There’s always oneOscar nominationin the bunch that truly baffles and mystifies the movie masses. And this year it’s definitelyThe Boss Baby. Released last spring, the movie was a hit with family audiences, opening number 1 at the box office to the tune of $50.1 million dollars, and it has since gone onto earn $175 million domestically while taking in a worldwide gross of $498.9 million, ensuring that a sequel is on the way. That said, the movie is certified rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with 52% and the audience rating the movie felt exactly the same way about it, queasy to their stomachs. Sure it made money, but dang, a lot of people hateThe Boss Baby.
The movie stars thevoice of Alec Baldwin as a baby genius, though he’s basically doing his Trump impression. The story follows the older brother of this fast-talking briefcase-carrying baby, who embarks on a mission to win back the sole affection of his parents. In doing so, he stumbles upon a secret plot by the CEO of Puppy Co. (voiced by disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, which should have put it out of the running right there) that threatens to destroy the balance of love in the world, and this brash baby executive masquerading as his new brother is at the center of it all. The two must come together as true brothers to stop the dastardly scheme, save their parents, restore order to the world, and prove that love is indeed an infinite force. And basically, it’s a really annoying kids movie.
Most fans crying out againstThe Boss Baby’s unexpected Oscar nomination are upset thatThe LEGO Batman Moviedidn’t get a nom instead. Heading into the Oscars,The Boss Babywasn’t exactly at the top of anyone’s list, soOscar voterscertainly surprised those watching the live telecast this morning. Another unexpected inclusion wasFerdinand, which stars John Cena as a talking bull. The general consensus is that most adult fans who have seenFerdinandlike it. They don’t loathe it likeThe Boss Baby.
Of course Pixar’sCocogot nominated alongsideThe Boss Baby. But it’s not exactly the winner by default. Oscar likes to throw out some wild cards that most general audiences have never heard of when it comes to the Best Animated Features field. And this year we have two obscure contenders. First up isThe Breadwinner, which is somewhat serious fare. The animated tale follows Parvana, an 11-year-old girl who lives under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. After the wrongful arrest of her father, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy to support her family. Working alongside a friend, she soon discovers a new world of freedom and danger. Drawing strength from the fantastical stories she invents, Parvana embarks on an epic quest to find her father and reunite her family. You’d think that is probably the winner.
But then there’s alsoLoving Vincent, which is the final film nominated. It has the distinction of being the world’s first fully painted animated feature. Its unique style follows the mystery surrounding the death of famed painter Vincent van Gogh in 1890 France. And likeThe Breadwinner, it appears to be the type of movieAcademy membersreally go for. It’s like the yin toThe Boss Baby’s yang. Perhaps the best reaction to the news ofThe Boss Baby’s Oscar nomination came from a Twitter user named Tony.
“I seriously doubt that any of you chuckleheads groaning about ‘The Boss Baby’ getting an Oscar nomination have actually seen it, because if you HAD you’d be much, much angrier.”
The LEGO Batman Moviewasn’t the only animated effort that gotsnubbedby Oscar voters this year.Smurfs: The Lost Villagereceived no love,Captain Underpantswas left out in the cold, and the Academy completely overlooked Pixar’s first release of the year, the sequelCars 3.The Nut Job 2andLeap!both flew under the radar, and there are a lot of sad little Bronies out there today mourning the fact thatMy Little Pony: The Moviecouldn’t cut the mustard.The Starmay have been too religious for Oscar voters. Despite debuting at number one,Despicable Me 3failed to get any attention this year. AndThe LEGO Ninjago Moviejust didn’t register. But seriously, can you imagine the Internet meltdown that would have occurred ifThe Emoji Moviehad gotten nominated? Looking at what was left on the side of the road, it’s hard to determine if Oscar voters made the right call by includingThe Boss Baby. This firestorm of reactions was first recognized byTime.
