Finding Nemo for Best Picture Oscar?

[Guest Downhome]

From USA Today...

 

Oscar buzz: 'Nemo' vs. 'Seabiscuit'

 

By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

 

 

 

A pair of uplifting animal-centered movies — a charming fish-out-of-water story and the tale of a dark horse who defies the odds — have emerged this summer as early possibilities for best-picture Academy Award nominations.

 

Can an animal-centered movie like Seabiscuit garner best-picture Oscar nominations? 

 

 

So far this year, only the animated family film Finding Nemo and the more adult-oriented heart warmer Seabiscuit have generated big Oscar buzz.

 

"Seabiscuit may indeed find gold at the end of the race," says Herb Kane of criticdoctor.com, a Web site that critiques the critics. "If Nemo does make it (in the top category), it would certainly make a major statement about the quality of animated movies these days, especially compared to films in general."

 

Seabiscuit has themes that are traditionally Oscar favorites. "It's an inspiring story, based on real life, starring today's box office hottie (Tobey Maguire), just like (2001 best-picture winner) A Beautiful Mind," says Tom O'Neil, author of Movie Awards.

 

But in the race toward Oscar, there are hurdles to cross. Its summer debut could help or hinder Seabiscuit, depending on how the rest of the year's movies shake out.

 

"It's got a head start, but I doubt it can make the best-picture race unless the late-breaking front-runners like Cold Mountain and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King stumble in December, and that's unlikely," O'Neil says.

 

If the movies opening in the traditional Oscar season of November and December prove disappointing, academy voters will turn back to movies from earlier in the year. But a strongly reviewed and "important" picture can sizzle in July, yet fizzle come February when nominations are announced.

 

"Road to Perdition (starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, which opened in July 2002) certainly had Oscar caliber, and it didn't make the distance like a lot of people thought (for a best-picture nod)," says O'Neil. "But voters did reach back to Gladiator (which opened in May 2000) for best picture three years ago when they were disappointed in year-end films like The Legend of Bagger Vance, Pay it Forward and All the Pretty Horses."

 

Finding Nemo is the highest-grossing animated film of all time, this year's biggest picture with $313 million in box office sales and one of the best-reviewed films of 2003. But because it will almost certainly be nominated in the animation category, it could get passed over for best picture. The only animated film to get a best-picture nomination was Beauty and the Beast in 1991. At that time, no feature animation category existed.

 

Nemo "is buzzing with hints of landing a best-picture nomination, though I don't think that will happen," says Kane. "Finding Nemo is visually the best we've seen, and I believe it will win best animated feature."

 

Pundits agree that both movies likely will get nominations in other categories.

 

Critic Richard Roeper considers Seabiscuit "the first major studio film of 2003 that merits consideration as a serious contender, from the powerful acting to the sure-handed direction to Randy Newman's heart-tugging score."

 

...do you think it's even possible that it would actually get nominated for Best Picture? If it did, would it still be up for Best Animated Feature?

 

I haven't seen Finding Nemo yet, and I'm shocked to hear talk like this begin already.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

It wasn't THAT good. I found it too sappy, for one. I mean, it was pretty good, but not worthy of a best picture nomination.

[Guest Choken One]

It made Big Money and they want to make the Animators feel special...

 

Besides...What? Two Oscar Worthy movies thus far...

 

They'll die off around Oscar season

[Lando Griffin 0]

If anything other than Return of the King wins Best Picture it will be BS. And Peter Jackson has to win Best Director.

[Guest MaxPower27]

If anything other than Return of the King wins Best Picture it will be BS. And Peter Jackson has to win Best Director.

Hasn't even been released yet.

[Guest godthedog]

If anything other than Return of the King wins Best Picture it will be BS.  And Peter Jackson has to win Best Director.

Hasn't even been released yet.

actually, he's making a judgment about EVERY movie that will be nominated for an oscar this year without seeing ANY of them.

 

back on topic: the oscars blow anyway, so i don't care who gets nominated.

[SpikeFayeJettEdBebop 0]

Ah.....I never saw Nemo either but to me, if just doesnt look THAT great. I will see it when my little brother gets it on DVD but other than that I don't want to see it. I hope it doesn't win an oscar.But hey, it may, it may not.....

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

They always have to toss the Oscar buzz out there for some movie this time of year. It's tradition. As long as other films who look like a lock for a nomination later in the year don't fizzle out, Nemo doesn't have much of a chance. However, don't forget that Beauty and the Beast was nominated for best picture and was seen as a strong dark horse candidate by many.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Know what'd be really cool? If 28 Days Later was nominated for Best Picture, and won...

[Guest Vyce]

Let me say this: if Return of the King comes out, and is clearly the best film of the year, it still WILL NOT WIN.

 

Jackson will not win either.

 

He's just not part of the Hollywood clique and the Academy in general is not big on fantasy films, even if they are based on classics.

 

As a LOTR / Jackson fan, I have long ago abadoned any hope that he (or the series) will be recognized by the Academy with anything other than a nomination and maybe a statute or two for costuming.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Neither of the past two LOTR movies has deserved any awards beyond the technical sphere. I don't expect that to change with the last one. But I don't want to get into that endless debate again, so back to topic:

 

Finding Nemo is probably the best movie I've gotten a chance to see this year. Unfortunately, I've only seen maybe a dozen. I'd call it even better than the other Pixar efforts, which says a lot. Nomination? Probably not. Does it really matter in any case? Nah.

[Guest Narcoleptic Jumper]

It deserves it.

[Guest Lil Naitch]

Oscars are nothing more than politics crossed with a popularity contest.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

I would consider the favourites thus far to be Seabiscuit and Master & Commander: Far Side of the World.

 

Seabiscuit is an historical film about rising up from adversity, two things that the Academy creams themselves over. The Oscar buzz has already started over this film. Plus it is from Dreamworks, which is probably the second most popular company among votes these days.

 

I haven't even seen M&C yet, but a big historical epic starring Russell Crowe, directed by Peter Weir, and financed by three studios including Miramax is bound to get a few looks if it is even of average quality.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Neither of the past two LOTR movies has deserved any awards beyond the technical sphere. I don't expect that to change with the last one.

 

Peter Jackson fully deserves as Oscar for the work that he did on those films. I will agree on Best Picture though. While I certainly loved them, they aren't that great unless you take all three together. A Beautiful Mind deserved its Oscar. Unfortunately, Gangs of New York & The Pianist were both much better than Chicago.

[Guest El Satanico]

This will never happen.

 

Nemo won't be called an animated classic and there's no chance it will win. That's not to say it's a bad movie.

[Guest MrRant]

Some one should find this "Academy" and force them to pick movies that aren't from the same 5 generic type of movie.

[Guest El Satanico]

the Oscars may improve once all of the relics in charge of the academy die off.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Titanic winning Best Picture has pretty muched summed up the BS in the oscars.

[Guest spiny norman]

Mr. Rant, I don't see how A Beautiful Mind is a generic type of movie? The past couple of years every movie nominated for Best Picture has been of an above average quality.

[Guest El Satanico]

I don't believe mrrant was saying he had a problem with any of the recent good winners.

 

What he's talking about is the academy only giving a short list of genres a chance. ABM was a good movie, but it still used a generic academy friendly formula

[Lando Griffin 0]

Hasn't even been released yet.

No shit? What a god damn news flash. Thank you for setting me straight.

 

They need to recognize the movie and especially Peter Jackson for the work he did.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

If academy voters would read that post, they wouldn't nominate the movie for best catering. The Academy doesn't give a damn and you better not tell them what to do, learn that. I can name a dozen people who got screwed over worse by the Oscars who deserved some recognition more than Peter Jackson and the Rings trilogy. Peter O'Toole, Cary Grant, Richard Burton and Alfred Hitchcock immediately come to mind. It's all about politics and clinging to the old Hollywood ways. Although there has been a shift recently in the academy and I think Adrian Brody winning for best actor last year signifies that. Although, in some ways he was a comprise pick as everybody else nominated already had an Oscar and about equal footing with Academy voters.

 

What they need to do and what they will do is two different bags, baby.

[Guest Downhome]

Hasn't even been released yet.

No shit? What a god damn news flash. Thank you for setting me straight.

 

They need to recognize the movie and especially Peter Jackson for the work he did.

Well, there goes ever bit of credibility that you COULD have had as a poster here, good job!

 

To say a film deserves, or does not deserve an award before you watch it and especially before it's released, is brainless. The film, RotK, might not DESERVE an Oscar, and Jackson might not DESERVE an Oscar for his work on the film. As a whole for the series, Jackson might deserve something, but not Best Director for RotK if the film doesn't warrent it. I don't believe in giving awards for past performances, that really rubs me the wrong way.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

But it is something the academy is good at. Usually with old guys who they've screwed over in the past, such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Paul Newman.

[Guest Downhome]

But it is something the academy is good at. Usually with old guys who they've screwed over in the past, such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Paul Newman.

I know that it happens, but it still doesn't mean that I like it, or that it even makes it right.

 

By screwing someone in the past, like say Jackson, for an award that he deserved it for and someone else got instead, and then turning around and giving it to Jackson to make up for the past years durring a year he does NOT deserve it for, is only screwing someone else the year he wins it.

[Guest Grand Slam]

I have to be honest here. I used to be interested in the Academy Awards, but not any more. I have discovered that there is no correlation between movies I enjoy and movies the Academy think are worthy. And I refuse to believe that my taste is that bad.

 

Besides, I refuse to believe they know what they are talking about in general as to what is a great movie. Can anyone tell me what they thought was a better movie than Star Wars in '77? How about Raiders in '81?

[Guest godthedog]

Neither of the past two LOTR movies has deserved any awards beyond the technical sphere. I don't expect that to change with the last one.

 

Peter Jackson fully deserves as Oscar for the work that he did on those films. I will agree on Best Picture though. While I certainly loved them, they aren't that great unless you take all three together. A Beautiful Mind deserved its Oscar. Unfortunately, Gangs of New York & The Pianist were both much better than Chicago.

2001: christopher nolan, jean-pierre jeunet, the coens, richard linklater, wes anderson, alfonso cuaron & david lynch all did a better job.

 

2002: roman polanski, paul thomas anderson, spike lee, alexander payne & rob marshall did a better job.

 

yes, that's right. i said rob marshall did a better job than peter jackson.

 

Can anyone tell me what they thought was a better movie than Star Wars in '77?

annie hall (which, appropriately enough, won best picture of the year ). better characters, funnier, richer, more inventive and far more intelligent. i'd choose it over 'star wars' any day of the week. and twice on sunday.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Let me just check on that for you Mark.

 

Star Wars won 6 Oscars and was nominated for 4 more. It also recieved a special achievement award in sound effects and Star Wars led to that becoming a permanent award. Best Picture that year was Annie Hall, with other nominees including The Turning Point, Julia, The Goodbye Girl and Star Wars.

 

Raiders won 4 Oscars and was nominated for 4 more, along with taking a special achievement for sound effects editing, leading to that becoming a permanent award. Best Picture that year was Chariots of Fire. Other nominees were Raiders, Reds, On Golden Pond and Atlantic City. Reds or On Golden Pond should have won.

[Betty Houle 0]

As a LOTR / Jackson fan, I have long ago abadoned any hope that he (or the series) will be recognized by the Academy with anything other than a nomination and maybe a statute or two for costuming.

I like some of Jackson's work but he really hasn't released anything worthy of getting Best Picture or Best Director.