Many OscarWatchers are of the mindset that this season’s mega-sized Best Picture race will allow for at least one “atypical” Oscar contender to make it into the mix. And certainly, while many of this year’s live-action narrative (i.e. “regular”) movies have been disappointing at best, there’s a wealth of animated, foreign-language, and documentary films that deserve consideration. It’s cool to imagine a Best Picture race made up entirely of eye-popping animated entries like Up, Ponyo, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox; gripping foreign dramas like The White Ribbon, Sin Nombre, and Broken Embraces; and ultra-entertaining documentaries like More Than A Game, Valentino: The Last Emperor, Tyson, and Anvil!: The Story of Anvil. But given the fact that these three genres already have their own categories, there will probably only be room for one or two of them. So does an animated, foreign, or documentary film have the best shot at making the cut? Will it be Pixar and no one else who makes it into the exclusive club? Or could we be in for a major surprise when the nominations are announced on Feb. 2?
Image credit: Disney/Pixar
Up deserves a best picture oscar nomination, regardless of the fact that it was an animated movie.
Best movie I have seen so far this year.
I agree. Up dosent just deserve the nomination, but so far it is the best movie of the year and should win.
I agree that Up was the best movie of the year thus far. Maybe its getting nominated (and hopefully winning) will make up for Beauty and the Beast being robbed from its Best Picture win back in the early 90s.
Personally, I agree with the fact that even though there are now 10 best picture slots to fill this time around, it will still be predominantly english speaking live action films, and there’ll prolly be room for two different types. Personally I think, and desperately hope, that Up gets fills one of those slots. It’s not gonna win, but based on what has come out so far it definitely should, I think it should at least get nominated because it definitely was better than a lot of movies out now. And then I think the other slot will go to a documentary or foreign film, preferrably documentary. It should go to More Than A Game, but I think they’re gonna put Capitalism: A Love Story on there. I honestly just hope Up gets nominated for best picture. I would like to see that. No other Pixar film is more deserving, and yes I include Wall-E. A good movie, but not as good as I was lead to believe.
I agree with the WALL-E statement, not as good as it was said to be. Great movie but not perfect.
i agree levi. i hope “the frog princess” does well, and maybe it will get a few awards. i’m tired of 3d animated movies, so hopefully if “the frog princess” does well, disney will keep making 2d movies like they used to. i also think that “the lovely bones” will be taking home a few awards and might be nominated for best picture and saoirse ronan might be nominated for best supporting actress. i don’t know much about the other pictures yet, though. haven’t seen “up”, but it looks just okay. but how is it the best movie of the year so far, yet doesn’t deserve the nomination levi? i’ll have to see these movies eventually.
Can a movie be nominated in more than one category like that? For example, could Up be nominated in both Best Picture and Best Animated Film (where it would likely win)? Or do they have to choose only one?
UP, in my opinion, is better then any movie I have seen this year! It ruled!
i know both Life is Beautiful and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon received nominations in both Best Picture and Best Foreign language film categories. Both of these went on to win the Foreign Language Oscar. I imagine that the animated and Doc. films would also be eligable in both categories.
UP deserves a nomination, and i wouldn’t care if a foreign one made it in there but not a documentary
I think UP, as far as i’m concerned should win Best Picture. It was an experience unlike any other so far this year.
Early Predictions:
The Hurt Locker
Julia and Julia
The Lovely Bones
Nine
Precious
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air
The White Ribbon
Good list minus Star Trek and Julia and Julia and
Watchmen.
500 Days of Summer to be nominated but (if I like it) Up in the Air to win. I know it won’t but who doesn’t love a good comedy or dramedy??? PS Please let UP win Best pic if I think Up in The Air isn’t deserving.
I think animated movies (particularly Pixar) are the most likely “niche” genre to make it to Best Picture. Although I would wet my pants and squel with glee if Every Little Step got a nomination.
Wild Card likelihood in descending order.
1. Animated movie: Up (and if not Up, a Pixer movie will be the first since the Animated category was introduced in the following years), No other animated movie stands a chance this year. Wall-e would have made it last year if there were 10 nominees.
2. Foreign: This has happened before, but I have not seen any standouts this year that may make it all the way, but the clips I have seen of “The White Ribbon” are breathtaking.
3. Documentary: This is the least likely to happen. Don’t hold your breath on this one.
Also comedy is a wild card. The ones that do make it are dramedies at best. They always have drama elements to them. My fingers are crossed for 500 days of Summer.
If it’s a documentary, could it be Valentino: The Last Emperor as you’d then have six more possible contenders for best supporting actor race you earlier reported on(the Pugs, the Pugs!!!)?
Seriously, I love documentaries and this year although “Capitalism: A Love Story” speaks to our current economic times in Mr Moore’s usual incendiary style, I think Rob Cutler’s “The September Issue” also does, in a more subtle, beautifully shot, way: in reflecting the difficulties of art vs. commerce and the difficulties of being in the magazine game in a time of fighting for (any) advertising dollar.
I really hope Where The Wild Things Are will be as amazing as the trailers make it seem. Spike JOnze is a great director!! WTWTA and The Lovely Bones better be amazing and not huge dissappointments like other very promising movies this year. I mean, Avatar was super hyped, but after seeing test footage…reviews were mixed.
What about genre films. This has been an amazing year for sci-fi (after a couple dismal years). I’d like to see District 9, Star Trek, and/or Moon sneak in there.
Where’s the love for Coraline. It was amazing. I liked Up, but Coraline was heads and tales above it.