Disney-Pixar’s “Inside Out” won the Oscar for best animated film for director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera in what had been regarded as one of the awards season’s most likely outcomes.
“We are all so lucky, regardless of a gold man, because we get to make stuff, ” an elated Docter said in his acceptance speech.
He added that “Inside Out” had been inspired by his own children growing up and concluded by urging the audience to embrace creativity: “You can make stuff. Make films, draw, write. It will make a world of difference.”
Docter even made use of the show’s new thank you scroll to announce a special treat for his kids. The scroll, which was introduced to provide extra space for thanking a winner’s family and collaborators, read, “I love you Amanda, Nick & Elie — okay yes, let’s get a dog.”
It’s the eighth animated Oscar for Pixar, which has dominated the category since 2003, when “Finding Nemo” won, followed by “The Incredibles, ” “Ratatouille, ” “Wall-E, ” “Up, ” “Toy Story 3” and “Brave.” “The Good Dinosaur, ” “Cars 2” and “Monsters University” are the only Pixar films that have not have been nominated since the category was created in 2001.
Disney Animation had won the last two animated Oscars with “Frozen” and “Big Hero 6.”
“Inside Out” won in a field that skewed heavily toward the independent, the international and the quirky. Paramount’s offbeat stop-motion drama “Anomalisa, ” directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, received a nod, along with Lionsgate’s “Shaun the Sheep Movie” and a pair of dramas distributed by GKids — innovative Brazilian story “Boy and the World” and “When Marnie Was There” from Studio Ghibli.
“Inside Out” is set in the mind of an 11-year-old girl where five emotions — Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) — attempt with mixed success to lead her through life as she adjusts to moving from Minnesota to San Francisco. It outperformed forecasts with $356 million in the U.S. and another $500 million overseas.
