/Film are reporting today that Disney will be pushing WALL•E to be nominated for the Best Picture award at the upcoming Academy Awards starting with a campaign next week. Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook told the New York Times, “If we didn’t do it, I don’t think we’d be giving the movie its due.”
The last animated film to be nominated for Best Picture was Beauty and the Beast back in 1991, before the Academy started the Best Animated Picture award in 2001. Some have speculated that Disney pushing for WALL•E (or any other animated movie) to be nominated in both Best Picture and Best Animated Picture would divide the Academy resulting in a loss in both categories as some voters may only vote for the film in one category.
While I agree with Dick Cook that they wouldn’t be giving the film its due if they didn’t push for a nomination in Best Picture, is it really worth the risk of not winning in either category to make such a bold move? Or will it work in their favor? Only time will tell, but let us know what you think? Should Disney really push for WALL•E in both categories or just stick to Best Animated Picture? Leave a comment below.
Last modified: October 28, 2008
The ‘bold move’ is a necessary move, Wall-E is a such a great movie,i believe it deserves this.
Why didn’t they push harder for Ratatouille last year? I thought the competition last year wasn’t as good for best picture, and it was such a great film. I wish them the best.
It’s hard to tell at this point, even with a push from Disney, if WALL•E could score a nomination. I think the ones that will go for Best Picture are:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Australia
Slumdog Millionaire
The fifth one will probably be between Milk, Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road and Doubt. I hope WALL•E does get a nomination, even though I don’t think it would win. The possibility is there that The Dark Knight would win, and it would deserve it.
I agree that they should have pushed the same for Ratatouille last year. I could see The Dark Knight winning but because of orginallity, innovation, and pure heart, I think Wall-e should win, hands down. Besides, Walle is no doubt this years best animated film. They should aim for the best picture.
It may not be a worthwhile risk, because while best animated is a lock, best picture is a bit trickier. I foresee opposition on principle alone to an animated best picture, regardless of quality. As much as I would love to see Wall-E be best picture (and I do believe it should be), it’s hard to say what kind of chances it would have.
We have yet to see many of the contenders. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button would also have a good shot at winning. I would love it if WALL•E did win, it would be a milestone in animation history, but it would also be an honor if it just got nominated. It is the best animated movie of the year hands down, and one of the best movies of the year in general. I think it should be at least nominated, but I would hate to see it lose in both categories.
I don’t see any risk here. If someone is going to vote it as Best Picture, then they will undoubtly vote it also for Best Animated Picture (and as far as I know, only the members that are in the animation industry vote on that category). On animation it’s going to win, I can put money on it right now. And I really hope it gets nominated as Best Picture. It’ll do good for animation.
It is correct that only people in animation can vote on Best Animated Feature, they can also vote on Best Picture, and I think Best Animated Short. It probably would win for animation. They should try and get it nominated for Best Picture. It would be a great honor, even if it didn’t win.
Who is this Mr. Cook and why have I not heard of his awesomness before?
It’s totally worth it. I think people will vote for WALL-E in best animated anyway, because it is a fantastic animated film, but even if they don’t, and we get nominated for best picture, that’s an honor. If it wins…. I may be forced to have some sort of celebration involving dancing in the street, baking a cake, and rediculous amounts of fan fiction.
We can all safely assume WALL-E will win Best Animated Picture. If Disney doesn’t push for Best Picture, it might be a regret when we look back in the next years. WALL-E is a jewel…who knows when such a movie will come again. I would be much more satisfied looking back knowing Disney shot for a nomination for Best Picture and end up not getting nominated in both categories. It really is no big deal of WALL-E wins Best Animated Feature. I would be more satisfied with a nomination.
So Disney should fight for Best Picture and forget about Best Animated Feature.
I don’t think they should “forget” about animated, but I say it’s in the bad either way. I mea, if there was another animated film this years that was almost as good, I may be worried (last year, if Ratatouille had gone fr best, Pursepolis might have pushed it off animated.) but there isn’t. Even with the split, I don’t see enough people voting for Kung Fu Panda or Space Chimps. The only possibility I’m thinking of that they might consider instead would be Tal of Despeareux, which looks like it’s gonna be very nice and it’s based off a wonderful book. Even if WALL-E lost to that in animated but got the nom in best picture, I’d respect that (if Despeareux is as good as I’m expecting, anyway)
I’m really happy that Disney believes in this film enough to push it for Best Picture. This has been a long time coming, and in my opinion, this should have been done with every film starting with Finding Nemo (except for Cars.) The ultimate dream would be for WALL-E to win both Best Animated and Best Picture, no matter how unlikely, but I’d be content with a nomination for Best Picture and a win with Best Animated Film. Actually, if that happened, I’d have a celebration. 🙂
As far as I know, there is no rule that it couldn’t win both awards, and logic would suggest that if an animated film is nominated for Best Picture, then it should automatically win Best Animated Film if it is in that category also. What’s so confusing about that? But there are some pretty biased voters against animation, I bet. But a good film is a good film, no matter the medium.
I’d also love for it to be pushed for Best Sound Design (or whatever award it is) just so Ben Burtt gets acknowledged for his awesome sound work.
Good luck Disney and Pixar! 🙂