The state and future of animation

[Farerb]

Encanto and Mitchells were pretty much head to head this awards season, half of the awards went to the Mitchells, including the Annie Awards, while half went to Encanto. To me it seemed that while the Audience was crazy about Encanto, there was more critical appreciation for Mitchells, but of course the Academy members don't really care about animation, they just vote for the most popular movie of the year.

[Ben]

What’s even worse is that they were there making those comments in promotion for a LIVE-ACTION film!

[Bill1978]

While the actresses were trying to do the usual Wreck-It Ralph 2 we-hate-those-perfect-princesses-don't-we-girls jokes, the outrage over Mitchells and Flee not winning sounds more like sour grapes...Did anyone REALLY expect anything to beat Encanto-mania?

Based upon the massive cheer from within in the auditorium when it's nomination was read out, I honestly thought Flee was going to pull out a much deserved major upset.

I was also appalled by the script the presenters were asked to read before announcing the winner of the Animated Feature category. Unless the entire voting body of the Academy changes their mentality, there is no way something mature like Flee or Persepolis or The Wind Rises is ever going to beat 'The film my children/grandchildren talked about the most this year'. At least the Animation Branch understands that their films are not just for children and are happy to nominate 'non-children friendly' films.

[Farerb]

But can Disney and Pixar really feel proud when they basically win by default?

I looked back and made a list of non Disney/Pixar films from the last decade that could have (and probably should have) won instead:

ParaNorman
The Wind Rises
Song of the Sea
Klaus
Wolfwalkers
The Mitchells vs The Machines / Flee / Belle

[EricJ]

The only times Disney/Pixar was whipped in a fair fight were:
1) Spirited Away winning for '02, beating out both Lilo & Stitch AND Treasure Planet. The Wind Rises and Howl's Moving Castle, nnnnnot so much.
and
2) Into the Spiderverse rubbing its "The Incredibles sequel we SHOULD have gotten!" fan reputation straight in Incredibles 2's face...That's for making Mr. Incredible spend the entire movie babysitting.
Wallace & Grommit was a career-achievement award, with no D/P competition (and only Corpse Bride as third nominee), Happy Feet was an unexplainable mania of its day while Cars-bashing was trending, and Shrek...well, we all remember those wartime days.

But Best Animated is still the other open-category that regular Oscar voters can vote on across the board, and there's a price to be paid for Flee and Mitchells supporters bragging that they're not "regular" animation fans.
(And even without "Soul", Wolfwalkers would still have been up against Onward. There's such a thing as a lost cause, guys.)

[Daniel]

Spirited Away won in 2003.

[EricJ]

Post deleted after reported complaints from other Forum members — AV Staff.

[Daniel]

Whatever that was, my above post doesn't work now anyway. When I responded it said "winning in '02, for beating..." hence my post...

[Ben]

1) Spirited Away winning for '02, beating out both Lilo & Stitch AND Treasure Planet.

Still says '02…?

[Farerb]

What bad things happened because of Finding Nemo?!?

[EricJ]

That was when industry analysts thought they had FINALLY hit upon their genius reason why Spirit (the horse movie), Planet, Sinbad, Hey Arnold, and Powerpuff Girls had all "underperformed". In 2002.

And Nemo beating Brother Bear for Best Animated (in 2004, for achievement in 2003) didn't help the arguments any either.

[Farerb]

It was hardly its or Pixar's fault that other studios made crappy films.

[EricJ]

(sigh...It's late--Anyone else want to tell him about Sinbad, Nemo and the Katzenberg Quote?

Or can we just remove seven more posts and get back to the discussion about how you'd have to be Aardman or Studio Ghibli to have even a prayer of competing with Disney/Pixar for their annual award?
Yeah, thanks, Factcheck Warriors, you sure kept that discussion on track...)

[Ben]

'Tis a pointless thread anyway…

[GeffreyDrogon]

To be honest, the Oscars have really become pointless nowadays. It's just like thinking that a grade of A- or higher on Cinemascore means that the film will be a guaranteed success.