Oscars 2023: Animated, Documentary, and Live Action Shorts
Two Oscar nerds debate who will win and who should win.
The Oscars are this Sunday! To prepare for the big night, my longtime friend, former grad school officemate, and fellow Oscar nerd Greg Cass and I share our predictions for the three shorts categories.
Since these are short films, you’re only going to get short takes. If you’d like our Long Take, listen to our podcast episode covering these and four other categories.
Best Animated Short Film
Greg’s Short Take:
Will Win : “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”
Should Win: “An Ostrich Told Me the World Was Fake and I Think I Believe It”
We need to recognize the force streaming services can be in the shorts category. Here, Apple TV placed this in front of everybody binging Ted Lasso and the beautiful short, with an all-star cast and based on a popular children’s book charmed its way over some of the more creative and idiosyncratic entries in the category.
Jen’s Short Take:
Will Win: “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”
Should Win: “My Year of Dicks”
Even though Apple’s aphorism-filled “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” is my least favorite of the bunch, its strong streaming presence, the fact that it’s based on a popular children’s book, and its star-studded cast of voice actors makes this the likely winner. “My Year of Dicks,” meanwhile, is much more than its giggle-inducing title implies.
Here’s where you can watch the nominees:
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” — AppleTV+
“The Flying Sailor” — The New Yorker
“Ice Merchants” — The New Yorker
“My Year of Dicks” — Hulu
“An Ostrich Told Me The World Was Fake and I Believe It — Vimeo
Best Documentary Short Film
Greg’s Short Take:
Will Win: “Stranger at the Gate”
Should Win: “The Elephant Whisperers”
An accessible group of nominees this year that people should take advantage of! Like feature, these can be hard to compare, but the politics and themes of “Stranger at the Gates” will lift it up, while I will forever be thinking about the elephants and their keepers presented in Netflix’s “The Elephant Whisperers.”
Jen’s Short Take:
Will Win: “The Elephant Whisperers” (Or is it “Stranger at the Gate”? Eek!)
Should Win: “Haulout”
Every time I come back to this category I flip and flop between Netflix’s “The Elephant Whisperers” and The New Yorker’s “Stranger at the Gate.” “The Elephant Whisperers” tells the more intimate, emotionally impactful story, which I think may give it an edge. Plus, animal documentaries have been doing very well lately — 2021’s Best Documentary Feature winner, My Octopus Teacher, is the first that comes to mind. Nobel Peace Prize winning activist Malala, however, is right behind with “Stranger at the Gate.” If enough voters know that, they may opt for the “truth is stranger than fiction” story about a veteran planning to attack a Muslim community center in Indiana.
Here’s where you can watch the nominees:
“The Elephant Whisperers” — Netflix
“Haulout” — The New Yorker
“How Do You Measure A Year?” — HBOMax starting this Father’s Day.
“The Martha Mitchell Effect” — Netflix
“Stranger at the Gate” — The New Yorker
Best Live Action Short Film
Greg’s Short Take:
Will Win: “An Irish Goodbye”
Should Win: “The Red Suitcase”
This is a stacked category this year, but the mixture of humor and pathos in the bittersweet “Irish Goodbye” will win over the broadest swath of the academy, while the more charming and tense “Red Suitcase” will be the director’s calling card for a strong feature career.
Jen’s Short Take:
Will Win: “Le Pupille”
Should Win: Since I’ve only seen “Le Pupille” (and only the first 10 minutes at that), I’m not qualified to say.
I’m banking on Alfonso Cuarón’s name. I haven’t really seen any of these, but I like Alfonso Cuarón. And what little I saw of “Le Pupille” seemed fine enough. Were I an Oscar voter, I would likely cast my vote his way.
Here’s where you can see the nominees:
“An Irish Goodbye” — In theaters only.
“Ivalu” — Available to rent or buy at home through Amazon.
“Le Pupille” — Disney+
“Night Ride” — The New Yorker
“The Red Suitcase” — In theaters only.