The nominees for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, and people should expect to see a lot of comedies in the running for the night’s biggest awards.
2017 was a year for comedies, but not your typical run-of-the-mill comedies that feature Kevin Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. No, I’m talking about comedies that make you think about life while you’re laughing your butt off.
Despite recent sexual harassment allegations surrounding James Franco, his chances of being nominated for Best Actor won’t be hurt. The actor portrayed Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist, which is based on the horrible cult classic The Room. There weren’t many stand-out male performances in 2017, so Franco could also take home the statue in the category.
I, Tonya snagged multiple nominations at the Golden Globes, but it only picked up one win for Allison Janney’s performance — but that could change at the Oscars. It lost the award for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy to Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, a phenomenal movie that deserved all of the recognition it received, but its award-season surge could fade when the Oscar ceremony comes around.
I, Tonya was a well-produced film with a timely subject matter. With the Winter Olympics right around the corner, the figure skating premise could put it in the running for Best Picture and the acting categories. Margot Robbie’s performance as the always honest Tonya Harding is definitely Oscar-worthy and should be recognized with a statue.
There was one comedy snubbed at the Golden Globes, but it would not be surprising if the film lands numerous nominations because of its lack of recognition. That movie is The Big Sick, which is based on the real-life love story of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. The film was easily the best romantic comedy of 2017, but it was much more than that. It talked about love, family and sticking together no matter what. If The Big Sick is snubbed again, it would be a travesty.
But no matter what, comedies are sure to win big at this year’s Academy Awards.
Georgia Davis is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you think comedies will receive the most nominations Tuesday? Tell Georgia by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.
