During the pre-taped acceptance speech for Best Animated Short at the 94th Academy Awards, "The Windshield Wiper" director Alberto Mielgo said, "animation for adults is a fact. It's happening. Let's call it cinema."
Unfortunately, the Oscars telecast did not feel the same way.
Early in her monologue, host Amy Schumer (who shared hosting duties with Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes) mentioned that she hadn't seen many of the nominees. However, she noted that, "I have a toddler so I just watched Encanto 190 times."
Later, when presenting the award for Best Animated Feature Film, presenter Halle Bailey said, "Animated films make up some of our most formative movie experiences as kids."
"So many kids watch these movies over and over," said fellow presenter Lily James. Bailey added, "and over and over and over and over and over."
"I see some parents out there know exactly what we're talking about," said presenter Naomi Scott.
The common point between these bits? That animation is a medium enjoyed by children, and merely tolerated by adults.
Filmmakers rightfully took issue with the jokes. Phil Lord, one of the producers of the Academy Award-nominated The Mitchells vs. The Machines, tweeted: "super cool to position animation as something that kids watch and adults have to endure."
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The idea that animation is exclusively for kids is tired, and has never been true. Many of the greatest animated films of all time — including Akira, Persepolis, Grave of the Fireflies, and The Triplets of Belleville — are geared toward more mature audiences. Recent nominees for Best Animated Feature like Loving Vincent, Anomalisa, and I Lost My Body are undoubtedly not films for children.
The idea that animation is exclusively for kids is tired, and has never been true.
This year's slate of nominees also saw the inclusion of Flee, an animated documentary about a refugee leaving Afghanistan that was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature Film. To label animated movies as solely being for kids is to discount films like Flee, and these jokes sent a clear signal that it wouldn't win the category. No animated film for adult audiences has ever won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature since the award's introduction in 2001.
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Thinking that adults "endure" animated films just for the sake of their children is also blatantly false. Animated movies for younger audiences have something to offer to people of all ages, such as stunning visuals and impactful messages. For example, Encanto, this year's winner, explores the effects of generational trauma, which — you guessed it — resonates across multiple generations.
Animation does't deserve to be an afterthought when we think about film.
Another nominee, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, delves deep into familial connection in a way that is relatable to audiences of all ages. Its innovative animation style — a combination of hand-drawn illustrations and CG — pushes the boundaries of the medium. Plus, Katie Mitchell, the lead character, is canonically queer, making this film an important step forward for LGBTQ representation in media. That's a big deal no matter who your target audience is.
Already this year, we're seeing how animated films considered to be "for kids" speak to wider audiences. Like Encanto, Turning Red looks at generational trauma and offers a relatable and moving look at family life. Its discussions of puberty and periods are also groundbreaking, paving the way for a new kind of coming-of-age film.
These put-downs of animation come at an especially important time for the field. The Animation Guild (TAG) is currently negotiating for a deal that would ensure animation workers receive pay equal to that of their live-action counterparts. #NewDeal4Animation has become a rallying cry online, and TAG members united in Burbank, California, on Sunday, March 20, in support of the deal.
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On top of all this, production on animated films and television shows was able to continue during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when production on live-action movies and shows had to shut down. Dismissing these movies, especially considering all the labor that went into them during an exceptionally challenging time, is disrespectful.
Animation does't deserve to be an afterthought when we think about film, especially not at an Oscars ceremony with the theme "Movie Lovers Unite." Like Mielgo said in his speech, animation for adults is here, and it's cinema. It's time for the Oscars to start acting like it.
