Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Big Snub of 2011

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Big Snub is the second in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed. Since I started this feature back in 2010, I’ll now be filling in the past two years.

Each year, the Oscar nominations announcement presents several notable omissions. This series is devoted to analyzing the biggest and most shocking snub of all (in any category). It has nothing to do with personal opinion but rather with what seemed likely at the time and what most people were predicting. Once again, this is a film/director/actor who didn’t even earn a nomination.

The Big Snub of 2011:

“The Adventures of Tintin” for Best Animated Feature

Why it was all set to happen: In a year where category juggernaut Pixar had a film that wasn’t well-liked, “Cars 2,” just one of a handful of sequels to past nominees that weren’t as popular as their predecessors, this film had a whole lot going for it. Oscar winner Steven Spielberg adapting classic material into an adventure film for the whole family was a great idea, and it even played out well on screen, earning strong reviews. The film beat out “Rango” for the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and a PGA Award, putting it at the head of the pack

Why it probably didn’t: Most people allege a bias against motion capture, and that’s probably a big part of it. Some may also feel that Spielberg is past his prime, and others may have just wanted to reward something else. The inclusion of French kids’ movie “A Cat In Paris” and the very adult Cuba-set film “Chico & Rita” also suggest that this category, which is a mere eleven years old, is ripe for change, ready to include a wider array of animated films rather than just honor the most popular animated films of the year.

What took its place: “A Cat in Paris” and “Chico & Rita”

Consolation prize: A nomination for Best Original Score, one of two marking the career 46th and 47th nominations for John Williams.

Come back next week for a look at the Big Snub of 2010!