The LEGO Movie Directors Write Passionate Response To Oscars Animation Joke

screenrant.com:

The Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller write an impassioned response to a 2022 Oscars animation joke. From the implementation of hand-drawn animation in the earliest films and TV shows to today's massive digital production industry, animated stories have historically intertwined adult themes and eye-catching designs typically marketed toward children. The death of Bambi's mother in the 1942 film simultaneously traumatized and educated children about the morbid inevitability of life, and 2022 Best Animated Feature Winner Encanto likewise probes the difficulties surrounding generational trauma through the exclusion of Bruno, toxic matriarchs, and feuding siblings.

But while Disney's Encanto shook up the Internet with its catchy soundtrack, diversity, and handling of mature themes, its Oscars win was sullied by the apparent degradation of the medium itself. Host Amy Schumer joked that she only knew about Encanto because of her children, and later, the presenters for Best Animated Feature, each of whom voice Disney princesses, quipped about animated films being something that parents had to endure because of their kids. Even though each nominee at the 94th Academy Awards explored some practical, relatable aspect of adult life, animation was the butt of the collective Hollywood joke, something that The Mitchells vs The Machines producer Lord took offense to. The film's official Twitter page even shared an image proclaiming, "Animation is Cinema."

Related: Best Animated Movies Of 2021

In a guest column for Variety, Lord and his frequent partner Chris Miller (the duo behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, The LEGO Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and more) share their frustrations with what they believe