The Short categories can make or break your Oscar pool, so I’m here to help you separate the wheat from the chaff. In this first of three breakdowns of the Short nominees, I will examine the five films nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Note that you can freely stream two of the nominees: Bao and One Small Step, and you can watch all five at a theater near you this month.
Below you will find my own personal ranking of the five nominees for Best Animated Short Film, along with a section on their Oscar prospects.
5. Animal Behaviour
“Five animals meet regularly to discuss their inner angst in a group therapy session led by Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist.”
Irreverent pun-based humor comprises much of Animal Behaviour, about a group of animals discussing their specific, animal-based problems. Your enjoyment of this short will likely depend on your enjoyment of the average Geico commercial or The Far Side comic strip. There isn’t much of a point to the film outside of accepting who you are, which is a fine message but with somewhat crude animation and humor, it doesn’t leave much of an impact.
Oscar prospects: Animal Behaviour is the only film here we can safely count out as a winner. Its humor will be divisive and it’s neither cute nor heart-wrenching, elements practically required to win this category. Its only hope is if the other four films somehow split the emotional/cathartic vote, and that seems very unlikely.
4. Weekends
“A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in 1980’s Toronto.”
Weekends just won the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Film, and it’s easy to see why. Its refined hand-drawn animation and inventive storytelling elevate a simple tale about a boy grappling with his parents’ separation to poetic emotional drama. At 16 minutes this is the longest short in the category, allowing it to tell a fuller story than most here. Yet, some of its
Oscar prospects: You could make a case for any of these other films winning that Oscar. Weekends has the benefit of already calling itself a winner, taking home the Annie Award, though it was not competing against any other films nominated at the Oscars. Assuming those in the animated branch at the Oscars share similar sentiment as those in the Annie Awards, we could see a strong push for it, especially with its innovative hand-drawn animation. But with the whole Academy voting, I think the next three films are more direct in their emotional weight and have a better chance of attracting a widespread vote.
3. One Small Step
“An ambitious young girl aspires to be an astronaut with the support of her humble father.”
This short tells the story of Luna Chu and her persistent attempts to become an astronaut as her shoemaker father does everything in his power to support her. Another film in this lineup with beautiful, emotive animation, One Small Step is a loving testament to the pursuit of your dreams and those who selflessly encourage you along the way. A deeply relatable film, albeit told in a way we’ve seen before.
Oscar prospects: One Small Step‘s biggest pro is its straightforward plot and immediately likable characters. It also has a subtle feminist message to it, which could cause voters to rally behind it. TAIKO Studios is untested at the Oscars, this being the studio’s debut film, so we don’t know if voters will like their particular style. While it still has a decent shot to win, I also think some voters might see its central conceit of following your dreams to be a bit too been-there done-that.
2. Bao
“An aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy.”
By far the most widely-seen short in this category thanks to being presented in theaters before Incredibles 2, Bao is a tender film about a Chinese mother and the anthropomorphized dumpling she raises as her son. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pixar film without a heart-tugging ending, and this one earns it through the mother’s understandable attempts to protect her boy from the world. Gorgeously animated and told with grace, it ranks as one of Pixar’s most memorable and distinct shorts.
Oscar prospects: Bao has a huge advantage in this race because of just how seen it is. It also received more critical acclaim than many of Pixar’s recent shorts with an emotional message that centers on a culture not seen much in mainstream American film. However, Pixar has had trouble winning this category, unlike in Animated Feature Film, with 2016’s Piper being its first win since 2002. Bao is probably still in the pole position to win, but don’t be surprised if another film takes it.
1. Late Afternoon
“Emily finds herself disconnected from the world around her. She drifts back through her memories to relive different moments from her life.”
This one right here. This is the one. Late Afternoon immediately grabbed me with its elegantly crafted animation and universal story of an elderly Irish woman riddled with dementia who recalls her past in flashes of clarity. With breathtaking visuals,
Oscar prospects: Cartoon Saloon is on a roll, earning Oscar nominations for each of its feature films (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner) and now this. The one downside is they have yet to win with any of those nominations. If Academy voters sit down to watch this rather than simply checking off Bao because it’s the one they’ve seen, it’s tough to see them not picking this one.
That’s a great assessment of the five nominees. I absolutely loved Late Afternoon. It was a beautiful, moving story with a life affirming message. I will be cheering for this one on Oscar night.