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Comedies Deserve More Oscar Love
It was the first comment my mother said to me after watching Set It Up: “The female lead is going to be a star.” The woman in question is Zoey Deutch and her chemistry with co-star Glen Powell drastically elevates Netflix’s cheerful rom-com. The film itself is one of my favorites from 2018. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and has a nuanced understanding of its characters and the social pressures they face. Plus, one joke gives a name to a bad habit I do practically every week, which was weirdly helpful. And my praise isn’t unique: Set It Up currently sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, above half the films nominated for Best Picture that year. In 2019, the comedy Booksmart would receive 97% on the site, above every Best Picture nominee except the eventual winner, Parasite.
Which is a bit weird, even if Rotten Tomatoes is a deeply flawed ranking system. Not that these films weren’t nominated for Best Picture, because there’s always snubs, but that they weren’t even in the conversation. Nor did I see any buzz about the performances in these character-driven films, or for their impressive comedic directing. People didn’t watch Set It Up or Booksmart and decide they’re unworthy; they just aren’t “Oscar films.” Specifically, because they’re comedies.
Comedies were being told by the ancient Greeks right alongside their tragedies (though fewer survive, because this is a very…
