Top 10 Disney Movies That Should Have Won an Oscar
#10: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
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As the first ever full-length cel animated animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is easily considered among Disney's, and the entire film industry's, most important milestones. While the cartoon did earn a nomination for "Best Musical Score," the Academy did not seem sure how to honor Disney's achievements, as "Snow White" failed to even make the shortlist for "Best Picture." The Academy did eventually recognize its blunder and, a year later, awarded Disney an honorary award; still, "Snow White"'s snub was an early indication that animated movies were fighting an uphill battle at the Oscars.
#9: “Tangled” (2010)
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In 2010, there were only three contenders in the “Best Animated Feature Film” category at the Oscars, and yet Disney’s “Tangled” wasn’t one of them. While "Toy Story 3" is a worthy winner, "Tangled" only earning a nod for "Best Original Song" feels strange, especially since the film essentially sparked Disney's resurgence following an uneven decade. "I See the Light" was arguably as good of a song as "Toy Story 3"'s "We Belong Together," and "Tangled" should have had more of a presence at the "83rd Academy Awards." Like in many other years though, Disney was essentially competing with itself.
#8: “Moana” (2016)
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2016 found Disney at the top of its game. "Zootopia" took home "Best Animated Feature Film," while "Moana" earned a few nominations of its own. Both of these Disney films are great in their own unique ways, but "Moana" offers a welcome shake-up to the studio's established princess formula. Along with eliminating any traces of a love story, "Moana"'s independent female protagonist brought to fruition Disney's approximately decade-long effort to move away from the outdated archetype that often relegated the princess to a damsel in distress. As the icing on the cake, "Moana"'s soundtrack is nothing short of brilliant and perfectly complements the Polynesian culture portrayed in the movie.
#7: “Bambi” (1942)
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Prior to earning their own category, cartoons mainly saw success in fields relating to sound and music. While "Bambi" did score three nods, 1942's classic not only went home with no Oscars but was also totally snubbed in any department unrelated to audio. All these years later, "Bambi" is rightfully considered among the greatest animated films of all time, not to mention one of the most devastating. That's not to say "Mrs. Miniver" didn't deserve to win "Outstanding Motion Picture," but there is a reason "Bambi" left a longer-lasting cultural impact than most other films released during this era.
#6: “Toy Story 2” (1999)
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Prior to dominating the "Best Animated Feature" category, Pixar did not have the greatest luck at the Oscars. While we could argue all day about which "Toy Story" is the best, the second one definitely deserved better than a single nomination for "Best Original Song." "When She Loved Me" is a fantastic tune, especially within the context of the movie, but "Toy Story 2" ended up losing out to "Tarzan"'s "You'll Be in My Heart." Phil Collins' track is fine, but – during the '90s – Disney had already won a number of Oscars for similar ballads. "When She Loved Me" offered something different in a far more celebrated movie.
#5: “Cinderella” (1950)
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Nowadays, Disney practically prints money, but the studio's post-"Snow White" features were not huge commercial successes. Returning to Disney's fairy tale roots, "Cinderella" performed incredibly well at the box office and with critics, and the film's reputation has not worsened with age. Like usual, the Academy awarded "Cinderella" with a couple of music and sound nominations, although the animated feature won nothing. While "Snow White" was at least honored with a special award, "Cinderella" was not extended the same courtesy. At the time, Disney was probably alright with missing out on the Oscar in favor of turning a profit.
#4: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
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Disney had a solid run during the early '90s, winning "Best Original Score" and "Song" for several years in a row. The momentum came to a screeching halt with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," one of the studio's more divisive creations. Victor Hugo's dark gothic novel clashed with Disney's family-friendly brand, resulting in an adaptation that is brilliant but deeply flawed. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is among Disney's most ambitious projects, both thematically and aesthetically. Even if 1996's film is dragged down by some gargoyle-shaped anchors, "Hellfire" alone is Oscar-worthy.
#3: “The Jungle Book” (1967)
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With "In the Heat of the Night," "The Graduate," and "Bonnie and Clyde" all landing in theatres, 1967 was a great year for film-lovers. Loosely based on Rudyard Kipling's novel, "The Jungle Book" was Walt Disney's last animated feature prior to the icon's passing. While it would have been nice to cap Disney's career with "The Jungle Book" winning an Oscar, "Best Song" was the only category the film could realistically compete in. At the end of the day, "The Bare Necessities" lost out to "Doctor Dolittle"'s "Talk to the Animals," leaving "The Jungle Book" to go home with nothing.
#2: “Toy Story” (1995)
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Pixar must have been one of the driving forces behind the Academy finally creating a category specifically for animated features, particularly 1995's "Toy Story." In honor of being the first fully computer-animated feature, "Toy Story" won a "Special Achievement" award, which is generally reserved for groundbreaking films that cannot be slotted into any category. Despite being a landmark release in cinema and animation, "Toy Story" apparently wasn't good enough to win any traditional Oscar or even be nominated for "Best Picture." Pixar would have to wait until 2001 to earn its first regular Oscar, with "Monsters, Inc." winning "Best Original Song." Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “The Sword in the Stone” (1963) “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) “Aladdin” (1992) “Cars” (2006) “Fantasia” (1940)
#1: “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012)
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Putting aside the occasional "Rango" or "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," Disney and especially Pixar basically have a monopoly over the "Best Animated Feature" category. One of Disney's more recent Oscar flops was 2012's "Wreck-It Ralph," which lost to Pixar's "Brave." "Wreck-It Ralph" has a creative premise, a unique and likable protagonist, and gorgeous animation. "Brave" is a fine enough film but tends to be considered as one of Pixar's lesser outings, almost coming across as a misguided attempt to replicate Disney's princess formula. "Wreck-It Ralph" is a fun ride that sees Disney stepping out of its comfort zone.
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