Animated Films and Best Picture Award

[Farerb]

It's no secret that animation is regarded as inferior by the academy, there were only three films nominated throughout the years: Beauty and the Beast, Up and Toy Story 3. Eventually the Best Animated Feature award was created, but I recently learned that people in the animation industry don't really care for this because animation is not a genre but a medium and consider it the "know your place" award.
However if the awards were more fair? Which films do you think deserved to be nominated?

Here are mine:

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - this is quite an obvious one since it is the one that started it all, it really was a breakthrough in cinema history that should have been acknowledged, that and the amount of effort that was put into creating it.

2. The Lion King - some regard it as the pinnacle of the Renaissance and while I personally prefer other films more, I will admit that this is true from a storytelling perspective, this films really grand and epic, which is something that was not seen by Disney before.

3. Toy Story - not a favorite of mine but similarly to Snow White, It's another film that was a first of its kind and had a huge effect on the film industry.

4. WALL-E - this is actually interesting because it's considered one of the films in 2008 that weren't nominated, which led to a rage from people about the Oscar snubbing certain film because they don't uphold a certain criteria:

https://web.archive.org/web/20110717180 ... ture-oscar

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-01-23/ ... -e/2583066

Thus making way for the decision to expand the nominees to ten instead of 5 and probably having at least one animated film be nominated until 2011 (a weak year in animation) came and no animated film was worthy of being nominated. So even though it was nominated it had a huge impact, which is a shame cause it deserved to be nominated with even only five nominees. It does share the record along with Beauty and the Beast of being nominated to the most awards - 6 in total.

I think there can also be a case for Walt's films, Aladdin, pre WALL-E Pixar films and non Disney/Pixar films (like The Iron Giant, The Prince of Egypt, Ghibli) but I don't think they hold the same weight as those I mentioned.

[disneyprincess11]

Funny thing: I forget the source, but apparently Snow White was deeply considered to be nominated for Best Picture (Shortlist or not), but it was deemed too SCARY to be recognized

I am too shocked that The Lion King didn't get nominated for the reasons you said. It reminds me of that quote from a critic who said that "Frozen is so good that if there wasn't an Animation Film category, it'd be nominated for Best Picture." Yet Lion King won Best Picture - Musical/Comedy at the GG. Maybe the Academy thought it was too soon for another animated contestant. I'd honestly have picked Lion King over Beauty and the Beast. I love BaTB, but honestly I don't get why it got nominated for Best Picture. At least Up had an incredible opening going for them.

As for me, I'd say Finding Nemo could have been nominated for Best Picture from the huge scale, the music, the emotions and Ellen's incredible performance. I just wish voice over was considered, so Ellen and Robin could have gotten their dues for Dory and Genie.

[D82]

Well, Snow White and Toy Story at least received some recognition from the Academy. Both Walt Disney and John Lasseter got a special award for their respective films, and Toy Story was also the first animated film ever to be nominated for Best Screenplay, but I agree that they should've been nominated for Best Picture as well. There were 10 films nominated for Best Picture in 1938, so I doubt all were better than Snow White, and I think Toy Story deserved it more than Babe, for example, which was nominated the same year. Babe is a good film, but Toy Story was more groundbreaking, in my opinion.

I agree with the rest of your list too, farerb. WALL-E should've been nominated as well, in my opinion, and probably also The Lion King. There were some big titles nominated in 1994 (Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption) but it was probably more deserving than Quiz Show, for instance, which I don't think it's that good. Other Disney films I think were worthy of being nominated and maybe should've been are Pinocchio, Fantasia or The Little Mermaid.

[Disney Duster]

Great idea for a thread farerb!

I would definitely have nominated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Lion King. I can hardly remember the plots of the Toy Story films, but everyone says they're good, so, sure. I would have also nominated Pinocchio (amazing story and technical achivement, this is to me Disney's third best film), Fantasia (amazing visuals put to music in such a creative way), Cinderella (yes, I have some bias but I think it is genuinely one of Disney's best films in terms of story and characters. If you argue this film shouldn't be nominated because of so much mice and too little humans/romance/story, I might agree with you there, but Up got nominated and in my opinion that story was hardly anything, it just had a good opening and ending), Sleeping Beauty (purely for the amazing visuals and epic scope), The Little Mermaid (very groundbreaking in it's use of music and, well, tighter story for Disney. It started the Renaissance!), Aladdin, and...Frozen (it was like the first really good musical CGI film for me, a little better than Tangled). For Pixar, definitely Finding Nemo, but also The Incredibles and Coco. Coincidence that those are also my favorites? Well, they are good!

I love BaTB, but honestly I don't get why it got nominated for Best Picture. At least Up had an incredible opening going for them.

Hey! BatB has a very, very well-told story, is epic in scope for a fairy tale that happens only seeing pretty much a castle and a village, is very, very emotional, has stunning animation, especially in the ballroom scene and the transformation, and finally, it has arguably Disney's best musical score! "Belle" is rather groundbreaking, and so is "Beauty and the Beast" for not following all the music-writing guidelines and being rather deep for a love song! That's why it got nominated! But honestly, I bet The Lion King didn't get nominated because it was animated and an all-animal movie. Or maybe it was a stronger year for movies to compete with, but I don't think it was.

[estefan]

I remember reading that Gregory Peck lobbied for The Jungle Book to get nominated for Best Picture, but the anti-animation bias stopped it from getting recognised there. Instead the Academy voters nominated...Dr. Dolittle, one of the strangest choices for a Best Picture nominee since neither audiences nor critics were enthusiastic about it. "The Bare Necessities" also lost to "Talk to the Animals" in the Best Original Song category, even though the former has since became far more iconic and remembered.

I definitely agree with Peck on The Jungle Book being worthy of a Best Picture nomination.

[Farerb]

You all make good reasons for Walt's films. I agree that these are probably some of the most remembered Classic Hollywood films, probably more than some of the films that were eventually nominated.

I think back in the early 90's the academy didn't like Disney's immediate successes in such a short time so they probably took it out on The Lion King.

[Disney's Divinity]

In a fair world, I could only see it with some of the major classics: Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, the Fab Four, maybe Hunchback and/or Tarzan, and Frozen. This is merely talking about what I personally think would've been worthy (or considered worthy by a wide number of people) enough to be nominated; you'd have to comb year by year from there to see what they would've been up against in the live-action world to see if they would've really deserved a nom (or even a win). I'm lazy, so I'm not doing that.

There are a great number of films from other studios that would be worthy of a nom in Best Picture, too. A lot of Ghibli, Laika, etc. I couldn't really see it with most Dreamworks films other than The Prince of Egypt. Balto, possibly The Nightmare Before Christmas (how are Tim Burton films usually regarded at the awards shows?). As for PIXAR--Toy Story would be sort of a honorary thing like SW for being a "first," Finding Nemo, WALL E, The Incredibles. I could also see Monsters, Inc. and Inside Out in that same light, but with a lesser likelihood that the aforementioned.

You know, the resentment the awards seemed to show towards the Disney Renaissance films (and Menken) was never really aimed at PIXAR throughout their streak. I wonder why?

[D82]

I remember reading that Gregory Peck lobbied for The Jungle Book to get nominated for Best Picture, but the anti-animation bias stopped it from getting recognised there. Instead the Academy voters nominated...Dr. Dolittle, one of the strangest choices for a Best Picture nominee since neither audiences nor critics were enthusiastic about it. "The Bare Necessities" also lost to "Talk to the Animals" in the Best Original Song category, even though the former has since became far more iconic and remembered.

I definitely agree with Peck on The Jungle Book being worthy of a Best Picture nomination.

I completely agree with you (and with Gregory Peck). The Jungle Book and Cinderella were also films I was thinking of including in my list of movies worthy of the nomination. And I never understood why "Talk to the Animals" won over "The Bare Necessities". The Jungle Book was definitely robbed of that award.

This is merely talking about what I personally think would've been worthy (or considered worthy by a wide number of people) enough to be nominated; you'd have to comb year by year from there to see what they would've been up against in the live-action world to see if they would've really deserved a nom (or even a win).

That's true; some years are more competitive than others, so films that wouldn't be nominated in a strong year can be in a weak one and vice versa.

I also agree that there have been animated films from other studios that have been worthy of the nomination as well.

[Disney Duster]

Hmm...Disney's sudden success making them take it on The Lion King? I don't understand why sudden success would make them do that! Can you explain, farerb? Maybe the idea is lost on me, I would just think if something is really successful that's even more reason it should get acknowledged.

I think Bambi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Wall-E, and maaaaaybe Inside Out should've gotten nominated, too. I hope Soul turns out good enough to snag a nomination just because I love it's subject matter, lol!

[estefan]

There are a great number of films from other studios that would be worthy of a nom in Best Picture, too. A lot of Ghibli, Laika, etc. I couldn't really see it with most Dreamworks films other than The Prince of Egypt.

Shrek probably got a decent amount of Best Picture votes. It was nominated for Adapted Screenplay and it was a very popular movie at the time. Also got Producer's Guild Award and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Picture.

Chicken Run also supposedly had its supporters within the Academy.

[Farerb]

Hmm...Disney's sudden success making them take it on The Lion King? I don't understand why sudden success would make them do that! Can you explain, farerb? Maybe the idea is lost on me, I would just think if something is really successful that's even more reason it should get acknowledged.

I think Bambi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Wall-E, and maaaaaybe Inside Out should've gotten nominated, too. I hope Soul turns out good enough to snag a nomination just because I love it's subject matter, lol!

The academy mostly consists old men who've been in the industry for a long time and it took them time to actually be acknowledged, so how do you think they felt when the studio, that mostly had younger people in it, was successful not just once but four times? Especially when it was the "inferior" medium of animation?

[Farerb]

Shrek probably got a decent amount of Best Picture votes. It was nominated for Adapted Screenplay and it was a very popular movie at the time. Also got Producer's Guild Award and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Picture.

Chicken Run also supposedly had its supporters within the Academy.

I'm not surprised. Shrek was the Frozen of its time.

[Disney Duster]

The academy mostly consists old men who've been in the industry for a long time and it took them time to actually be acknowledged, so how do you think they felt when the studio, that mostly had younger people in it, was successful not just once but four times? Especially when it was the "inferior" medium of animation?

Hmm...Ok, that may have been a reason they didn't want to vote for Disney then! I simply do not know.