Oscars 2014: 9 Hilarious Scenes From The Best Picture Nominees (And 1 That Fails Miserably)

9. Philomena Worries About Her Son - Philomena

Starting off with something light, this scene from the adorable and heartfelt Philomena is a great example of how surprisingly funny this movie is. A true story about an old Irish lady searching for a son who was taken from her and placed into an orphanage against her will, Philomena is anything but funny when you consider its scathing commentary on Catholicism. But when you have Steve Coogan (who's got writing credits as well) and an inspired Judi Dench going on a road trip to the U.S., you can't not slip in a few laughs. And that's exactly what this odd couple do so well, making for one of the more delightful cinematic pairings of last year. The scene takes place in the States, after Martin (Coogan) finds out that Anthony was most likely orphaned to an American couple. Philomena (Dench) agrees to accompany Martin to Washington and look for her son. In the scene that cracked me right up when I first saw it, Philomena worries about what kind of life her son might have, "Perhaps he died in Vietnam, or he's been living on the street." Martin tries to reassure her but she, in her wonderfully aloof way, continues: "Maybe he was a drug addict? What if he was obese Martin?" And just like that, a sombre moment is flipped while Coogan's reaction says it all. "Why would you think he's obese?" he asks. "Because of the size of the portions, Martin!" Brilliant.