It’s been over a decade since Disney’s Beauty and the Beast broke through, garnering an Acadamy Award nomination for best picture. But now another animated feature is getting buzz for possible Best Picture consideration at next year’s Oscars–Pixar’s Wall-E.
The story of a robot survived the end of the world and a journey through space is garnering some early momentum for the top honor at next year’s Oscars. New York magazine started the debate with a web-site headline, “WALL·E for Best Picture!” and several Hollywood trade papers have since joined the debate.
“It’s easier to envision it as a major contender this early on, but that’s only because most of the ‘big’ Oscar movies haven’t yet arrived,” said Sasha Stone of AwardsDaily.com in an interview with USA Today. “If any of the animated films make the leap beyond the category they’ve designated, it could be WALL·E.”
However, there may be several obstacles standing in the way of the little robot that could getting a nod for the best picture of the year. One is Hollywood created a best animated feature category several years ago and that may be where creators Disney and Pixar market the film for nomination. Also, there is the perception that features with “real” actors and actresses are somehow more worthy of nomination and recognition in the best picture category. Wall-E would have to win over voters from the Acadamy, many of whom are actors.
“To them, actors drive good drama. They will probably think that it is a lovely movie and deserving of their animated-feature Oscar, whether it is so much more than that or not,” said Stone.
Also, some insiders say that it’s too early to start handicapping the Pixar creation’s odds for getting a best picture nod. They say that the usual crop of Oscar contender films haven’t hit theaters this year. Those films traditionally open in the fall or during the holiday movie season.
Whatever the odds for Wall-E, filmmaker Andrew Stanton says that the attention Wall-E is generating is very flattering.
“It’s a huge honor just to have that kind of buzz. It would really be a boost to have our film seen as no different from any other film, regardless of how it was made,” said Stanton.
He also says he doesn’t feel marginalized by the animation prize, as some animators do. “You could say the same thing about foreign-film or documentary categories,” Stanton says. “In the long run, you have to take the stance that the category wouldn’t exist if we weren’t doing something right.
this was sooooooo good. it needs to get some kind of award.
darcy
I saw it on Tuesday, and really did like it, but I didn’t feel like I saw the best picture of the year just then. Most of the humor was in the previews but there was more. It was a beautiful looking film, and I did enjoy the simple story. On a scale up to 5 I give it 3 and a half, but other people will like it more or less.
No. The Dark Knight. I’ve already decided.
WALL-E deserves it. It has great visuals, not to mention perfect sound design by Ben Burtt, and not to mention a beautiful music score.
But most of all, the screenplay was most beautiful, it wasn’t just about a robot looking for love, it was about the driod was struggled between emotions and duty, the emotionless robot who followed orders whether its right of wrong, the environmental devastation, and human dependency. It was detailed.
But why is it that animated films have to be discriminated? What sets it apart? I mean, WALL-E had some live-actions scenes.
Not only is WALL-E loved by critcs but by audience of all ages.
I wouldn’t count on it, but WALL-E deserves the Best Picture.
I hope WALL-E and the Dark Knight ends up on the Best Picture Nod. If it doesn’t, I will not watch the oscars.
The Dark Knight is an excellence movie with an excellent plot, but I’m not giving it too much support because it is most overrated movie in history alongside with Titanic. Still, it is more than worthy of its nod, and I love it.
WALL-E costed 180,000,000 to make, just as much as the Dark Knight. So many people worked so hard on it. Ben Burtt did amazing voice design, Stanton wrote his most daring script, the computer graphics were realistic (with the exception of the human characters), Newman did a beautiful themed score (WHY DID HE NOT GET A NOD FOR BEST MUSIC AT THE ANNIES?!), etc.,etc.
I also find WALL-E to be better than Beauty and the Beast. That was a great movie, but WALL-E told the better story.
WALL-E is not one of the bloated romance films like the great, but overrated Titanic. Titanic did nothing but circled around Jack and Rose romance. There were many things going on beside WALL-E’s and EVE’s romance- There was a lethargic society, a polluted Earth, and machines discovering life. And WALL-E romance with EVE affected humanity.
WALL-E is certainly better than Kung Fu Panda. Kung Fu Panda only took 130 million to make. Kung Fu Panda is certainly funnier, but comedy is not enough to define a good movie. Kung Fu Panda had a excellent storyline, but it is what it is, it was only meant to make children laugh and enjoy it. Kung Fu Panda is not of the universal. Young children will love the cuteness of WALL-E, and teens and adults will love the allegorical story.
Dreamworks may be funnier, but Pixar suceeds in mixed comedy with out-of-this world storylines. Storylines matter more than comedy.
Because you think comedy defines how good a movie is, you are one of those inconsiderate people who give no damn toward the hard effort.
What use is an Annie Award to WALL-E? WALL-E is no animated movie, it’s a romance made by animation. Saying that WALL-E is an animated movie is discriminating.
If WALL-E and the Dark Knight doesn’t show up on the Best Picture category, I will never watch the Oscars again. Mark my words.