Boogie Nights, Swingers, Atonement, Goodfellas, Kill Bill vol 1, Before Sunrise, Snake Eyes first 20 minutes and most of Brian Depalma’s work).
posted by IFB on 2-19-2010 at 11:02 am
I agree with splitting drama and comedy for one big reason- the Academy overlooks comedies every year. They are never valued as highly as dramas, despite the same amount of work going into both. If the Academy would look at them as equals then keep the one catagory-but until then split them so we can see our favourite films get recognized for their outstanding work.
posted by Kayla on 2-19-2010 at 11:55 am
@ Bubba- My grandmother used to have that bumper sticker on the back of her Jeep! Actually, it said “U.S. Femail.” Grandma was a mail carrier for years. And I’ve accidentally called called my mother a postmisstress, if looks could kill, I would not have graduated from high school.
posted by Sara in AL on 2-19-2010 at 12:24 pm
“First: @Yams – Doctoress is a valid word, as is waitress, stewardess, poetess, giantess, hieress, postmistress, actress and so on. As we work towards a gender neutral goal, many of these words have been replaced or eliminated altogether: doctor, wait staff, flight crew member, poet, giant, heir, postal worker and yes, actor.”
Gender neutrality is stupid and it shouldn’t be the goal. Non-gender neutral words give more information than gender neutral ones and aren’t offensive if you aren’t oversensitive. A waitress isn’t any worse than a waiter, she is just a female. An actress isn’t any worse than an actor, just different.
Most of those “gender neutral” job names haven’t replaced their gendered counterparts, they are just used to refer to a group of those people that include both sexes.
No one says “the wait staff brought me my food” it is waiter and waitress.
Stewardess disappeared when men started doing the job and “steward” was awkward to say. In fact, words like giantess, postmistress, doctoress and poetess weren’t eliminated because of any gender equality movement, they were removed from use because they were awkward to say and language tends to streamline itself that way.
And I have never heard anyone use the phrase “postal worker” when referring to a mailman or mailwoman. Heiress is still used all the time.
If you don’t have a thick enough skin to withstand the use of non-gender neutral words without getting offended, I don’t know how you live in this world…
recaptcha: the outcry
HAHAHA
posted by Troy H. on 2-19-2010 at 2:25 pm
While it would be nice to see a separate category for Best Comedy Film, the highlight of the night would still be Best Dramatic Film, like at the Golden Globes, and therefore the Comedy film wouldn’t receive as much fan fare. Even if They awarded them at the exact same time, the Academy would still probably recognize the dramatic film as the actual Best Picture winner, so it really wouldn’t change anything.
I do, however, like the Stunt and Best Title Design category ideas. Sure, most stunt work these days are being done via CGI, but that’s all the more reason to recognize those who take an old fashioned approach to their action sequences.
posted by Jay on 2-19-2010 at 2:29 pm
I’m opposed to a seperate BEST PICTURE award for Comedies for the same reason I’m opposed to this year’s ten nominees.
It greatly increases the chances that a crappy movie will win a BEST PICTURE award of some sort. The Oscars already have enough trouble with this. (Crash, Dances With Wolves, etc.)
Now I agree that the Academy overlooks comedies (The last true comedy to win Best Picture was Annie Hall in 1977), but adding a comedy category is not the solution to this problem.
In 1993 Mrs. Doubtfire won the Golden Globe for Best Picture Comedy or Musical. I shudder to think of a world where such a film as this could win A Best Picture Academy Award.
posted by Horatio Hornblower on 2-19-2010 at 2:40 pm
There’s been a lot of talk on here about the political correctness of having actor/actress categories, with many suggesting it’s sexist. Here’s something to think about: let’s say they do lump the two together so that there is only a genderless best acting category, and now let’s say that after ten years eight men and two women won the award. How sexist would that be? Or what about if one year seven men and three women got nominated? Who would be crying “sexist” then? Also, does anyone think less of Meryl Streep’s acting abilities because she never had to beat Robert De Niro to get her Oscars? I really don’t see how gender-specific acting awards are discriminatory.
posted by schnit123 on 2-19-2010 at 2:44 pm
It makes sense to keep the Actress and Actor categories separate because what gender you are may not affect your ability but it will effect what roles you are offered. Unless the script calls for cross dressing they’re not going to hire a dude to play the leading lady. And I don’t want to see that anyway.
recaptcha: television rockier
posted by Vanessa on 2-19-2010 at 6:32 pm
I, for one, don’t think stunt work should be added, because nowadays, it’s hard to tell what’s actually stunt work and what’s some guy dangling on a wire in front of a green screen.
posted by Eli on 2-19-2010 at 9:06 pm
I think the Oscars are sadly lacking by not awarding a Best Best Boy.
posted by Hannah on 2-19-2010 at 9:38 pm
Best Title Design should definitely be on the nomination list. Check out Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper for examples of why this can truly be an art form.
posted by Julie on 2-20-2010 at 4:37 pm
An award for best Music or Music Supervisor would be cool apart from Best Score to honor the assembly of an impressive soundtrack to accompany a film. It seems appropriate to honor some of the work that Wes Anderson, PT Anderson and Tarantino assembling their soundtracks to go along with the mood (or play against mood) of their films. Seems like Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Boogie Nights, and Rushmore deserve some credit for what they were able to accomplish with their music.
posted by David on 2-20-2010 at 5:18 pm
I agree that there should be a category for Best Title Design. This will raise awareness of these films and artists. After all, they give best Animated Short Oscars to films no one ever sees or has heard of. So why not give an Oscar to a short film that’s actually part of a movie you do see?
I also wish they had Best Stunt Coordination and Best Choreography.
And they should bring back the juvenile award, because there are always great performances by kids that have no chance of getting nominated. To minimize jealousy, maybe they should award three or four mini Oscars to the top kid performers.
posted by Tom on 2-22-2010 at 7:14 pm