The New York Times asks, "Will The Fantastic Mr. Fox surge past Up in the race for Best Animated Feature?" And a Disney exec responds:
"It's not even a contest" ...
Yet a lot of critics and newspapers have made the Wes Anderson picture a late-arriving darling in the Oscar contest. The New York Film Critics just chose Fox as the Best Animated Film of the Year.
Cynic that I am, I tend to agree with the anonymous executive above. In a normal world in usual times, it wouldn't be a contest. Tinsel Town, nine times out of ten, adores winners. Remember Titanic at Oscar time, 1998? It made shiploads of money and took home a bushel basked of Academy Awards. And Up made (rounded) $300 million domestic, while The Fantastic Mr. Fox collected around$20 million. In other words, one is a monster hit and the other is a (say it with me now) F-A-I-L-U-R-E.
Hollywood doesn't give gold statues to failures. That's the common wisdom the Mouse's mucky-muck is counting on. But stranger upsets have happened. In a short time we'll see if an upset happens again.
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22 comments:
I'm glad Mr. Fox got made. It's a fine diversion. But it's NOT a great film. And Wes Anderson's films are a niche market (a small one). His films pretend that always being quirky at the expense of audience empathy is a good thing. It isn't. Hence none of his films finding a broad audience. But that doesn't make them good, or even interesting.
I didn't find Mr. Fox much more than a pleasant throwback to Rankin Bass. But it doesn't compare to either Up, Mary and Max, or Coraline very well.
While what Steve says is true in theory I could definitely see the Academy voting for Anderson over mutliple winner Pixar. That way they can vote for one of their own and on that is in many respects a darling of the industry.
It's not as good a film as Up, but it is a lot better in many ways than any other animated film that will possibly be nominated. Especially Coraline - which IMO is the most overrated animated film since Ratatouille. Fox as a story and chat=racters that are engaging and sympathetic - Coraline has nothing but style going for it.
I still think Up will probably win and I think even Up is overrated.
I'd vote for Astro Boy. I enjoyed that more than Fox OR Up. And so did my kids. It made us a cry a little, laugh a lot and care about a little misfit robot. I don't think I ever cared about Carl (from Up) that much. After the poignant opening chapter, the film devolved into almost irredeemable silliness (talking dogs that fly airplanes; hey, they stole Snoopy's schtick!)
I agree with the above Anonymous about Coraline. Dark and dreary, with a very unlikable main character. Naturally the critics liked it; Neil Gaiman is the Stephen King of children's books. And I don't mean that in a good way.
As for Fox, very very overrated. Smarmy, self-indulgent, and it looked like a taxidermist's nightmare. Even creepier than Coraline in that respect.
But we all know that Up will win. And it was a crowd-pleaser. The kids liked the talking dogs, and the adults identified with the old fart. How could it lose?
I think your comment is overrated.
Coraline was a fantastic breath of fresh air and in my opinion was better than Up. Whether or not it's better than Fox, I can't say as I haven't seen it yet.
But to say that Coraline was overrated is, in my opinion completely off base. Coraline was very much underrated in the eyes of the media and deserves some accolades.
"Coraline" is very much like the film "Where The Wild Things Are": both are children's films that children don't actually like.
And Anonymous #4, why don't you grace us with your opinion of the movies in question, instead of a stupid attack on an opinion you don't like?
Steve H. has spoken of the fear and hostility that underlies live-action Hollywood's 'tude towards feature animation.
I think that speaks to the very real possibility that Fantastic Mr. Fox will upset Up for Animated Feature this year.
I should qualify that in my opinion Up is a superior movie. But it isn't about critical response or even box office. For a vast majority of the Academy, Wes Anderson is "one of us", and John Lasseter and Pete Docter aren't.
The subject of the post was about the issue of the Oscars being a contest, and was only using Fox as an example. The final paragraph of the post can apply to ANY film.
Oh, and if you are like being Mr. Policeman of these comments section, you would realise that Annon. #2 bought up the subject of Coraline first.
And finally, why don't you grace us with your opinion of the movies in question, instead of a stupid attack on an opinion you don't like?
For a vast majority of the Academy, Wes Anderson is "one of us", and John Lasseter and Pete Docter aren't.
I feel the same way. Add to that all the star power Fantastic Mr. Fox has, while Up has Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai, and this thing has "upset" written all over it.
Which is funny, because it seems to me that Fantastic Mr. Fox does have more Hollywood folks with its hands in it. I guess you attach "Disney" to a project and it immediately can be looked upon as the frontrunner that everyone should root against and hope that some David out there beats Goliath.
I don't like peoples opinions I don't agree with.
* And finally, why don't you grace us with your opinion of the movies in question, instead of a stupid attack on an opinion you don't like?**
No, YOU shut up!
(when in rome...)
"Oh, and if you are like being Mr. Policeman of these comments section, you would realise that Annon. #2 bought up the subject of Coraline first.
And finally, why don't you grace us with your opinion of the movies in question, instead of a stupid attack on an opinion you don't like?"
Wow, now you're quoting me! Monkey see, monkey do.
"why don't you grace us with your opinion of the movies in question, instead of a stupid attack on an opinion you don't like?"
What a silly thing to say in the first place...
Up is a far superior film on every level than Mr. Fox.
If you look at the track record of the Oscars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Animated_Feature If Triplets, Persepolis can't win then neither will Fox. I want Fox to win, but it won't happen. And I hated, hated Rushmore. Fox is a unique and interesting film, one person's vision, a film that's a lot of fun to watch, that combo doesn't usually win the Oscar. Who cares, Happy Feet won and it shouldn't have been nominated.
I think it's interesting that no one is even mentioning Frog Princess.
maybe because PATF was a standard disney fare with little new to tell.
god
heh
personally I am rooting for "Secret of the Kells " and while I know hollywood will give the Oscar to "up" .I like the fact that for a tenth of the cost "Secret of the Kells" holds its own and puts disney (frog princess) to shame .I also like both "coraline" written by Gaiman and "mr fox" written by Dahl .. but then I am English so its darkness probably appeals to me more than it would an american market .
long live underdogs !
"For a vast majority of the Academy, Wes Anderson is "one of us", and John Lasseter and Pete Docter aren't.
Wow. You are 1000% WRONG.
Maybe this is true for the LA Film Critics Assc. but most definitely NOT for the Academy people. Are you serious? Wes Anderson has more pull than John?? LMAO!
Pete won the student AA, he's well-liked(& rightfully so)and people loved "Up" and "Monsters Inc". Wes Anderson is a critics' darling but in any case it's not a popularity contest about directors, it's about the FILMS. Many more voting people will have seen "Up" multiple times than Fox.
And the final list of nominees is voted on by the entire Academy membership. Give them some credit-they're not dumb people but working film professionals(unlike most of the posters here it seems).
Hey Steve,
I hear people are being gather for some big announcement at Disney Animation today. Any word?
Could it have anything to do with this?!?
God
Up is the most overrated Pixar film ever. It's time the Boutique of animated films got taken down a peg.
i can't remember anything past the black and white short at the front. a short made forty-five minutes too long.
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