Oscar Nominations! Yes, I feel the need to report on this to y'all.
Unless I'm reading this list wrong...
Up got nominated for "Best Motion Picture of the Year". That makes it the second year in a row that an animated film has been nominated for that category, right? God, I love Pixar (and Beauty and the Beast, of course!) for getting animated films some equality. Incidentally, Up is also nominated for "Best Original Screenplay" and "Achievement in Sound Editing.
"Best Animated Feature Film of the Year" nominees are Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, and - of course - Up.
"Best Original Song" nominations went out to "Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans" - The Princess and the Frog is the only film with two songs nominated this year.
Also, for my mother's sake - not that she has a livejournal, but you know, it's the idea of the thing - I will note that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was nominated for "Achievement in Cinematography". (Although my prediction is that that will go to Avatar.)
So, need I say that I am very excited with this year's nominees? I don't see Up winning Best Motion Picture, but the nomination is still really excited. (I'm not sure what I think will win Best Motion Picture, to be honest.)
For Best Animated Film, I'm pretty torn. I want The Princess and the Frog to win, but I'm not sure if I'd say it or Coraline or Up are better - they're all so different. And I didn't see the other two, so I can't say anything on them. (My prediction is that Up will win, though. Then again, apparently The Fantastic Mr. Fox was looking like the winner of the Golden Globes, so maybe that'll win. Speaking of the Golden Globes, I'm sad to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs didn't get a nomination, as it was apparently good enough to win the Golden Globe for an animated feature, if memory serves. I didn't see it yet, so I can't really say anything, but still.)
For some reason, I think The Hurt Locker is going to win for Original Screenplay - Sorry, Up. (Although I haven't seen anything on that list of nominees but Up, which makes me really sad. I... Usually watch more non-animated films. 2009 was different, I guess.)
Now, as for songs, I'm being optimistic and predicting that "Almost There" will win. I certainly think it deserves to, it's an amazing and inspirational song, that also manages to stick it to one of the biggest complaints about Disney with a few lines - ("Fairy tales can come true/But you gotta make 'em happen/It all depends on you") - but I haven't heard any of the other songs. (Dude, I would have seen Nine, but for some reason I never did. I'm not sure it was even at the nearest theater.)
But seriously. Seeing that "Best Motion Picture of the Year" nomination for Up made my day. It's so excited to see that the medium that I want to build a future in is finally being recognized as more than just 'kiddie fare'.