# Best Picture- no comedies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761 "2007-02-26T20:05:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/1 "2007-02-26T20:05:31Z")
Checking Wiki, I found no film that won that seemed to me to be a Comedy- some certainly had comedic elements (Around the World in 80 days), but no comedy. Are any of the winners- or even Nominees- classed as a Comedy? Or is the award really “best Drama”? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/2 "2007-02-26T20:06:00Z")
Annie Hall. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/3 "2007-02-26T20:09:37Z")
Tom Jones. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/4 "2007-02-26T20:11:40Z")
It Happened One Night ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/5 "2007-02-26T20:17:30Z")
Shakespeare in Love? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/6 "2007-02-26T20:19:36Z")
Those were the first ones that came to my mind. It’s not the usual choice, but it isn’t impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/7 "2007-02-26T20:20:07Z")
I’ve already forgotten…wasn’t Little Miss Sunshine nominated? That was a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/8 "2007-02-26T20:26:00Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I’ve already forgotten…wasn’t Little Miss Sunshine nominated? That was a comedy. [/QUOTE] Yes, but it didn’t win. The question is about Best Picture winners, not nominees. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/9 "2007-02-26T20:28:05Z")
_As Good As It Gets_ swept the Oscars. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/10 "2007-02-26T20:34:25Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] _As Good As It Gets_ swept the Oscars. [/QUOTE] No, it didn’t. “Titanic” won Best Picture, while “As Good As It Gets” won the two top acting awards. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/11 "2007-02-26T20:36:00Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Yes, but it didn’t win. The question is about Best Picture winners, not nominees. [/QUOTE] From the OP: > [@](#): > > Best Picture- no comedies? > > * * * > > Checking Wiki, I found no film that won that seemed to me to be a Comedy- some certainly had comedic elements (Around the World in 80 days), but no comedy. Are any of the winners- **or even Nominees** - classed as a Comedy? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/12 "2007-02-26T20:36:32Z")
Do the musicals count as comedies? If so, several musicals have won Best Picture and a few, like “My Fair Lady.” were comedies. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/13 "2007-02-26T20:39:14Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] It Happened One Night [/QUOTE] Right – and not only did it get Best Picture, it was the first film to win all five top awards, a feat only accomplished by two other movies since: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and The Silence of the Lambs (which was also unusual in that very few horror/thrillers win top awards). Shakespeare in Love is another one. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/14 "2007-02-26T20:40:53Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] From the OP: [/QUOTE] Oops, didn’t see that. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/15 "2007-02-26T20:48:24Z")
_Marty_ is another. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/16 "2007-02-26T21:29:49Z")
_The Apartment._ _The Sting_ isn’t a straight comedy but it has more laughs than your typical drama. Ditto _Terms of Endearment._ And of course, _Braveheart_ is a feckin’ laff riot. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/17 "2007-02-26T21:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] _Marty_ is another. [/QUOTE] How could I not know Marty! ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/18 "2007-02-26T21:37:58Z")
Cold Mountain made me laugh, is that alright? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/19 "2007-02-26T21:43:13Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] _Marty_ is another. [/QUOTE] Only if you’ve never seen it. If you had to break it down, here are the Best Picture comedy winners: Romantic Comedies _It Happened One Night, The Apartment, Annie Hall_ Period Comedies _Tom Jones, Shakespeare in Love_ Musical Comedies _Going My Way, Gigi, My Fair Lady_ Buddy/Family Comedies _You Can’t Take It With You, Around the World in 80 Days, The Sting_ Pathos Comedies _Terms of Endearment, Driving Miss Daisy, Forrest Gump_ I know there are a few others people might argue fit here as well, but I was concentrating on what the bulk of the tone and nature of the performances were in each particular film. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761/20 "2007-02-27T00:47:38Z")
Is this really the first time that you noticed this? This has been mentioned in most discussions of the quality of the Oscar’s choices for Best Pictures (in news stories and such) for many years now. Furthermore, it’s also relatively rare for acting performances in a comedy to win an award. The Oscar’s choices have _always_ been quirky. They have always been slanted toward middlebrow dramas, particularly those with heroes or heroines who make brave choices in liberal (but not too radical) causes. They don’t like genres (science fiction, Westerns, mysteries) or comedies (particularly broad comedies) or anything else that might be thought of as too lowbrow. They also don’t like anything that might be thought of as too highbrow, so they don’t like truly avant-garde films. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-no-comedies/393761.md?page=2)