The Animated Films Submitted for Oscar Race!

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Animated films submit for Oscar nom
'Wall-E,' 'Madagascar 2' among potential picks
By BYRON PERRY

Disney's "Wall-E," DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" and Fox's "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who" are among the 14 films submitted for consideration in the animated feature film category for the 81st Academy Awards.

Pics submitted in the animated feature film category also are eligible for consideration in others -- including best picture -- provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

Rounding out the animated submissions are "Bolt," "Delgo," "Dragon Hunters," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Igor," "Kung Fu Panda," "$9.99," "The Sky Crawlers," "Sword of the Stranger," "The Tale of Despereaux" and "Waltz With Bashir." Oscar nominations will be announced Jan. 22 at the Acad's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
 
Damn, two films short of getting 5 nomination spots (Clone Wars, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, Roadside Romeo, and Space Chimps all could have been submitted, despite the fact they have no chance of getting nominated, and Azur and Azmar I believe might be eligible and that actually could put up a fight).

Wall-E's a lock for the win. Waltz With Bashir will have to get nominated or else a lot of eyes will turn. The contenders for the third slot are in this order of likelihood:
1. Kung Fu Panda
2. Bolt
3. The Tale of Deseperaeux
4. Horton Hears a Who
5. The Sky Crawlers
6. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
7. Sword of the Stranger
8. $9.99 (this: http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/999)
9. Igor
10. Delgo
11. Dragon Hunters
12. Fly Me to the Moon
 
Happy Feet -2006
Wallace and Gromit - 2005
Spirited Away (released by Disney and dubbed by Pixar but not made by either of them) - 2002
Shrek - 2001

So it's pretty much been half-and-half between Pixar and non-Pixar winners.
 
There is also the current speculation that WALL-E might land a "Best Picture" nomination, which could mean that either it will win one and not the other, or that the split in the vote (some Academy members vote for Best Animated, others for Best Picture) will mean it goes home with neither.

-- Ed
 
I remember this was brought up last time when people were hoping Ratatouille would get nominated for a feature.
But HG has a point, why not vote for both?
 
They can. Everyone votes for Best Picture. The voting process works like this: If you're an actor you can only vote in the acting category. etc. etc. etc. But everyone votes Best Picture.
 
The difference this time is that Disney is serious about pushing for a Best Picture nod for WALL-E, as in they are actually spending money in a marketing push to make it happen. Management was apparently talking about it for Ratatouille, but when the rubber hit the road, Disney just went for the Best Animated Feature Oscar instead.



I think you're a little off there. You're right that anyone in the Academy can vote for WALL-E for both Best Picture and Best Animated Feature, but if I'm reading the Oscar rules right, they say that "Final voting for the Acting awards shall be restricted to active and life Academy members," not just the actors. The exact same language is at the end of the Best Animated Feature and Best Feature awards rules.

I did overlook the possibility that Academy members would vote for it in both, but practically speaking, I just didn't think that would happen. I think it's more likely that people will vote for it in one category or the other, if only out of a sense of fairness since it's the only movie that can possibly win 2 "Best Film" awards (I'm assuming a documentary isn't going to go up for Best Picture). Then again, it's definitely ineligible for any of the acting awards, so that might also factor into some members' decision if it comes to pass.

-- Ed
 
If the movie companies submitted two more films there would've been more nominations.
Films that could've entered are Star Wars: Clone Wars, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, or Space Chimps.

I know some of these films have no chance of winning, but five nominations is better than three.

And I'm really happy that a lot of movies that didn't get a wide release (heck I didn't even know they were released at all) are eligible. It seems more companies are trying to aim for it. I hope some of these movies will at least get released on DVD.

The problem with the Best Animated Film Oscar is that more often that not films that get wide releases are more likely to win. The only movie that got a limited release and won was Spirited Away.
 
Seriously, not one more movie could be submitted? A three film race is so boring.

I think that there's multiple possibilities for this year.

1) A repeat of 2004. A Pixar win with two Dreamworks nods (one being for a sequel):
WALL-E
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar 2

2) If the lack of push in Animated Feature keeps WALL-E from being considered (because Disney will be spending more money for it in another category):
Waltz with Bashir
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar 2

3) The academy doesn't vote for popularity (i.e. 2005)
Waltz with Bashir
$9.99
The Sky Crawlers

4) A repeat of last year. Pixar, CG movie and Middle Eastern themed foreign film:
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir
Kung Fu Panda

5) Other:
The academy is not very consistent when it comes to animated features. Sometimes they vote commercially and other times critically. And you never know when an oddball (i.e. Jimmy Nuetron) will get a nomination.

However this is a year where it seems less muddy. I'd say that the three films nominated will most likely be: WALL-E, Waltz with Bashir and Kung Fu Panda (with the W's competing for the win). But Madagascar 2 has been doing great at the box office and fair critically. $9.99 just looks interesting. I would also like to see WALL-E go Best Picture, but we'll see. The public would be ready for it, but Hollywood isn't.
 
That doesn't make any sense. If it's nominated for Best Picture then of course it'll be nominated for Best Animated Feature. Just by giving it the Best Picture nod you're automatically saying it was the best animated movie of the year.
 
I couldn't agree more--five nominated films would give the category so much more credibility. It's not like there aren't enough films (you could even include the Winx Club movie, I believe). Why exclude some films simply because you don't think they're worthy enough..?


The fact that any film can get submitted without being relased (officially) really annoys me. Dragon Hunters is not released (as far as I know) and only was screened in a few places here in the U.S. (including here in Sarasota where I was lucky enough to see it)--it may only see DVD release which is a real shame. It easily surpasses Kung Fu Panda as an action film. And, as usual, the anime films (The Sky Crawlers,Sword of the Stranger) are virtually unknown to the general public. Look for Ponyo (Miyazaki's latest) to be nominated next year.
 
I think both were submitted. Bloodlust was snubbed alongside Waking Life (should have won that year, IMO) in favor of Jimmy Newtron: Boy Genius inexplicably getting nominated. Bebop was released a year too late stateside to be eligible.

Next year I think is going to be our first real tough race in a while. You have a Pixar film (Up), a Ghibli film (Ponyo), Disney's return to traditional animation (The Princess and the Frog), two new films from Focus Features with some form of Nightmare Before Xmas connection (Selick's Coraline, the Burton-produced 9), Wes Anderson's first animated film (The Fantastic Mr. Fox), a new movie from the director of The Triplets of Belleville (The Illusionist), a revival of a classic anime hero (Astro Boy), and potentially several promising indies (Sita Sings the Blues, Idiots and Angels, strangeframe). Any of these could turn out to be masterpieces.
 
Not sure I get that since it had a limited theatrical run in 2003. So it at least could've been in there. I mean, I get that Nemo had the easy win, but I don't ever remember it being reported as submitted that year.

I think Jimmy Neutron was pretty disgraceful to be among the first nominations. Not that I felt it was a horrible film, but when you things like Bloodlust and Waking Life as well, pretty sad if you ask me.
 
A foreign film has to be released in America either the year of its release in its native country or the year after (if its the year after, it's disqualified from the Best Foreign Film race). The Bebop movie was released in Japan in 2001 and released in America in 2003, so it broke the rules. Had it gotten even a small December release in 2002, it would have been eligible for an Oscar.
 
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