2014 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Feature-Length Animated Film
February 4, 2015
With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at Best Feature-Length Animated Film. For a while, it looked like The LEGO Movie would be the favorite to win the Oscar, then it wasn't even nominated. Because of that, it is a little hard to know what will happen going forward. There is one film that looks to be the favorite, but that was true before the nominations and nearly every expert got it wrong before.
Best Feature-Length Animated Film of the Year
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Conclusion: This is basically a two-horse race between Big Hero 6 and How to Train Your Dragon 2. I want to former to win, but I think the latter has this close to wrapped up.
Tomatometer Score: 90% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: PGA, BAFTA, and Golden Globes
Previous Major Wins: None (One Pending)
Annie Nominations: Seven
Annie Wins: One
Notes: This is the film I hope wins, but I admit it is not the favorite. The reviews are excellent and it has done well during Awards Season so far. It is also the biggest hit and the most recent, so it will be fresher in people's minds. If it does win, it won't be the biggest shock of the night, but it will be a little bit of an upset.
Tomatometer Score: 75% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: PGA, BAFTA, and Golden Globes
Previous Major Wins: None (One Pending)
Annie Nominations: Thirteen
Annie Wins: Two
Notes: This film had weaker reviews than a number of animated movies that weren't even nominated. On the other hand, it did earn the most Annie nominations, even if it was nearly shut out. I think the fact that it is the only stop-motion animated film on this list helps its chances, but not enough to be the favorite.
Tomatometer Score: 92% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: PGA, and Golden Globes
Previous Major Wins: Golden Globes
Annie Nominations: Ten
Annie Wins: Six
Notes: Of the three wide releases on this week's list, this one earned the best reviews, it is the only one to win a major award, and it did the best at the Annies. It is pretty hard not to look at the evidence and conclude it is the favorite to win. Then again, the Oscars didn't follow the script when it came to the nominations, so take that with a grain of salt.
Tomatometer Score: 97% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: None
Previous Major Wins: None
Annie Nominations: Seven
Annie Wins: None
Notes: It seems like every year the Oscars nominate one animated film that mainstream audiences won't recognize. This year, they nominated two such films. The reviews are amazing and it did earn seven Annie Nominations, but it is still a long, long shot. If it were the only traditionally animated film nominated this year, then I think its chances would be better. As it is, I don't think enough voters will have seen it to give it a chance to win.
Tomatometer Score: 100% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: None
Previous Major Wins: None
Annie Nominations: Three
Annie Wins: None
Notes: See above. This film has earned better reviews and was seen by more people, but did weaker at the Annies. Again, if it were the only traditionally animated film on this week's list, it might have a chance. As it is, I really don't think it will win.
Filed under: Awards Season, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Boxtrolls, Big Hero 6, Kaguyahime no monogatari, Song of the Sea