Animated Feature shortlist released - It's a five nominee year

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rain Bard
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Post by rain Bard »

OscarGuy wrote:My thoughts right now:

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

With Ponyo potential to replace Coraline or Cloudy.
I think you're probably right with this line-up, OscarGuy. Though upon seeing Fantastic Mr. Fox or Princess And The Frog for myself, I may revise my expectations.

As much as I think that Ponyo is about as worthy as any other Miyazaki film for awards-recognition, I recognize that this is not the perceived judgment on the film in the general community, which sees it as subpar for some reason. It wasn't a true box office disappointment but it didn't perform outstandingly either.

It's interesting that Mary & Max, which opened Sundance and has picked up numerous awards on a very respectable festival circuit tour, still has no US distributor. Otherwise I might consider it a longshot contender for Coraline's "dark" slot.
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Post by OscarGuy »

changed my statement to read: "based on a significantly lesser known story"
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Post by Zahveed »

OG, The Polar Express was adapted from a children's book.
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Post by OscarGuy »

Here's my thoughts on the whole affair. We don't get many 5-nominee years, so let's do some investigating.

But, first, let's get rid of the guaranteed excludes: Battle for Terra was a poorly reviewed early year film. Mary and Max, The Dolphin, Missing Lynx, Secret of Kells and Town Called Panic are virtual unknowns and when was the last time one of those made it into the race? Never. Tinker Bell is out simply for being a direct-to-video kinda film and the voters will not suffer that.

All right, so back to that last (and only) 5-nominee field: 2002 had Ice Age, Lilo & Stitch, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Spirited Away, Treasure Planet. That's three films created by or distributed by Disney, one from DreamWorks and one from Fox Animation.

Matter of fact, the history of the category has been predominantly the majors. Only 4 years have there been off company nominees. But there has never been a year without one Pixar/Disney effort. So, there will be one spot guaranteed for them. On top of that, there were three of the last 8 years where there were at least two Disney/Pixar. That's why I think both Up and Princess and the Frog will make it through.

Of the rest, I think the most likely to be included are Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Coraline and Ponyo.

Planet 51 could pull a Shark Tale, but I don't know if that's going to happen.

The first Alvin didn't make it in, so the sequel isn't going to. Plus, with live action involved, it's very unlikely the animation branch will even consider it.

Astro Boy was a box office flop and outside of strong critical performers, it's seldom for a weak performer with with critical support to make it in. This could also doom Ice Age 3. A Christmas Carol will perform strong enough at the box office, but obvious motion-capture animation has never earned a spot at the Oscars. And The Polar Express was at least based on a significantly lesser known story. Ice Age 2 didn't earn a nod, so the likelihood of that happening is relatively low. Plus, Fox Animation will likely put its force behind a nod for Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Which may also doom Monsters vs. Aliens, but it's really Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs that will doom Monsters. Cloudy was a huge surprise box office hit, making it a more challenging nominee. I didn't think Coraline would have a shot, but with five spots, I think it will make it through.

The two question marks are Ponyo and 9. Neither were exactly box office lightning. 9 was drubbed by critics and whether or not it was based on an Oscar-nominated short film.

My thoughts right now:

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

With Ponyo potential to replace Coraline or Cloudy.




Edited By OscarGuy on 1258318455
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Post by dws1982 »

Big Magilla wrote:That's pretty sneaky. Why can't live action films get the same treatment?
There was some speculation that Disney did this to pad the field in order to guarantee a field of five nominees, which would give their other films (Ponyo, The Princess and the Frog) a better shot at a nomination.
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Post by Sabin »

I haven't heard of Battle for Terra, The Dolphin, Mary and Max, The Missing Linx, The Secret of Kells, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, or a Town Called Panic. Anything is possible but the year is proving to be very strong so I don't see them happening.

Likewise, I think Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Astro Boy, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Ice Age 3, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Planet 51 are essentially courting the same audience. One maybe two are getting in but let's come back to them.

“Coraline”
“9”
“Ponyo”


The big question mark for me is Fantastic Mr. Fox as well. This is a stop-motion animated feature by a live-action movie director. There may very well be some player-hating. By the same token, just because Richard Linklater found it impossible to break through with his rotoscoped features does not mean that Fantastic Mr. Fox will share the same fate. Stop-motion is a far more exhaustively intricate process. Having just seen the wonderful films and can proclaim it a new animated classic - for shame, Damien, if you pass up a chance to see it! - I will say that its omission from the final five would be the worst omission since the category's debut, worse than Waking Life.

Up is in for the win. Only Fantastic Mr. Fox can stand in its way. Up is most likely going to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score as well. Each new PIXAR film seems a strong candidate for Best Sound Mixing and Sound Effects. I don't see that happening with Up but it cannot be ignored.

I'm going to say that The Princess and the Frog is in no matter what. These people love traditionally animated films and barring toxic word of mouth, I see them nominating their first traditionally animated mainstream Hollywood film since Brother Bear.

A Christmas Carol is out. If normal people find this process creepy, Holy Cow must animators hate it!

We have Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, and Up in the running. The final two spots should be between 9, Ponyo, and Coraline. Voters love Miyazaki even if this isn't his best reviewed film. I haven't seen it but I wouldn't vote against it. That leaves 9, a visually resplendent film with a dramatically inert narrative, and Coraline, with Tim Burton and Henry Selick pedigree...

...that's almost reason enough why I think Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will get in.
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Post by The Original BJ »

Some thoughts on what looks like a pretty competitive category this year:

Up is a certain nominee, and the very likely winner. I doubt anyone has any argument with this statement.

I've read some sources doubting Coraline's strength, but I think it's a very strong nomination candidate, especially in a five-nominee field. It was very well-reviewed, and fits the genre this category usually likes.

I'm not ready to bank on The Princess and the Frog just yet -- obviously, we know nothing about what its critical and commercial reception will be. But Disney is promoting it like crazy, and it certainly looks good (by which I mean, the visuals seem appealing.) If it is indeed the return to the level of animated musicals of the '90's (or even if it comes relatively close), it will probably net a nomination.

Ponyo I'm iffy on. I enjoyed the film, but thought it a step down from even Howl's Moving Castle (not to mention top-drawer Miyazaki). Miyazaki is revered by animators, and his films have done well before, but Ponyo's dismal box-office and higher profile competitors hurt its chances. It's still in the running, but could just as easily miss out.

I think A Christmas Carol is done. The Zemeckis motion-capture efforts haven't been successful in the past, and this weekend's soft box office won't help it a bit at all. (Nor, I imagine, will the fact that it's the umpteenth version of a story I'm sure many people, myself included, didn't exactly have the urge to see again.)

9 was visually cool but dramatically inept, and the reviews were pretty unenthusiastic. I think it's out.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a big question mark for me. Early reviews seem good enough, and it definitely could have plenty of mainstream appeal. But the film does look like it's geared more toward adults than kids, and those films have always had trouble in this category. That being said, the fact that it's not Waking Life-out-there means it might not be too much for this branch to handle.

Even bigger question mark: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. On the page it didn't look like much at all. But it was a pretty substantial surprise success, and this has to put it firmly in the running. (I've not seen the film to know all that much about it.)

I think I've covered the major contenders. The rest seem like nomination longshots. Sorry, Damien, I just don't think Alvin is going to go the distance here. :(
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Post by Damien »

What a steaming pile of crap. But if the new Alvin is as good as its predecessor, then it would be a worthy addition to the roster of Oscar-winning movies.

Most of you know how I feel about the Goddamn Cartoon Award, so this will be my last word on the subject for this year.
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Post by Big Magilla »

rain Bard wrote:MovieWes, I believe those "direct-to-DVD" titles typically get a one-week theatrical run at Disney's El Capitan in Hollywood before they go to home video.
That's pretty sneaky. Why can't live action films get the same treatment?
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Post by Big Magilla »

The Tinkerbell movie was shown theatrically overseas. Maybe it squeeks in under the "80% must be seen in theatres" rule that allows 20% to be seen on DVD.
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Post by rain Bard »

Go Ponyo! A Town Called Panic looks amazing too, though decidedly un-Oscar-y.

MovieWes, I believe those "direct-to-DVD" titles typically get a one-week theatrical run at Disney's El Capitan in Hollywood before they go to home video.
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Post by MovieWes »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't direct-to-DVD movies like Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure ineligible for the Academy Awards? Or was there some rule change I was unaware of?



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Post by Sonic Youth »

Go Coraline!


Published on The Wrap (http://www.thewrap.com)

November 11, 2009, 11:38AM CST
By: Steve Pond

20 Animated Features Enter Oscar Race


And then there were 20.

The Academy released the complete list of films that have qualified for the animated-feature race at the Oscars, and the 20 qualifying films are more than enough to trigger an expansion of the category from the usual three nominees to five.

The list includes seven films that have yet to complete their qualifying runs, and a couple that were completely off the radar of Oscar-watchers who'd been eyeing the category in recent weeks.

The complete list:

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
“Astro Boy”
“Battle for Terra”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Disney's A Christmas Carol”
“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Mary and Max”
“The Missing Lynx”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“9”
“Planet 51”
“Ponyo”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”
“A Town Called Panic”

The films that have yet to make their qualifying runs are "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Planet 51," "The Princess and the Frog," "A Town Called Panic," "The Secret of Kells" and "The Dolphin - Story of a Dreamer." The last two films on that list, particularly "The Dolphin," an Italian film recently picked up by 20th Century Fox, were rarely mentioned in roundups of potentially eligible movies.

Voters from all branches of the Academy, not just the short films and feature animation branch, will be invited to take place in the nominating process. To qualify, a member must see 80 percent of the films, or 16 of the 20, in theaters (not on DVD), ranking each entry on a scale of six-to-10. Only films averaging at least a 7.5 will be eligible.

Assuming that five films score highly enough, as seems likely, this will be the second time in the nine-year history of the category to have five nominees.

Pixar's "Up" is, of course, the heavy favorite in the category.

Source URL: http://www.thewrap.com/ind-col....ce-9959
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