"The announcement came ahead of all the details, and I think once people hear the whole thing it'll make a lot more sense to people," Berger said. "From my point of view, it's not at all about popularity, this new award, it's more about
excellence in entertainment."
Berger pointed out that, at the first Academy Awards, while Wings was named "outstanding picture," Sunrise received the award for "unique and artistic picture."
"I think it's been very much in the DNA of Hollywood motion-picture making that there's somewhere where entertainment and art meet and co-mingle," he told THR. "And I think, once [the details of the new award are] explained, people will understand better."
Berger argued that the new category isn't so much about coming up with a criteria for measuring popularity, it's about recognizing
"excellence in movies that connect with people."
"I don't think it really is popular film," he said of the new category. "
I think it's for outstanding entertainment, and, for me, that can mean Batman, Little Miss Sunshine, Risky Business, The Bourne Identity. Just as everybody has their own definition of entertainment, I think they also have their own definition of art.
I think it will ultimately be up to the Academy members to figure out how exactly they approach this."