The 87th Annual Oscars are upon us, and with that comes the common debate as to whether the Oscars don’t give comedy their due. The argument can certainly be made that there is a definite type of film which always receives nominations described as “Oscar bait”; the films which seem to have been made with a checklist of “how to get nominated.” But in the 87 years since the Oscars have been around, there have more than a few times that the Oscars genuinely loved comedy. After all, the first film to get nominated in the top five AND the first film to receive nominations in all for acting categories were both comedies (It Happened One Night (1934) & My Man Godfrey (1936)). And despite seeing more than a few times that the Oscars somehow overlooked great comic performances or only nominated comedians when they went serious (Cary Grant’s two nominations were both in dramas), a few times they showed they had a sense of humor.
With that said, here are my picks for the 87 funniest film performances which ever got nominated, ranked.
20. Goldie Hawn (1980) Private Benjamin.
Hawn already had an Oscar win under her belt for the very funny Cactus Flower, but if there will be a performance the rather selective Hawn will be known for, it is most likely be her tour de force performance as society girl who enlisted in the army is a hilarious take on the military comedy (with more than a few similarities to Stripes). But Goldie is so delightfully self-deprecating as Judy, you completely understand nominated costar Eileen Brennan’s frustration, even while falling in love with Hawn’s character. There have been rumors of remaking the film, but it will be hard to find an actress to take on the role and make it her own.
