Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Animated Short

The nominees:
Day and Night (A-)
Day and night compete to show off their virtues in this short that played before “Toy Story 3.”
The Gruffalo (B)
A mother mouse tells her children the story of a fearless mouse and a fearful creature.
Let’s Pollute! (A-)
A guide to how you can do your part and pollute the world more efficiently.
The Lost Thing (B)
A man wanders around with a mysterious machine in a dystopian future.
Madagascar, a Journey Diary (B-)
Snippets from a journal chronicling a magical voyage to Madagascar.

Previous winners: Logorama, Le Maison en Petits Cubes, Peter and the Wolf, The Danish Poet, The Moon and the Sun: An Imagined Conversation, Ryan
Who should win: “Day and Night” or “Let’s Pollute”
Who will win: Each of these films has its considerable virtues that could help it win. “The Gruffalo” is a very traditional story with plenty of famous faces participating, and its plot trajectory reminds me of something like “Peter and the Wolf,” which won this award three years ago (it also boasts the longest runtime of this bunch, 27 minutes). “Let’s Pollute” is an inventive, extremely entertaining and funny mock infomercial. “The Lost Thing” is a creative vision of the future that’s heartfelt and pensive. “Madagascar, a Journey Diary” combines many styles and creates a veritable and unique storybook. I’m not sure any of those can eclipse the brilliant simplicity of “Day and Night,” a marvelous and fun visualization of daytime and nighttime.

Images are from Oscar.com