Could raunchy, lady-oriented comedy Bridesmaids get an Oscar nod for Best Picture? Maybe! The flick has already earned two SAG award noms and two Golden Globe noms. Now “Oscar Experts” have placed Bridesmaids on the Top 10 list of predicted nominees for Best Picture.
Comedies are not often honored by the Academy. In an interview with Variety, Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow says:
I definitely think there is some sort of bias there. Most people think a really intense devastating sad movie about a tragic subject is more difficult to make than Blazing Saddles. And the truth is, it’s just as hard to make Blazing Saddles. My days would be much shorter if I didn’t have to add jokes. I also don’t think comedy editors tend to get any respect. People always think a super-fast action movie is more difficult to execute as opposed to the rhythm of comedy and language and action comedy setpieces. I feel bad for the editors.
He adds:
I have decided there should be a comedy category for most award shows, not just the Academy Awards. Comedies rarely get nominated anyway. It’s not like it will affect the best picture category, and it hasn’t hurt anybody that there is an animated category at the Oscars. As long as they are changing all the rules, that’s the good one to change. It would make for a show that is a lot more fun, and you would be able to see a lot more people you would want to see on a show like that.
Agreed! It would also be great to see women — who are 50% of the population and yet sorely underrepresented on screen (only 32.8% of speaking roles go to women) — honored, even if by just being nominated. Out of the other potential nominees — including The Artist, Descendants, War Horse, Hugo, Extremely Loud, Moneyball and Tree Of Life — only one other flick, The Help, has a woman in the lead role. And, as we all know, between the magical white person who helps black people, the housekeeper suing the writer for telling her story without compensation and the general ick factor (black people playing maids, how modern), The Help has some pretty serious issues. We have to root for Bridesmaids.
Oscar Experts: ‘Bridesmaids’ will be nominated for Best Picture [Gold Derby]
Q&A with Judd Apatow [Variety]
Can ‘Bridesmaids’ Earn a Best Picture Nomination? [Moviefone]
Related: Women Make Up Only 33% Of Speaking Roles In Films [Women And Hollywood]
Earlier: I Don’t Need Kathryn Stockett’s “Help”
Black Maid Sues Over Best-Selling Novel The Help