No matter how you look at it, this year’s Academy Awards will go down in History as the Oscars in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. However, many people – myself included – felt uncomfortable and angry at some decisions that the ceremony made that undermined some industry professionals, starting with “minor” categories not being featured in the main event, as well as a cheap shot taken at Ridley Scott’s movie The Last Duel, which emcee Wanda Sykes suggested no one cared about.
Another moment that had people frowning their faces was the presentation of the Best Animated Film award, which brought three live-action Disney princesses to the stage: Lily James (Cinderella), Naomi Scott (Aladdin’s Jasmine), and Halle Bailey (upcoming The Little Mermaid). Before they reminded the audience of the nominees, the trio suggested that animated films are something that are made only to keep kids distracted and annoy parents.
If you know just a little bit about the art of animation, you can easily conclude that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The very same category that had “kids movies” featured the critically acclaimed Flee, a heart-wrenching film about a gay man having to escape his home country in order to live a happier life. Many of us had a lot to say about the way those movies were introduced, but filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie) decided to speak out about this in an article they published through Variety.
In the article, the duo of directors reminds us that animation is as much a work of art as other productions, but people who work in this segment are frequently seen as professionals who one day will be able to work on “real movies.” Lord and Miller also point out that a series of elements from animated movies such as cinematography, costume design, and even performances have to be created from scratch, which demands an insane amount of work.
In addition, Lord and Miller noted that animated films help keep the movie industry wheel turning, as every year animated movies are among the most-streamed or most-watched movies in theaters, and they make absurd amounts of money that help finance other projects. In fact, they state, that during the pandemic entire animated departments never stopped working, which helped keep the industry afloat during uncertain times.
And even if you don’t factor in the money element (which is a big one), you can’t ignore the fact that even animated movies targeted at kids have brought us some complex storylines that made fully-grown audience members reflect and weep. Are the tears you shed during Toy Story 3 and Inside Out any less real because they weren't prompted by a "real" movie? What about titles like Waltz with Bashir and Anomalisa: do the philosophy and war themes tackled in both movies ring less true because they were made with pencil, paper, and clay?
Lord and Miller’s article ends on a note that sends a clear message to the Academy: Do better.
“[This] leads us to a simple pitch: Next year, invite a respected filmmaker to present the award and frame animation as cinema. Guillermo del Toro, who produces, directs and deeply appreciates animation, could remind the audience that animation predates cinema […] Bong Joon Ho could present while explaining why he listed two of this year’s animated feature nominees (‘Flee’ and ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’) among his top 10 favorite movies of the year. Mahershala Ali, as compelling a performer in animated films as he is in live-action, could tell the world that animation is not a genre, but a medium that at its best observes and amplifies the nuances of our humanity so that we can see ourselves and ourselves be seen.
This year, as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of ‘White Men Can’t Jump,’ we might also have celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award winner ‘Spirited Away.’ […] And if in 2022 we marked the 28th anniversary of ‘Pulp Fiction,’ in 2023 we can celebrate the 31st anniversary of the historic best picture nomination for ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ That nomination caused such a stir that some worried an animated movie might win Best Picture every year, a sentiment that, in part, led to the creation of the Best Animated Feature award, both to acknowledge the contributions of animation to the current cinema, and, for some, to keep animated films from winning the “real” prize.
At least we used to be taken seriously. Surely no one set out to diminish animated films, but it’s high time we set out to elevate them.
You can read their full article on Variety's website.