Updated:2007-02-11 22:41:07
''Cars'' gets the green flag for top animated film at Annie Awards
By GARY GENTILE
AP
GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) - A cocky race car that learns the wisdom of slowing down won the race for best animated feature Sunday at the 34th annual Annie Awards, honoring achievements in feature film and television animation.
"Cars," from The Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studios, defeated a crowd of contenders that included "Happy Feet" from Warner Bros., "Over the Hedge," from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., "Monster House" from Sony Pictures, a division of Sony Corp ., and "Open Season," also from Sony Pictures.
The Annie Awards are presented by The International Animated Film Society. The winner has gone on to claim the Oscar for animated feature every year since the Academy Award for animation was created.
Three films are contending for the animated feature Oscar to be presented Feb. 25, including "Cars," "Monster House" and "Happy Feet."
"Cars" takes place in a world populated by talking autos and tells the story of Lightning McQueen, an overconfident contender on the NASCAR circuit who gets sidetracked in Radiator Springs, an aging town on old Route 66 that was bypassed by an interstate highway.
While there, McQueen, voiced by Owen Wilson, encounters a ragtag bunch including Mater, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, and Doc, voiced by Paul Newman.
The film was inspired by a personal journey director John Lasseter made with his family after completing the filming of 1999's "Toy Story 2."
Unlike in previous years, no one film dominated this year's Annie Awards.
The award for best directing in a feature went to Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick for "Over the Hedge," based on the popular comic strip. The movie featured the voice talents of Bruce Willis, Wanda Sykes and Steve Carell.
Best writing honors went to a team of five people behind "Flushed Away," which was co-produced by the British company Aardman Features.
The film was the first computer animated feature from Aardman, which won last year's Annie with its stop action claymation film "Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit."
British actor Ian McKellen won the award for voice acting for his Shakespearean betrayal of the evil character "Toad."
"Flushed Away" also won awards for animated effects, character animation and production design.
"Cars" composer Randy Newman, a longtime collaborator on Pixar films, won the award for best music in a feature.
Other Annie awards presented Sunday night included:
Home entertainment production: "Bambi II," Disney .
Animated television production: "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends," Cartoon Network Studios.
Writing in an animated television production: Ian Maxtone-Graham for "The Simpsons" episode "The Seemingly Neverending Story," from Gracie Films.
Voice acting in an animated television production: Eartha Kitt, the voice of "Yzma" in "The Emperor's New School," Disney.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
02/11/07 22:39 EST
''Cars'' gets the green flag for top animated film at Annie Awards
By GARY GENTILE
AP
GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) - A cocky race car that learns the wisdom of slowing down won the race for best animated feature Sunday at the 34th annual Annie Awards, honoring achievements in feature film and television animation.
"Cars," from The Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studios, defeated a crowd of contenders that included "Happy Feet" from Warner Bros., "Over the Hedge," from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., "Monster House" from Sony Pictures, a division of Sony Corp ., and "Open Season," also from Sony Pictures.
The Annie Awards are presented by The International Animated Film Society. The winner has gone on to claim the Oscar for animated feature every year since the Academy Award for animation was created.
Three films are contending for the animated feature Oscar to be presented Feb. 25, including "Cars," "Monster House" and "Happy Feet."
"Cars" takes place in a world populated by talking autos and tells the story of Lightning McQueen, an overconfident contender on the NASCAR circuit who gets sidetracked in Radiator Springs, an aging town on old Route 66 that was bypassed by an interstate highway.
While there, McQueen, voiced by Owen Wilson, encounters a ragtag bunch including Mater, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, and Doc, voiced by Paul Newman.
The film was inspired by a personal journey director John Lasseter made with his family after completing the filming of 1999's "Toy Story 2."
Unlike in previous years, no one film dominated this year's Annie Awards.
The award for best directing in a feature went to Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick for "Over the Hedge," based on the popular comic strip. The movie featured the voice talents of Bruce Willis, Wanda Sykes and Steve Carell.
Best writing honors went to a team of five people behind "Flushed Away," which was co-produced by the British company Aardman Features.
The film was the first computer animated feature from Aardman, which won last year's Annie with its stop action claymation film "Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit."
British actor Ian McKellen won the award for voice acting for his Shakespearean betrayal of the evil character "Toad."
"Flushed Away" also won awards for animated effects, character animation and production design.
"Cars" composer Randy Newman, a longtime collaborator on Pixar films, won the award for best music in a feature.
Other Annie awards presented Sunday night included:
Home entertainment production: "Bambi II," Disney .
Animated television production: "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends," Cartoon Network Studios.
Writing in an animated television production: Ian Maxtone-Graham for "The Simpsons" episode "The Seemingly Neverending Story," from Gracie Films.
Voice acting in an animated television production: Eartha Kitt, the voice of "Yzma" in "The Emperor's New School," Disney.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
02/11/07 22:39 EST
