I was watching Beauty and the Beast today, and it got me thinking about the Oscars, seeing how that’s the only animated film ever to be animated for best picture of the year.
So, there’s been a lot of talk about PIXAR’s new one being different, risky, etc, and I wonder if I’m the only one thinking about how beautiful something different can be. So I was thinking that maybe this little film of ours could bring out some animation history. Anybody think it’s got a shot to follow in B+B’s footsteps? Personally, if it’s close to as good as it’s looking, I’m thinking it could be the best film of the year, b you know the Oscars. Anti-cartoon bias like CRAZY.
If anything by Pixar that could have hit that elusive best movie oscar it would have been ratatouille. My initial impression is that while Wall-E will probably be visually stunning I doubt the story will hold up enough. It’ll probably be the run-of-the-mill best sound, best mixing ect. No doubt it’ll be up for best animated. Once again I think it’ll be a close year. We’ve already had strong contenders from DreamWorks and Blue Sky. Still think that last year it could have gone to any of the nominees. Which is a rarity in the animation category IMO. Usually there’s a clear separation in quality between movies.
Now where Wall-E will probably clean up is the Annies. Ratatouille literally ran away with it last year. I could see another Pixarian sweep. (Although I really think DW may cause an upset for once).
Ben Burtt was the sound designer so those two awards are as well as certain and I don’t think that “Horton” and “Panda” can compete with Wall-E. So at least three Oscars.
Oh yeah, this movie had better at least get nominated for sound design. I mean, DUDE, that’s a sound designer doing half the voices on a computer man, and it sounds very human in some spots.
I was thinking about the first two but I’m not sure if those awards can be given to animation. Haven’t heard the soundtrack yet so I cannot discuss it but I love music by Thomas Newman. Soundtracks of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “American Beauty” are one of my favorites.
I think that this year more then ever the nomination for best cinematography is possible… well, I think that every year…
I’ve listened to the samples of the score, and it doesn’t seem to me special like the Nemo or Michael Giacchino’s scores… but i’m waiting to watch the film and listen to the entire score…
Of course the sound categories are reserved for Ben Burtt, and no Bourne or Spiderman will steal them
Editing and Visual FX: forget it
Original screenplay: nomination.
Anyway, I think Best Animated Feature and one or both the sound categories are assured, so two or three oscar (i hope three, and this would be a record for an animated movie).
“I was thinking about the first two but I’m not sure if those awards can be given to animation. H”
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences “rules” web page, there is no rule against this. And let’s face it, some of Pixar’s films look better than a lot of the live action dreak out there these days. Name me one film last year that LOOKED better than “Ratatouille?” The only thing that came close was “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” but that was such a dreadful film, no one noticed.
And Cinematography? Some films have many writers, some have 2 directors, and some have more than one DP for a variety of reasons.
There’s NO reason why they couldn’t get nominated.
I could see most of what’s been considered here giving Wall-E nominations.
Though in regards to the first post’s thoughts about Wall-E being risky, let us not forget PIXAR is inspired by one of the biggest risk-takers ever: Walt Disney.
Walt took risks in creating the Silly Symphonies, creating Snow White, Fantasia, even the creation of Disneyland, and of course, his concept for EPCOT was an enormous risk (though it ultimately did not turn out the way he would have envisioned).
The words of Anton Ego come perfectly to mind when people see something out there that may be considered by some as ‘outside the norm.’ As Ego said:
“But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents, new creations. The new needs friends.”
I still think there is, as the first poster said, a ‘bias’ that because something is animated, it is often classified as a ‘cartoon for kids.’ Besides, one could see ‘Wall-E’ being shoved into the ‘Best Animated Feature’ category, with some saying, ‘well, it’s animated so it should be there.’ It’s often rare that a film that is outside of it’s league does end up in the Best Picture category. In 2001, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ was nominated both in Foreign Language and Best Picture categories. Of course, it ended up taking the Foreign Language award.
To me, Wall-E is already a lock for Animated Feature. Though some will say that people are paying fanservice to PIXAR , I still say PIXAR still turns out impressive product that still continues to make me go and see their work again and again.
Can they get a nomination for Best Original Screenplay if there is barely any dialogue to script out? This is a real question, I don’t know if actual dialogue is the only thing taken into account by the academy for this award.
I’m predicting that it’ll get nominated for the following awards:
Best Animated Feature
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Original Score
Best Original Song (“Down to Earth”)
Best Original Screenplay
Out of these six, I predict that it will win at least three: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song (“Down to Earth” was the first song played during the credits, so it’s eligible), and Best Original Screenplay (despite the fact that Charlie Kaufman has a movie coming up this year). So far, the only movie that can prevent WALL-E from winning the “sound” categories is Iron Man, but it will be very close.
I’ll remain optimistic and hope that it will get nominated for Best Picture. It deserves a nomination, after all.
For those of you doubting a nomination or even a win for an Original Screenplay Oscar, my close friend who is majoring in screenwriting in college, defines screenwriting as telling a story through emotions and visuals, and the best screenplays have the smallest amount of dialogue possible. Dialogue is only a means to say what you can’t see on screen. (Remember what your elementary school teacher said: Show, don’t tell!) And WALL-E does just that.
That said, I think WALL-E will be pretty well received by the Academy. Not that I need to say it, but it will get a nomination for Animated Feature, Original Screenplay, Sound, Sound Editing, and Original Score. There’s a good chance it will get a nod for original song. And the 2008 movie season were over already, it would win Best Picture.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to see how WALL-E’s competition fares up with the Academy later this year. I can’t wait it looks like another exciting year for film.
