The 2025 Academy Awards nominees list was recently announced. No doubt everyone has an opinion about it, but it’s the animated films that stick out most. Why do we still have a Best Animated Feature category? Can animated films not be included in Best Picture? Why must they be relegated to a specific category?
Ignoring the previous paragraph, however, I can’t help feeling like the end-result will get heated anyway. It’s not like Best Animated Feature hasn’t been contentious since its introduction in 2002, especially since Disney and Pixar receive most of the trophies. However, that Inside Out 2 has to compete with The Wild Robot, despite both being well-received, makes me wish the former didn’t have to be pitted against the latter. Because I don’t think it’s a fair competition.
I’ll get this out of the way: I didn’t watch The Wild Robot. I’ve heard it’s fantastic, but I’ve been trying to reduce my monthly cinema outings for financial reasons. I ended up seeing Transformers One instead, which I enjoyed. I did, however, see Inside Out 2, and I enjoyed that as well. I wouldn’t call it my favourite of the year, certainly not when Thelma exists, but it had a poignant lesson about anxiety shown in its third-act panic attack.
I happen to have anxiety. I’m Autistic, after all. But while I no longer have Autistic meltdowns, thanks to therapy and maturity, I still have moments where my anxiety creeps up. I’ve had several of these since October 7th of 2023, including when last year’s Academy Awards were flooded with red triangle pins from attendees who didn’t understand the history behind it. Anxiety attacks aren’t exclusive to me, though.
I’m appreciative that Inside Out 2 showed one, albeit played out in Pixar fashion. You can argue the effectiveness of it, or if it’s the best example of one, but I think that’s irrelevant. A mainstream Hollywood feature showed an honest depiction of one regardless, and in such a way that children can understand. Considering how difficult it is to explain to adults on a good day, that’s impressive. And it speaks to Pixar’s talent.
It not being the first movie to do this is also irrelevant. 12 Years a Slave wasn’t the first movie to depict slavery, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Angles of storytelling are as important, if not more important, as the concepts they address. Inside Out 2 might be to anxiety attacks what Finding Dory was to disabilities, since both movies pale to their predecessors, but does it matter? They tackled a sensitive and nuanced concept with respect and dignity, all while having jokes that never diminished it. That’s more important than originality.
I’m appreciative that Inside Out 2 showed one, albeit played out in Pixar fashion. You can argue the effectiveness of it, or if it’s the best example of one, but I think that’s irrelevant. A mainstream Hollywood feature showed an honest depiction of one regardless, and in such a way that children can understand. Considering how difficult it is to explain to adults on a good day, that’s impressive. And it speaks to Pixar’s talent.
It not being the first movie to do this is also irrelevant. 12 Years a Slave wasn’t the first movie to depict slavery, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Angles of storytelling are as important, if not more important, as the concepts they address. Inside Out 2 might be to anxiety attacks what Finding Dory was to disabilities, since both movies pale to their predecessors, but does it matter? They tackled a sensitive and nuanced concept with respect and dignity, all while having jokes that never diminished it. That’s more important than originality.
Inside Out 2, even if it doesn’t win the Oscar, will get the ball rolling on anxiety. Disney has a massive, built-in audience who watch their movies regardless of quality. Inside Out 2 happens to be good, but even if it wasn’t, that wouldn’t matter. It still honestly portrayed anxiety attacks in an accessible way, and that’s what counts. It’s what’ll be talked about most.
Isn’t that what matters? We accuse Hollywood of being risk-averse, but whenever they take risks we’re unfairly critical of them. It’s unhelpful to chastise a sequel for failing to live up to its predecessor, especially given how hard that is. Inside Out 2’s no Inside Out, but it doesn’t need to be. They’re wildly-different-yet-relevant stories about growing up, and Inside Out 2’s anxiety attacks are up there with Ego’s review in Ratatouille and the furnace in Toy Story 3 as one of Pixar’s greats. That it comes from a sequel’s irrelevant.
That’s why denigrating the movie in relation to its competition isn’t fair. Is it one of Pixar’s better movies? No. Is it the best animated movie of last year? Probably not. But does it have one of last year’s best movie scenes? Yes, and that deserves recognition…even if it’s only included in the Best Animated Feature category because of its namesake.
Isn’t that what matters? We accuse Hollywood of being risk-averse, but whenever they take risks we’re unfairly critical of them. It’s unhelpful to chastise a sequel for failing to live up to its predecessor, especially given how hard that is. Inside Out 2’s no Inside Out, but it doesn’t need to be. They’re wildly-different-yet-relevant stories about growing up, and Inside Out 2’s anxiety attacks are up there with Ego’s review in Ratatouille and the furnace in Toy Story 3 as one of Pixar’s greats. That it comes from a sequel’s irrelevant.
That’s why denigrating the movie in relation to its competition isn’t fair. Is it one of Pixar’s better movies? No. Is it the best animated movie of last year? Probably not. But does it have one of last year’s best movie scenes? Yes, and that deserves recognition…even if it’s only included in the Best Animated Feature category because of its namesake.
We can argue the merits of The Academy Awards. We can also argue if the awards should exist. And we can argue which movies should or shouldn’t have won awards. But it’s futile when you ignore its subjectivity and lasting impact. For as tacky as this sounds, sometimes movies win Oscars based on their legacies, not simply because of their quality.
I’ll end with a story: in 1980, Robert Redford directed Ordinary People. Despite stellar reviews, it’s not remembered as the best of that year. Yet it received Best Picture at the 1981 ceremony. It’s easy to be mad about that, but its portrayal of mental health and suicide was integral in the conversation surrounding those topics. Because mental illness was still largely stigmatized, and this movie broke barriers for its time.
It's something to think about.
I’ll end with a story: in 1980, Robert Redford directed Ordinary People. Despite stellar reviews, it’s not remembered as the best of that year. Yet it received Best Picture at the 1981 ceremony. It’s easy to be mad about that, but its portrayal of mental health and suicide was integral in the conversation surrounding those topics. Because mental illness was still largely stigmatized, and this movie broke barriers for its time.
It's something to think about.
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