I spent Veterans Day in NYC at my favorite TV show – “Live with Regis and Kelly” (more on that later in the week), but got home in time to read the great news: a record 20 films have been entered for consideration for the best animated feature at the Academy Awards, meaning we should have a full category, with five nominees.
The AMPAS rules state that if at least 16 films qualify, there will be 5 nominees in the category, and that appears to be a sure thing, even though all of the December films still have to complete their necessary one-week runs in Los Angeles to be elidgible.
Here is the list of the 20 2009 animated films that will get Oscar consideration:
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
“Astro Boy”
“Battle for Terra”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Mary and Max”
“The Missing Lynx”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“9”
“Planet 51”
“Ponyo”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”
“A Town Called Panic”
“Up”
Here’s my prediction for the five nominees: “9”, “Up”, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, “Ponyo”, and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”, however I reserve the right to change my mind after I see all of the films.
Up until now, the only year there was a full category of 5 nominees for best animated film was 2002.