'Up' and Away at the Oscars!

Last Sunday was the 82nd Annual Academy Awards and Disney had some films that were nominated for Oscars. The film The Princess and the Frog had two songs nominated for Best Original Song- "Down in New Orleans" and “Almost There” by Randy Newman. All the catchy songs from the movie add so much to the New Orleans atmosphere, it was no wonder they received some recognition. The movie also got nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Although it didn’t win, it was great that it got some nominations. You can hear several of the songs from the movie while visiting New Orleans Square in Disneyland. They have shows throughout the day that feature Princess Tiana.

Pictured Above: Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen at Disneyland

Another Disney film that got recognition at the Academy Awards was Disney/Pixar’s Up with five nominations which included one for the top prize, Best Picture. It was the first movie by Pixar to receive a nomination for this category and it was the second animated movie to ever get a Best Picture nomination (Beauty and the Beast was the first). Although it did not win Best Picture, the nomination is a good sign that animated movies are not being overlooked. Up still took home two other Oscars for Original Score and for Best Animated Feature Film.

Pictured Above: Up house model at Disney Studios

Up is already on DVD so if you have not seen it yet, it is now available for purchase or rental. If you’re looking for a Disney activity to do at home, you could get some balloons to decorate your living room, invite some friends over (maybe even their pets too), and watch the film together. It is a sweet and colorful film that everyone can enjoy. However- parents: please note that the film is rated PG. While Up is kid friendly and has several lovable characters, it does have some material in the movie that can be difficult for younger children to watch and understand. Nonetheless, the film can still be enjoyable to kids- My coworker’s 6 year old daughter enjoyed it and I spoke with my 10 year old sister and she told me she liked it and her favorite character was Dug!

Up is a very heartfelt and enjoyable film that is worth watching and was deserving of its Oscar. Congrats to Disney/Pixar for its Oscar wins! And congrats to The Princess and the Frog for its nominations. Way to go up, up and away!