Pixar Snubbed at the 86th Academy Awards

The Oscars have been kind to Pixar over the years – with the exception of Cars 2, all of the studio’s features have been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film since the creation of the category in 2001. As a result, it came as a huge shock when Monsters University went unmentioned during this morning’s 2014 nomination announcements. Instead, these five films were chosen for the Best Animated category:

• The Croods
• Despicable Me 2
• Ernest & Celestine
• Frozen
• The Wind Rises

The Blue Umbrella wasn’t nominated, either; in fact, it didn’t even make the shortlist for Best Animated Short Film. The five in that category were:

• Feral
• Get a Horse!
• Mr. Hublot
• Possessions
• Room on the Broom

Monsters U was also absent at the Golden Globes, but the Oscars’ five animated film slots made a nomination seem like a safe bet. The film was mostly well-received by critics, so the omission seems to partially be a response to the backlash when Brave took home last year’s award above strong competition. Although Frozen and The Wind Rises are clear contenders to win this time around, the lack of even a nomination for MU is puzzling.

Still, the film has earned some love elsewhere, most notably from the Annies, BAFTAs, and VES Awards. Pixarians took the miss well; director Dan Scanlon tweeted a particularly eloquent response. Ultimately, it’s oddly appropriate that Monsters University, with its messages of moving on from failure and finding new opportunities, didn’t make the cut.

For the full list of nominees, head over to the official Oscars website.

What do you think? Was Monsters University worthy of a nomination?