Winnie the Who?: Disney/Oscar Nod Related Musings

Well, the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. As I slowly came to and grabbed my iPad (no morning person am I unless next stop is a Disney park), I approached the slate of nominees with the same mix of glee (They better have done right by the ones I liked!), bewilderment (Dude...I've never even heard of that movie...), regret (my heavens, I will never see all of these movies before the awards), excitement (The thrill of competition! The anticipation of an industry's affirmation! The chance to see Emma Stone in another gorgeous gown!) and indifference (I can't get too excited because I will inevitably just be disappointed). When I nosed around a few different websites and finally found a readable list, I was overall quite happy with many of the things I saw. I figured I would share some of my Disney-adjacent thoughts with you.

Follow me, ladies. Your Oscars are this way.

First off, yay for The Help! With nominations for best picture, best actress (Viola Davis) and best supporting actress (Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain), my favorite movie of the year put in quite a strong showing. Compounded with the fact that it was one of the highest grossing movies of the year, especially if you take out all comic book movies, franchise tentpoles and sequels, the little literary adaptation that could has had a pretty spectacular year. Though I can say with almost certainty that it won't take home the top prize, the recognition is well-deserved for a movie that was a passion project from go with something to say that needed to be heard and the right people to say it. Though it's got an outside shot at a win, the nomination is the award in this instance.

Two of the best performances of the year.

Octavia Spencer should go ahead and clear off a space on her shelf next to her Golden Globe, because she's all but guaranteed the award, despite a strong, strong field, including her co-star Jessica Chastain, who was luminous if not as showy, and a rare nomination for a flat-out comedic performance by Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids. (PS, with it's convoluted anywhere-from-five-to-ten best picture nominations system, they couldn't fill the one additional allowed slot with the funniest, highest grossing, best-reviewed comedy of the year? Come on...Bridesmaids deserved a nom. At least they gave it one in the best original screenplay category.) My girl Emma Stone has gotten no awards show love at all this season for her amazing work, but I guess she'll have to make do with being Hollywood's newest it girl instead. Ah well.

No words for her brilliance.

Viola Davis is fighting a bit more of an uphill battle, despite giving what is without a doubt the best performance by an actress in a film this year. It was not over-the-top because the role of a maid in the South during the sixties doesn't call for it to be. There are no prosthetics, carefully studied accents or mimicked gestures involved. There is no hoopla and no self-indulgence. Just powerful emotional truth. I have rarely seen a more lived-in, fully inhabited performance onscreen in my life. She works in a small, handcrafted way that does not reek of technique, though it is there. We see the performance instead of the effort behind it. She also manages to shoulder the weight of doing justice to a whole population of women whose stories have been more or less ignored by mainstream America so brilliantly that we should count ourselves lucky enough to have it captured to show future generations how we can grow from our past. The award should belong to her and many predict that it will come Oscar night.

Genetically engineered for an Oscar.

Viola is, however, up against her indomitable Doubt co-star, Meryl Streep for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Full disclosure- I have not yet seen The Iron Lady. I also have absolutely no question that Meryl is fantastic in it. She is probably the greatest actor I will ever see in my lifetime. When I see the movie, there is the probability that I will succumb to her prowess and walk away singing her praises. But, to be honest, even she seemed a little shocked, apologetic even, that she won the award over Viola at the Golden Globes. Since I cannot yet compare the performances head to head (and don't know when I will be able to, considering I have no desire to waste time or money on what is by all reports a pretty shoddy historical film about a political figure I am not a fan of, created by the folks who brought us *gag* Mamma Mia and anchored by a great leading lady), suffice it to say that I have a huge soft spot for Viola's performance and will be more than a bit crushed if she doesn't take that little gold guy home.

One glance at what they wear tells a story.

As far as where else The Help was snubbed, I am rather surprised that it didn't get a costume nod. Despite the fact that they usually favor big costume dramas, Sharen Davis' work here was superlative, beautifully evoking a very specific time and place while really informing the characters. All of the production design was stellar, but I'm afraid it was just to subtle to compete with the big guns who tend to populate these categories. I am not entirely shocked that Tate Taylor, the dreamboat who wrote and directed the film, wasn't recognized. He has kind of stayed just out of contention all awards season. His work here is great, no doubt, just not as great as other work this year. I am also sad that Thomas Newman's lovely score, which evoked his awesome work on Fried Green Tomatoes, wasn't given more attention. It does a wonderful job of giving the audience emotional cues without resorting to the expected orchestral swells and emphatic musical themes. Once again, I think the essential understated nature of the film did him no favors come awards time.

Sing it, Mary J.

The biggest injustice, in my opinion, was the lack of a nomination for best original song for "The Living Proof", sung by Mary J. Blige over the end credits. I honestly cannot imagine the emotional impact of that last sequence without this song. Viola Davis' stunning performance underscored by Thomas Newman's gorgeous score, transitioning into this punch-in-the-gut of a song with Mary J.'s I-know-where-I've-been vocal. I am physically unable to watch the last five minutes of this movie without becoming a sobbing mess of ugly cries. The song is essential structurally, thematically supportive, beautifully written, and emotionally moving. It's a total knockout, and, especially considering that the Academy only saw fit to give two nominations for best song, it's kind of insulting its name wasn't called after being shortlisted with thirty-eight other songs.

Yeah. I have a huge crush on Jim Parsons.

The best song category is a bit of a mystery. Only two nominees? Really? One is a song from Rio, which I haven't seen and the other is "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets, which is completely deserved while, sadly, it's only nomination. Personally, I think that the Muppets should have hosted the ceremony this year instead of *yawn* Billy Crystal and I also figured that "Life's a Happy Song" would be a more obvious pick, but that shows you how much I know. I don't pretend to understand how their jacked-up voting process works, but how do you only nominate two songs when the field has room for five? This seems unnecessarily cruel to me, especially when you have other eligible songs from The Muppets, Gnomio & Juliet, Albert Nobbs, and, especially Winnie the Pooh ( Not even Zooey Deschanel's great song?!? Come on!) that were outstanding and deserved nominations. I'm calling foul, Oscar gods! This is almost as dumb as when "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" won over Dolly Parton's amazing song from Transamerica. Almost...

Since we brought up Pooh, we should address the pink Backson in the middle of the room, which is the other pertinent race to this blog- best animated feature. (Best animated short is filled with what seem like interesting, non-Disney entries, aside from "La Luna" which will be released alongside Pixar's upcoming Brave, but since this category is often more apt to feature more experimental pieces, it makes sense.) This is the first time since the award's inception in 2001 that there hasn't been a Disney film represented in the category (that is if you include Pixar and Studio Ghibli). Now this wouldn't bother me so much if the studio's only offering this year was the shiny but empty Cars 2, because, frankly, I don't think Pixar should be awarded just for being Pixar when they produce output that's on the subpar side of mediocre. Cars 2 is Pixar's worst offering by far and it is appropriate that it should break the winning streak that the studio has been on, winning the award every year since 2007 with Ratatouille. Sorry bout it.

If you guys are in search of your Oscar,
you're out of luck.

What really gets my goat is the fact the Winnie the Pooh has been shut out. Again. I know that it snuck into theaters over the summer with little fanfare and was completely overshadowed by the final Harry Potter movie (which also deserved better than it got in the noms). It was not a blockbuster, but was one of the best reviewed films of the year. It was beautifully done and really showcased what is special and timeless about Disney hand-drawn animation. Somehow, though pretty well-represented at the Annie Awards, none of the larger awards have been following suit, leading up to a big, fat goose egg in Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. I don't know whether the studio wasn't behind it enough, it was too small and sweet to stand out, or people didn't take it seriously and assumed it was only for toddlers, but its failure to be acknowledged as the artistic triumph that it is irks me to no end.

As it stands, we have one franchise movie (Puss In Boots), one sequel (Kung Fu Panda 2), one movie about a reptile given Hollywood cred by Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski (Rango), and two foreign films that look lovely, and may very well be wonderful films, but that I've never heard of (A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita, which was distributed by Disney in Spain). This is the first time I've ever not seen even one of the nominees in the category. (I'm not a critic remember. Just a bear of limited funds and many opinions.) Though I'm sure that these films have merit, I genuinely feel that Winnie the Pooh has gotten robbed this season and I have no idea how it happened.

Just cuz it's awesome.

These are just a few thoughts that barreled through my brain as the nominees unfurled. Otherwise, I must say that the list came with few major surprises and overall I am neither terribly surprised, disappointed or excited about any of the other categories. But just like pretty much everybody else, I'll be tuning in the night of the awards, either jumping for joy, screaming angrily at my TV while wondering why I subject myself to this every year, or being completely bored. Just another year at the races, y'all!

What did you guys think of the nominations this year? Is your rear end as chapped as mine about the complete shut-out of Winnie the Pooh? Did you feel like Cars 2 deserved a place in the ranks? How about the non-animated categories? Did you expect more of The Muppets? Are you as stoked about all of the recognition for The Help as I am? Any major snubs or glaring WTF moments that I missed? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Disney Summer Movies 2011: Silly Old Bear

The headwear might be questionable on a runway,
but Pooh and friends pull it off admirably.

So, it finally arrived. One of the two summer movies that I have been waiting months to see. I know that almost everyone else was lining up, packing theaters to go and see the new Harry Potter movie. I never jumped on that train. I have yet to read any of the books and I quickly lost interest in the movies, though I've no doubt that both series are quite good. I assume that one day I will catch up with my sister and consume them all, but not before she takes me to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which looks pretty awesome. She is not much of a reader but devoured all of the books and loves the movies. If she's that head over heels about them, then they must be worth checking out.

I must say that whenever something becomes the thing that everyone watches/listens to/reads/does I usually avoid it like the plague. I'm usually either on the tipping point of a phenomenon or I wait for all of the hullabaloo to die down before I finally join the fray. So, until I join the rest of humanity in Pottermania, I will share my experience with the other other new release of the weekend, which I have been anticipating with pure, unadulterated glee. Winnie the Pooh.

Let me start off by saying that the movie did not have a huge opening. It fell short of projected box office numbers, landing at number 6 for the week (one spot behind the weeks old eyeball assault otherwise known as Cars 2), despite pretty amazing reviews. Winnie the Pooh is actually one of the best-reviewed movies of the year so far, and deservedly so. Though the film may have a different audience than the Potter film, I still feel like it has gotten quite drowned out in all of the media clutter surrounding what has become the film with the biggest opening weekend of all time. A small, proudly quiet and charming little film couldn't really get a word in edgewise. I hope that the audiences find it.

Can you spot the Backson in this poster?

This is one of the loveliest animated movies I have seen in a very long time. Watching Winnie the Pooh is as close to you can get to feeling like you're being hugged by a movie. To prepare for the new film, I watched the classic  The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from 1977, which was actually a compilation of three short films from the 60's and 70's which were woven together into one feature length picture. It is small and handcrafted. It is full of the kind of charm and warmth that has now been replaced in children's films by bodily functions and pop culture references and the new film follows suit.

This kind of movie is what Disney does so well. The strength is in the workmanship. The characters, so beautifully rendered, honor the original designs. They do not try to reinvent the characters. They brought in top drawer talent to animate this movie- folks like Andreas Deja, Mark Henn and Eric Goldberg- and it shows. The animation is imaginative, subtle and gorgeous. Nothing about this movie feels like a rush job or straight to video cash cow. They are helped immensely by a wonderful and energetic voice cast, who ably fill the big shoes left for them.

Where it really shines is in the storytelling. In it's slight running time, which is barely over an hour, it effectively tells several different Pooh tales, but the result is seamless in a way even the original wasn't since this was conceived as a whole piece. The stories overlap and are all told bit by bit simultaneously and it gives the movie a less choppy feel. The best part is that, once again, they have not strayed from the simplicity and beauty of what makes Pooh so special. Pooh does not have an alter ego who wants to be a pop star, nobody passes gas for a quick laugh, and there are no interpolations of top 40 hits. Rather, Pooh wants honey, they get real laughs from Owl sneezing (...or did he?), and Zooey Deschanel reinterprets the classic "Winnie the Pooh" song gently.

Speaking of Zooey Deschanel, she was a perfect fit for this movie. Her voice is quirky but inviting. She sings the title song, adds vocal touches to the other original songs and sings an adorable song that she wrote for the closing credits.

The rest of the original songs, by Robert Lopez, who wrote both Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez do justice to the gentle wordplay of the brilliant Sherman Brothers songs from the original while managing to find their own sound.

I know what you're asking. What differentiates this film from the old one? Why not just pull out the DVD and save myself ten bucks? It's simple. A different set of imaginative minds used what came before as guidelines for successful continuation rather than a blueprint for success or limitations on creative interpretation. They took ideas from the original and expanded them, such as the interplay between the characters and the text. The new film takes the concept of Pooh and his friends interacting with the text on the pages of the book that they are in from the earlier film to the next level, making it an even more playful part of the new film. This is a companion piece that will sit proudly on the shelf side by side with its predecessor.

No good can come from this, Piglet.

A fantastic sequence, which really shows the synthesis of artistry, voice work, storytelling, and music is the Backson song. It is surely akin to the heffalumps and woozles, but done in a new and exciting way. Keeping it fresh but not trampling on what's come before. The sequence is easy to find online. Just go to youtube and search "winnie the pooh backson" and enjoy. By the way, you've got to stick around until the very end of the movie after the credits. You'll thank me later.

I went with Tom and my roommate Katie on the morning after it came out. It was a lovely Saturday and we arrived early. As it got closer to showtime, the theater began to fill with a good number of little ones with their big ones in tow. I would say most of them were no older than five or six. I heard at least two sets of parents talk about how it was their children's first time at the movies. I couldn't help but think what a wonderful experience it was for them. What a great first movie and memory made to go with it.

All of the children sat rapt. They weren't restless or bored. The humor was not too complicated or over their heads. They were loving it, laughing unabashedly. The length was enough that it was special but not so long that their attention wandered. This was Winnie the Pooh's target audience and they were eating it up. It was a perfect way to experience the movie. Surrounded by little nuggets with wide open hearts and minds.

And it made me realize what the movie does so well. It was a great equalizer. It was not talking down to the kids or winking at the adults. It was treating us all the same. The kids appreciated the same things in the same way that I was appreciating them. It allowed me to relish what is childlike and simple within myself and challenges the little ones to begin to grasp concepts like teamwork and acceptance without obvious morality. At the same time, the kids were allowed to be kids and the same lessons were reinforced within me as an adult.

The trailer really gets it right. The movie is effective and we love these characters so much because they are all parts of our basic selves.

I love that they called this film just plain Winnie the Pooh. No bells or whistles. It tell you exactly what you are going to get in no uncertain terms and delivers it in a artistically rich, enjoyable, humorous, uncomplicated and powerful way. I hope that families start to take advantage of the opportunity to take their little ones to see a wonderful movie that they can all genuinely enjoy together. And I hope adults who care about the state of animation support efforts to keep traditional methods alive when they are rendered so beautifully. And I hope anyone who wants to feel the joy of being a kid again for one rapturous hour gets off their duff and goes to see Winnie the Pooh.

Last but not least, There is a fantastic short that comes before the picture based on the Loch Ness Monster, "The Ballad of Nessie". The styling is very 1950's Disney cartoon short with bold colors and patterns, a la Mary Blair, and in the same visual style as Home on the Range, which is an underrated gem. It's very visually striking, tipping it's hat to the past, once again. It finds a very imaginative way to show you that's OK to cry. Sometimes it's even good for you. I loved the short and love the idea of Disney films pairing shorts with features again and hope that they keep it up.

I went to the New York Public Library a few days ago. I had known for a while that the original toys that A.A. Milne based the Pooh stories on lived there, but hadn't made the effort to go visit them. As I entered the room they are in and saw them peeking out at me from behind a glass encasement, I am shocked at how emotional I got. These characters have been with me since I was a child, they have been with my Mama since she was a child, and they will play a part of my own children's lives. Milne and Disney were both responsible for the creation of this grand, beautiful mythology that touches us in a wonderfully powerful way. I felt grateful to share a few moments with these guys who started it all and I'm glad to know that Disney is doing right by them.

Has anybody else made it out to the Hundred Acre Wood yet? Did you fall under its spell the way that I did?

Disney Summer Movies 2011: Strike One

There are four big Disney and Pixar releases this summer. Two of them are my two big summer movies- Winnie the Pooh (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

and The Help (through Touchstone, which is an adult Disney division).

I have been waiting for both of those movies for months, devouring the trailers, which are fantastic, and counting down days. If that doesn't give you a window into my brain, I don't know what does. Winnie the Pooh will be coming out on July 15 and The Help will be released on August 10th. I will let you know what I think when they finally surface.

The big May and June releases have already happened, however, and they are Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and Cars 2. I did not see Pirates and don't really plan to. Maybe eventually. I still haven't seen the first three, to tell the truth. I started watching the first but lost interest about half an hour in and haven't tried again since. From what I've heard I'm not missing all that much and the new sequel doesn't do much to help the series' cause. I will say that I'm glad that it's revived an interest in the ride at the parks, which has always been a favorite of mine. The new movie based audio-animatronics are impressive and the way that they have incorporated the film into the ride honors the original while giving Jack Sparrow to a new generation that expects to see him. They've done well in that regard.

Not the most imaginative poster I've seen...

Over the holiday weekend I saw Cars 2. The only reason I went out of my way is that I had "free" tickets because I had bough blu-rays a while back that came with free tickets as long as they are $8.50 or under. Unfortunately, in New York City, movie tickets are $13. No. Not for 3D. For plain old 2D. But still, it took me 20 convoluted and frustrating minutes to process my free tickets online, so I'll be darned if I wasn't going to use it and $4.50 isn't bad for a movie. Plus I always feel like I can't have a valid opinion on something unless I've seen something for myself.

It hurts my soul to say this, but Pixar has finally produced a movie that is flat out not good. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan of the original Cars. In my humble opinion, it was the only dud in the Pixar canon. I was not drawn to any of the characters, the world of the movie asks that I suspend far more disbelief than I am willing to in order for it to make sense, the storytelling was rather weak, the art was well-done but pedestrian, and, frankly, I was bored by it. There were things that I appreciated about it (the attempt to reach out to boys with characters they could instantly bond with, the idea of small town America being just as important as big cities, the lesson of humbling yourself and reaching out to those that are different than you for mentorship and friendship), but it was easily and without question at the bottom by far of my list of Pixar films.

Until now. I actively love all of the Pixar movies and think they are brilliant with two exceptions. I am pretty much neutral on Cars and I now actively dislike Cars 2. Hate is a strong word, and I don't want to use it because I feel like the folks at Pixar pour a lot of time, energy and creativity into their projects. They can certainly be forgiven this one blip when they have set the bar so high for themselves. When it comes down to it, what would have been perfectly acceptable as a direct to video sequel does not cut it as a full-blown theatrical release from the studio that made two sequels to Toy Story that actually got better in quality as the series progressed.

Wait until someone tells them that they can't drive
away from their own movie.  They won't be happy.

There was absolutely nothing that I enjoyed about Cars 2 and a lot of things that really got on my nerves. All of the problems I had with the original were exponentially worse and all of the newer elements were even more grating still. The beating heart of the first movie was Doc Hudson, whose character's absence is swept away in one twenty second scene and never really touched upon again, and Radiator Springs, which is only seen in the very beginning and end. It gives me a bit of insight as to why they are calling the new area of California Adventure Cars Land rather than Radiator Springs. It seems to be all about branding over immersive experience, which is a shame. I'm kind of sad that the movie is getting a whole land at a theme park in the first place.

The new film is a loud, bright sensory assault with lots of explosions and corny humor. It's what we expect of a typical computer animation movie these days. All surface and no depth. Except Pixar movies are not typical computer animation. They are great movies. Some of the best films made by anyone, anywhere, by anyone's standards. I can't help but feel like for the first time Pixar is pandering. They made a film for no other reason really than to sell booty-loads of merch, which they are.

I think they're turning Japanese. I really think so.

I have never been the biggest Mater fan, and the character takes center stage here. The moral of the story want to be "Be yourself" but ends up more like "Perpetuate the stereotype of the Ugly American". But no one pays attention to the lessons to be learned anyway because they are too busy watching things zoom by and blow up. There is what felt like inappropriate violence to the car/people things. One was tortured and then murdered in what seemed like a very cruel manner. Several others die as well. The humor was boneheaded and obvious. The tender scenes felt like nothing but a series of empty platitudes. All attempted emotional payoffs were completely unwarranted and fell flat. The visuals were all eye candy but completely unoriginal. (Tom was amused by the look of the scenes in Japan, though.) The plot was convoluted and the storytelling was way off track. There was self-referencing and catchphrasing that would seem clever in a better movie, but feels lazy here. They put a lot of effort into making things bright and shiny, but it felt like it was only to distract you from the fact that the movie underneath just isn't very good. It worked on the kids around us sometimes. They seemed to get excited when stuff went kapow. Other times they seemed just as bored and confused as we were.

I must say that John Lasseter, who directed and did the story for Cars 1 & 2, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 1 & 2 along with many shorts is probably my least favorite Pixar director. He is often compared to Disney, and I don't think that the comparison is terribly off the mark. It seems that his real strength is as a visionary and as someone who brings out the strengths and talents of others. Disney himself didn't do much of the hands on creation. He was the idea man. I think Lasseter is best when he is in the same kind of position.

I cannot wait for Brave! Have I said that enough yet?

The only thing about the movie that I genuinely liked was the Toy Story short that came before it, which was very good. I'm hoping that this is not a bellwether for Pixar. I'm not too worried since the next film, Brave, which comes out next summer already looks glorious. I don't want to come down too hard on Pixar. I know that they are a business and they they have to established their brand and make money. Do that on DVDs and on store shelves, but not in the theater. We hold Pixar to a higher standard because we know what the studio is capable of and they have very seldom let us down. Hopefully they will pay attention to what seem like less than stellar reviews and not exactly amazing box office and focus on their strengths- innovation and storytelling.

As for me, I am looking forward to my trip to the Hundred Acre Wood in ten days. Did anybody else see Cars 2? What were your thoughts? Am I way far off course or did you think that the movie was a big old lemon, too?