16 Biggest Oscar Upsets Of The 21st Century

1. Best Animated Film - Inside Out

Mystic River Oscar 2004
Pixar

The Rightful Winner: Anomalisa

It's always a risky proposal betting against Pixar but there 2016 was no normal year. Inside Out continued the animation behemoth's run of great family films with a high-concept yet very entertaining look at how people's emotions interact. It had everything you could want from their output: recognisable characters, great voice acting and an engaging story as well as the now synonymous jokes for both kids and adults.

Despite all of this it was still topped by one of the most unique animated releases in recent memory, Anomalisa. Charlie Kaufman created a beautiful examination of loneliness and the fleeting connections between people the likes of which hasn't been seen since Lost In Translation, only he somehow managed to do this with plasticine models.

Anomalisa Mirror
Paramount Pictures

With a voice cast of only three people, David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh as the main characters and Tom Noonan playing everyone else, this stripped back production makes for one of the most breathtakingly emotional movies you will ever see.

The fact that Anomalisa was nominated for an Oscar was an achievement in itself, with many people still somehow unaware of its existence, but as soon as it made the shortlist Kaufman's love letter to stop-motion should have topped it.

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Contributor

A pop culture mad writer from the North East who loves films, television and debating them with whoever will listen. Follow me on Twitter @Johno_Patterson