12/16/02
L.A. Film Critics Get Spirited
Away
As the Oscar race heats up, Disney's
release of Hayao
Miyazaki's and Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away picked up some
steam over the weekend. The highly imaginative, fantasy/adventure
anime feature was named Best Animated Film by the Los Angeles Film
Critics Association.
Last year, L.A. film critics awarded
the distinction to DreamWorks' Shrek, which went on to win
the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. And while the win is
a major feather in the cap for Spirited Away, the Oscar category
is still too new to detect a pattern.
The association named Monsters,
Inc. last year's runner-up. While there was no runner-up this
year, Disney's Lilo & Stitch received a special citation.
The Jack Nicholson drama/comedy About
Schmidt took Best Picture honors at this year's ceremonies.
The period drama Far From Heaven, starring Julianne Moor
and Dennis Quaid was named runner-up.
Miyazaki's next film will be an adaptation
of Diana Wynne Jones' book Howl's Moving Castle. The picture
will go into production in Feb. of 2003 and will be distributed
by Disney.
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