An Academy Up-start?

Variety Ad Pushes "UP" for Best Picture

For those who are new to the self-promotion games of Hollywood and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this doesn't actually mean that the critical and box-office success Up has been nominated, just that Pixar is fed up with its shoo-in, kid's meal "animated film" Oscars, and is eyeing the juiciest Big Mac of them all, the venerated Best Picture award.  It's unfortunate that they've waited till this year to go for broke, as despite Up's heart wrenching display of real human soul, when the tears have faded, I still prefer the sublimity of either Brad Bird's delectable Ratatouille or Andrew Stanton's audio-visual heaven, Wall-e.  Though one can't blame the animation giant for waiting to tempt fate till now, as the Academy announced it would be returning to the ten film nomination format of yester-year, and with the eligibility period nearly over and critics largely underwhelmed by late harvest Oscar bait like Amelia, it would not be entirely surprising to see Up given a small seat at the Academy's exclusive "english language, live action movies only" club.

That said, with the recent barrage of praise for Wes Anderson's charmingly chic, stop-motion Rohald Dahl adaptation, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pixar might be facing a genuine challenger to its "in the bag" category of Best Animated Feature.  

Looks like if Pixar truly hopes to win an Academy Up-set, they first have to avoid being out-Foxed.

Wow, that was terrible, even for my standards...

...hehe...out-foxed...