Wonka's setting is hardly more specific than Wish's I would say. It's an unnamed early 20th century-ish European Anymetropolis, and as per the director/co-writer's Paddington adaptations the racial makeup of the cast is rather diverse. But the characters definitely have "big" personalities (as one would expect in a Roald Dahl-inspired story) -- even ones who are quiet (Lottie is surprisingly similar to Bazeema) or don't get a ton of screentime/development manage to be distinctive. That is helpful.
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Wish (Walt Disney Animation - November 2023)
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
Sad to report that nothing from Wish made the Oscars' shortlist for Best Original Song. Getting an Ariana DeBose performance during the ceremony could only have been a good thing.
I'm also sad that Theater Camp's (Searchlight) rousing, largely improv'd, anthemic finale, "Camp Isn't Home", apparently wasn't seriously considered either. It would fit right in alongside any of the songs from Barbie.
ETA: Completely failed to notice that nothing from Wonka is on the list, nor is Mario's "Peaches." Outside of the Barbie selections, the Academy is showing its typical lack of sense of humor.
I'm also sad that Theater Camp's (Searchlight) rousing, largely improv'd, anthemic finale, "Camp Isn't Home", apparently wasn't seriously considered either. It would fit right in alongside any of the songs from Barbie.
ETA: Completely failed to notice that nothing from Wonka is on the list, nor is Mario's "Peaches." Outside of the Barbie selections, the Academy is showing its typical lack of sense of humor.
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BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
They completely snubbed Little Mermaid too. I was hoping Wild Uncharted Waters would get some attention, at least. That said, I’d be happy if any of the songs from Barbie get noms, and although I’m not seeing Color Purple until Christmas Day, I’m hearing great things, so I’m hopeful the two short-listed songs are fantastic.
Communicora
Premium Member
If anyone else is curious, here are the shortlists
aframe.oscars.org
96th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories | A.frame
The 96th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
I was surprised to see that two songs from The Color Purple are even eligible -- usually these Broadway adaptations only add a single new song, for this very reason.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
I’ve heard that The Color Purple is odd in this way. I’ve been told that it cut a bunch of songs from the stage musical, and retained ones from the original film (Sister; Maybe God is Trying to Tell You Something), so the two new song thing is not surprising for me. As I’m sure you know, all the recent stage musicals that have been adapted for film have added one new song, hoping to get an Oscar nomination. Two new songs is definitely unusual.
Yes… I don’t usually throw the snubbed word lightly when it comes to nominations but for Wild Uncharted Waters to not even be on the short list seems outrageous…I am hoping at least Billie Eilish and Ryan Goslings songs from Barbie get a nod
Those are major disappointments, especially in Wonka's case, but at least Asteroid City was shortlisted for "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)", which would make for a delightful live performance.
(Frankly, if anything from Wonka or Super Mario Bros. got into the final five along with the Barbie stuff, and given how unpopular the Wish songs are with the general public, I think Disney/ABC would have immediately insisted the Best Original Song performances be cut for time.)
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
I have a feeling that Billie Eilish's song is going to win, but in the meantime.....I love this song so much, especially how it is directed.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
This makes it sound as if they’re actively disliked. I don’t think that’s the case, though, in tandem with the film itself, they’ve failed to gain traction.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I honesty think the soundtrack would have been a big hit had Wish come out a few years ago. So many good songs will now probably fade into oblivion while the inexplicably ubiquitous “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” plays for the umpteenth time in the parks.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
This reassures me that I am not completely insane for thinking many of the exact same things about the internal logic of the film! I also had that same thought about the Queen, to be honest.
Tha Realest
Well-Known Member
You're obviously entitled to your own opinion, but “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”’s popularity isn’t inexplicable. It’s a delightful earworm of a song - both lyrically and melodically - that is the de facto soundtrack for one of the most popular and innovative film series of all time.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I wasn’t being entirely serious. I understand why people like it, even if I myself don’t.
I stand by my larger (and main) point, though: Wish has some great songs that would easily have entered the Disney canon a few years ago. Alas, they will now fall by the wayside.
As of yesterday, Wonka has grossed more in North America in seven days than Wish has grossed in 30! This is the sort of story that will be analyzed by movie marketers for years to come: Why didn't Wish's promotional campaign, which seemed comparable to Wonka's, get people in seats? Was it (as the Pitch Meeting skit ponders) that just positioning it as the centennial movie wasn't enough? Why did Wonka overcome the skepticism its initial trailers evoked and Wish didn't? 
Some particularly good reviews discussing this are the ones at Vulture and Alternate Ending. Seriously, the broken logic was a huge factor in many negative professional reviews, and it's one reason I'm puzzled that the film got all the way to release with no one questioning it.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I thought Wonka’s trailer was better than Wish’s, plus it’s already an established and beloved IP.As of yesterday, Wonka has grossed more in North America in seven days than Wish has grossed in 30! This is the sort of story that will be analyzed by movie marketers for years to come: Why didn't Wish's promotional campaign, which seemed comparable to Wonka's, get people in seats? Was it (as the Pitch Meeting skit ponders) that just positioning it as the centennial movie wasn't enough? Why did Wonka overcome the skepticism its initial trailers evoked and Wish didn't?
I would argue that your willing suspension of disbelief and a dash less of tired cynicism is supposed to take care of pretty much every concern presented in that pitch video. (But it would be pedantic of me to possibly want to go through it point by point at this stage.)
One could poke holes in the premise of a lot of Disney animated movies, if one wanted to. For example, a whole host of questions that could potentially wreck ones enjoyment about how the curse in Beauty and the Beast works or what a sensible timeline in that story could possibly be pretty easily come to mind. But I'd have to very intentionally be wanting to play that game while watching it, and as a rule I try not to sabotage my own entertainment.