Though it becomes important around awards season, genre can be an ambivalent thing. So when The Tourist was nominated for Golden Globes as a comedy, some heads were turned. And rightfully so: The Hollywood Foreign Press actually initially considered The Tourist as a drama, but director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck “expressed the opinion that the film should be categorized as a comedy.” Of course, not having to compete against dramas might have helped The Tourist get nominated at all. But the HFP says the decision wasn’t political (obviously): “Given the differing opinions, we asked the studio to screen the film for us in advance, and collectively, we decided that the elements of preposterous fun lent the film more to a comedy than a straight drama category,” HFP’s Phil Berk said on Thursday. So, “preposterous fun,” whatever exactly that is: Now officially the stuff of comedy. [HR]
