The Hindu : Animation added to Oscar list

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 21, 2002

International

International

Animation added to Oscar list

By Gautaman Bhaskaran

BP> The 74th Academy Awards are bound to be memorable for introducing a new category: feature length animation.

This addition, the first in two decades, is welcome as critically acclaimed films such as "Pinocchio" and "Toy Story", among many others, have been left out of nomination lists in the face of competition from traditional movies. Animated works rarely made it to the Best Picture category.

This time though, works such as "Shrek" and "Monsters, Inc" have received well-deserved nods. At this year's Berlin film festival, Hayao Miyazaki's animation, "Spirited Away" from Japan received the top Golden Bear award.

Despite complaints, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been slow to expand its list of honourees. The Academy's Board of Governors debated for a decade whether to include animation features. Of course, no one disagrees with the view that animated creations deserve to be rewarded on the big night but the Academy has other considerations for saying no to a longer list.

The argument is that including more sections will dilute the importance of the prizes. The Emmy Awards are cited as an example: a pat for best lighting in a documentary makes a mockery of the awards. Also, with the Oscar ceremony stretching to over four hours, the Academy feels that time is one important factor against distributing more statuettes.

Some of the Oscars could be given away before the actual ceremony, which this year will take place on March 24. Comedy is one category that deserves more appreciation. Films like "Annie Hall" and "Shakespeare in Love" — both romantic comedies — did get Best Picture awards. But the two movies were the exceptions. Since 1977, when "Annie Hall" won the Oscar, a mere 10 movies, considered comedies, have won nominations. "Shakespeare in Love", "Tootsie", "Working Girl" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" were among those nominated but with the exception of the first one, none won the coveted award.

Critics say costume design should also be divided into contemporary and period categories. In the past decade, only two works set in the post-World War II period, "Malcolm X" (1992) and "The Talented Mr Ripley" (1999), got nods for costume design. The rest have always been fantasies of a bygone era. This time, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "Moulin Rouge" — and these are either fantasies or period pieces — will vie for this honour.

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