21 Oscar-winning feature films

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Lots of Disney and Pixar films, as well as completely unexpected winners of the main film awards.

The award for Best Animated Feature Film appeared at the Oscars relatively recently - in 2002. Prior to that, cartoons could either compete in the main categories along with feature films, or receive special awards.

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

• USA, 1937.
• Fantasy, adventure, musical.
• Duration: 83 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The retelling of the Brothers Grimm's classic tale of a young princess fleeing an evil stepmother and finding shelter in a dwarf hut became one of the first full-length cartoons in history. Before him, only lesser-known projects, like the now-lost "Apostle" by Quirino Christiani, were released in this format.

Walt Disney has made a technological breakthrough by doubling the number of frames per second drawn. And at the same time, he proved that children would be interested in a cartoon that lasts an hour and a half. A huge investment of one and a half million dollars for that time paid off excellently.

And then Disney received an honorary Oscar with the following wording: "For the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which charmed millions of viewers and opened up new horizons for the development of animated cinema." Moreover, the academicians acted wittily, giving him one large statuette and seven small ones.

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

• USA, 1988.
• Detective, comedy.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Detective Eddie Valiant really doesn't like cartoons and everything connected with them. However, it is he who has to investigate the murder in Multtown, and at the same time protect Roger Rabbit, who is considered the main suspect.

This picture can hardly be called a cartoon, since it combines the usual filming of live actors and animation. But it is impossible not to mention it, because by the time of the release of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," American animation was in terrible decline. It was the success of this creation by Robert Zemeckis that made it possible to re-interest the audience in cartoons, which led to an increase in the number of full-length drawn works.

A huge, even by today's standards, 70 million dollars were invested in the picture. But it was even more difficult to agree on cooperation between different studios. However, the authors succeeded, so you can see the heroes of Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, Paramount and Universal in the frame. The investment paid off with interest, and then the picture was nominated for an Oscar in as many as six categories. The film took three of them, in addition, the authors were awarded a special prize for the creation and development of animation.

3. Toy story

• USA, 1995.
• Fantasy, adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 81 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Young Andy Davis has a lot of toys. And they all come to life when the boy leaves the room. Andy's favorite has always been the mechanical cowboy Woody, but with the arrival of the fashionable astronaut Buzz Lightyear, priorities may change.

Pixar's debut project was another milestone in the development of animation. After all, Toy Story is the first 3D cartoon entirely created on a computer. In addition, the authors dared to move away from the typical Disney stories about princesses and the obligatory musical numbers, making the picture interesting for both children and adults.

As a result, director John Lasseter received a special Oscar for the creation of the first full-length computer animated film.

4. Shrek

• USA, 2001.
• Fantasy, adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

A huge green ogre named Shrek lived for many years in a swamp far from everyone. But once the evil Lord Farquad drove all the fairy-tale characters into his forest, breaking the giant's solitude. However, the ruler promised to return Shrek's possession if he gets him the beautiful princess Fiona, who was captured by a fire-breathing dragon.

Dreamworks Pictures' cartoon became the first Oscar winner in the new Best Animated Feature Film category, which was introduced in 2002. The ironic story perfectly combines many fairy-tale characters, which are often the opposite of classical images. No wonder the main character is not a knight or a prince, but an ogre.

An unusual approach and excellent graphics for that time allowed "Shrek" to overtake even "Monsters, Inc." from Pixar.

5. Spirited Away

• Japan, 2001.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

Chihiro moves with his mom and dad to a new house by car. On the way, the family goes astray and stops in a strange, deserted city. Seeing a table full of groceries, the girl's mom and dad pounce on the food and suddenly turn into pigs. It turns out that they were bewitched by the evil Yubaba. And now Chihiro needs to serve the witch and come up with a plan to save his family.

Against the background of the increasing development of computer animation, the classic cartoon from the legendary Hayao Miyazaki gained unexpected popularity. It became the highest grossing project in Japan and was a worldwide success. And in the struggle for the Oscar, Miyazaki's creation managed to bypass such hits as "Ice Age" and "Lilo and Stitch".

6. Finding Nemo

• USA, 2003.
• Fantasy, adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The clownfish Marlin lives near the Great Barrier Reef with his son Nemo, who was attacked by a barracuda as a child. A curious child goes on an excursion to the open ocean and falls into the hands of a diver. Then Marlene takes the positive fish surgeon Dory, suffering from memory problems, to help and goes in search of Nemo.

Pixar animators have approached the development of this cartoon with the utmost care. They dived themselves on the Great Barrier Reef and attended ichthyology courses to gain a better understanding of fish physiology. Although, of course, in the end the authors went for some artistic changes.

At the Oscars, the cartoon had no high-profile competitors, so it was considered the favorite of the race in advance. And since this year, the vast majority of American Film Academy awards began to take away the creations of Disney and Pixar, only occasionally yielding to other projects.

7. Incredibles

• USA, 2004.
• Action, adventure.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The famous superhero Mister Exceptional is tired of the constant lawsuits from the rescued. He got married, started a family and retired. But 15 years later, Mister Exceptional still misses his superhero past. And one day an interesting thing turns up for him.

For the first time, Pixar decided to shoot a cartoon where all the main characters are people. And although their new work received an age limit PG (it is recommended to watch with parents), it still became the fourth highest grossing project of the year, second only to the sequel "Shrek". But at the Oscars, the continuation of the story of the green ogre lost to the cartoon about superheroes. Well, "The Underwater Lads", clearly copied from the picture "Finding Nemo", was initially considered an outsider.

8. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Werewolf Rabbit

• UK, USA, 2005.
• Comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 85 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

In yet another story about an unlucky inventor and his clever dog, Wallace and Gromit decide to help their neighbors prepare for the annual giant vegetable contest. They form the firm Anti-Pesto to help farmers fight rodents. But the partners cannot cope with the creepy monster eating all the vegetables. And as a result, the organizer of the competition promises a huge prize to the one who catches the monster.

British animator Nick Park, engaged in plasticine cartoons, has twice won an Oscar for the short films In the Animal World and The Wrong Pants (the latter is dedicated to Wallace and Gromit).

"The Curse of the Werewolf Rabbit" became one of the highest grossing puppet cartoons of all time, second only to "Escape from the Chicken Coop", filmed by the same Park. And at the Oscars, the cartoon bypassed even Miyazaki's new work "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Corpse Bride" by Tim Burton.

9. Happy feet

• USA, Australia, 2006.
• Comedy, adventure, musical.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

In the emperor penguin tribe, couples in love have always found each other through singing. But one day the chick Mumble was born, who did not fall into the notes at all, but he knew how to dance perfectly. At first, the penguin became an outcast, but over time he managed to interest his fellow tribesmen with his talent.

Warner Bros. Studio I tried to make not just another cartoon with dances and songs. Happy Feet is a real musical. Most of the scenes were rendered using motion capture technology from real dancers. And the vocals were performed by such musical stars as Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The cartoon confidently took the "Oscar", ahead of "Cars" from Pixar.

To date, Happy Feet is the only Warner Bros. animation to win an Academy Award. Disney by this time had already bought Pixar and became the clear leader in the production of cartoons.

10. Ratatouille

• USA, 2007.
• Adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 111 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Remy the Rat loves to cook. He watches cooking shows and is always on the lookout for interesting condiments to eat. Of course, his relatives disapprove of his hobbies. One day, Remi meets a young man Linguini, who works in a restaurant, but does not know how to cook at all. And it turns out that these two can help each other.

And again, the animators decided to completely immerse the viewer in the atmosphere. To do this, they went to Paris, where the action of the cartoon takes place, and examined not only the streets of the city, but also the sewers. In addition, the creators of Ratatouille worked with the chef of the French Laundry restaurant Thomas Keller to learn how to cook. They also consulted with rat specialists and observed the behavior of the rodents to make sure Remi moved as believably as possible.

At the Oscars, Ratatouille competed with the Catch the Wave cartoon about surfer penguins, which clearly copied the ideas of last year's winner. Also among the applicants was the work of Marjan Satrapi "Persepolis" about the Islamic revolution in Iran. But the prize, as expected, went to the story of the rat.

11. WALL · I

• USA, 2008.
• Science fiction, adventure.
• Duration: 98 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

By the beginning of the XXII century, mankind made the Earth uninhabitable, filling it with non-recyclable waste. As a result, people flew into space, leaving WALL-I cleaning robots on the planet. After 700 years, only one of them has not broken. The last WALL-E became emotional (almost like a person) and, having met the research robot EVA, immediately fell in love with her.

Future authors came up with the idea of this cartoon back in the mid-90s. But the wait, as well as the long study of various dumps and garbage, helped the animators a lot to create a realistic feeling of huge waste landfills. It is also important that WALL · I is not just an entertaining cartoon. He touches on the serious topic of waste recycling and environmental neglect.

At the Oscars, this Pixar work not only won the award for Best Animated Feature, but was also nominated in the rare Best Original Screenplay category for cartoons.

12. Up

• USA, 2009.
• Adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Karl Fredriksen and his wife have dreamed of going on a journey all their lives. But old age came, and they never fulfilled their desire. And then his wife died, and an elderly grumpy Karl tied thousands of balloons to his house and went on a journey. True, he accidentally took Russell's chatty scout with him.

The creators of "Up" acted very bravely, because it is no secret that such cartoons are primarily aimed at children. But the authors were not afraid to make the main character of an elderly man, who is associated with grandparents among young audiences. And in the end, they managed to show that at any age you can continue to dream and move towards adventure.

At the Oscars, Up had serious competitors: Fantastic Mr. Fox by Wes Anderson, Coraline in Nightmare by Neil Gaiman, and The Princess and the Frog, made in the style of classic hand-drawn animation. Still, the prize went to the authors of the Up cartoon. He was also nominated even in the main category for Best Picture, along with Avatar and Inglourious Basterds. Previously, only Beauty and the Beast had such an honor.

13. Toy Story: The Great Escape

• USA, 2010.
• Adventure, comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Toy owner Andy is already a teenager. He's about to leave college and only wants to bring Woody with him. The rest of the heroes mistakenly end up in the trash. But the cowboy rescues his friends again, and together they go to the Sun kindergarten.

It's a rare case that there has been such a long hiatus in the animation franchise: 10 years have passed since the release of the second part. But, oddly enough, this went "Toy Story" only good. The authors decided not to dwell on the same topics, and in the third part they started talking about the growing up of children and the reflection of their guardians. That is why the Big Escape was so popular with many adults.

At the Oscars, the third part of "Toy Story" also received a nomination in the category "Best Film", but expectedly lost to the drama "The King's Speech!" But among the animation, the cartoon had practically no competitors.

14. Rango

• USA, 2011.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

Chameleon Rango lived in a terrarium all his life, considering himself a cool hero. But one day he fell out of the car and ended up in a town called Dirt. There he will have to become a kind of sheriff in the Wild West and face the villains.

The first full-length cartoon of the studio Industrial Light & Magic, once founded by George Lucas, not only plays out the many stereotypes of Westerns, but also makes repeated references to films with the participation of Johnny Depp. It was this famous actor who became the prototype of the main character, and at the same time also voiced the character.

"Rango" was partly lucky that Disney and Pixar for 2011 presented only the sequel to "Cars" and another cartoon about Winnie the Pooh. But nevertheless, the ironic presentation and excellent picture quality allowed him to honestly bypass all competitors, among which was the spin-off of "Shrek" about Puss in Boots.

15. Brave at heart

• USA, 2012.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 93 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Princess Merida is forced to follow the rules in everything and wait for a worthy groom to appear, although she herself dreams of riding and shooting a bow. Desperate to break out of the court routine, the girl goes to the witch and asks to cast a spell on the queen. But the consequences are dire.

In 2012, Pixar released its first cartoon with a female character in the title role. Although it is much more important how subtly the studio approached the development of the characters. Unlike most similar stories, where the characters almost always wear the same outfits, Merida alone in Braveheart has five different dresses, and her father Fergus has nine outfits. Moreover, for each Scottish clan, the animators came up with their own pattern, unlike the others.

At the Academy Awards, the Pixar cartoon fought against Disney's sister-in-law "Ralph" and Tim Burton's "Frankenwynnie". But the story of the brave princess turned out to be closer to the academicians.

16. Frozen

• USA, 2013.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Princess Elsa knew how to control the cold since childhood, but she always tried to restrain her abilities, fearing to harm someone. However, after a quarrel with her sister Anna, she accidentally almost froze the whole kingdom, after which she decided to retire to her ice castle. Anna, on the other hand, was going to bring Elsa home and set off on a journey with the brave Kristoff and his faithful reindeer Sven.

For many years, Disney has been developing the film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. But for a long time, the authors were stopped by the fact that the main character would turn out to be a villain. As a result, the plot was completely rewritten, making Elsa a positive character.

And at the same time, the studio decided to move away from the traditional romantic line, replacing it with the relationship of sisters. It's also interesting that each character has its own animation team working to make the characters really different in character.

Frozen grossed over a billion dollars at the box office and became a real hit. No one even doubted his victory at the Oscar, although in the same year another cartoon by Hayao Miyazaki, The Wind Rises, was released.

17. City of Heroes

• USA, 2014.
• Science fiction, action, comedy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The young genius Hiro Hamada, who lives in the futuristic San Francisco, is most passionate about robot fighting. Soon he was invited to enter the university ahead of schedule. Hiro has grandiose plans, but an unexpected tragedy changes his life and forces the young man to become the protector of the city.

Disney decided to film the not-so-famous Marvel comic series, announcing in advance that City of Heroes would not be included in the general cinematic universe. As usual, the production involved a lot of work: the animators put into a special program all the maps of San Francisco, which became the prototype of the futuristic city, and prescribed about 700 unique characters. Well, in the scene after the credits, according to the tradition already established for the film adaptations of Marvel comics, the great Stan Lee himself appeared.

The "City of Heroes" did not even have serious competitors at the "Oscars". The second part "How to Train Your Dragon" and the new work of Studio Ghibli were clearly losing to a large project.

18. Puzzle

• USA, 2015.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

In the mind of a typical 11-year-old girl, Riley, five basic emotions coexist: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. Every day they help her cope with problems. But when the heroine begins to have severe stress due to moving to a large metropolis, discord sets in in her head.

The creators of this cartoon decided to try to understand a little better the feelings of a person, and they did it in a simple and funny way: each emotion is very interestingly visualized. For example, Sadness is like a tear, Joy is like a star, and Disgust is like broccoli.

At the Academy Awards, Puzzle was a clear favorite among mainstream cartoons. But she had to compete with the serious dark cartoon "Anomalysis" from the famous Charlie Kaufman. However, the award traditionally went to Pixar.

19. Zootopia

• USA, 2016.
• Detective adventure.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The cheerful bunny Judy Hopps goes to work in the police of the huge city of Zootopia, inhabited by a variety of animals. At first, the harsher colleagues are condescending to her. But soon Judy takes on the disclosure of a serious conspiracy, and the cunning fox Nick Wilde becomes her partner.

Disney only for the third time decided to shoot a cartoon in which absolutely all the characters are anthropomorphic animals (before that there were "Robin Hood" and "Chicken Chicken"). But this did not stop him from creating a real twisted detective story, which also makes you think about serious topics: in Zootopia, they talk about bias at work, segregation and corruption.

The cartoon became the record holder in the box office in many countries. For example, in Russia he collected more than two billion rubles. Nobody even doubted the victory of this work at the Oscar. Moreover, the main competitor of Zootopia in the nomination was Moana from the same Disney studio.

20. Coco's Secret

• USA, 2017.
• Science fiction, adventure.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Young Miguel dreams of becoming a musician, but in his family this occupation is considered a shame. One day the boy discovers a mysterious connection with the late famous singer and goes to the land of the dead to meet his idol. And the spirits of deceased ancestors help him in this.

Pixar animators had to work hard to tell about the world of the dead. The skeletons in the cartoon are somewhat different from the real ones in order to seem livelier and more attractive. And the authors have completely redesigned the program for creating clothes, because on the bones the tissue looks completely different from the usual human body.

Still, the main merit of "The Secret of Coco" lies in its plot. The children's cartoon touches upon such important topics as death and farewell to loved ones. And so he ended up emotionally close to audiences of all ages. And although in the same year another wonderful cartoon “Van Gogh. Lovingly, Vincent, painted entirely in oils, Coco's Secret proved to be a favorite.

21. Spider-Man: Through the Universes

• USA, 2018.
• Science fiction, adventure, thriller.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Schoolboy Miles Morales lives in a world where everyone adores Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. But after the death of the superhero, it is the teenager who will have to become the new defender of the city. Versions of Spider-Man from different worlds will help him to fight evil. And sometimes very strange.

The striking superhero story from Sony Pictures was the first cartoon since 2011 to break Disney and Pixar's monopoly on Best Animation Oscars. And the victory of "Spider-Man" is quite justified: the studio has introduced a completely new technology, showing on the screen comics come to life. Coupled with the rental in 3D, this created a stunning immersion for the viewer in the action.

And besides, this is just a witty and dynamic cartoon, making fun of the cliches of the many superhero stories that have filled the screens.