By Kendra Beltran

For me, animated movies have always been the comfort food of cinema. All movies can take you to imaginable places, but it is animated movies that are able to make anything possible with the simple stroke of a pen, or in modern days, the move of a mouse. Cartoons are a symbol of our childhoods that resonate good and bad emotions; whether it be the tears experienced with Bambi’s mom or the warm feeling that takes over the heart when Shrek finds love. Just because they are colors and shapes on a screen, doesn’t mean they should be overlooked when award season comes around.

The Oscars have a category just for animated films, but why should they be cramped in one place? Disney’s Beauty and The Beast and Up have been the only animated films ever nominated for Best Picture, but none have ever won. So the question this year is, can Toy Story 3 garner not only the nomination, but also the win? I hope so, and I’m not the only one. Disney is pushing like no tomorrow to get their flick on the ballot.

Toy Story was the first computer-animated film back in 1995 and it blew minds. However, when I look back it is not the vibrancy or technology that amazes me. It is the story of true friendship told by things we all know and love growing up, toys. Woody, Buzz and the other toys in the gang are timeless parts of pop culture that have forever earned their place. And while I wasn’t a fan of the sequel, I was on board as soon as I read the plot for Toy Story 3.

By now everyone has seen Toy Story 3, or is not a part of the human race in my opinion. For me, kids loved it because it was flooded with color, fun, action and toys. But for people my age, we loved it because it was the end of an era. My eyes water just thinking of the last scene when Andy goes off and the toys are left sitting on the porch, looking as he drives away, leaving them to a new child. For 15 years those toys had been apart of our lives and to see it end bittersweet, was heartbreaking and I don’t know if kids in the theaters realized why adults were crying so hard.

When I think of movies from this past year, none stick out like Toy Story 3. I have looked into the predictions and hope Toy Story 3 can take the win because The Social Network had a lot of buzz, but in the end taught me nothing more than technology will build you up and tear you down all at the same time. Inception was seen by many and understood by few (or at least the many pretended they understood). The Kids Are All Right was one of those films few see, but gain the most critical acceptance. And the other movies pegged for the nomination are ones like every year, ones I’ve never heard of but always win.

Toy Story 3 had a history, heart and all in all was an amazingly well written movie. When the nominees come out I won’t be surprised to see it in the bunch, but when the big night rolls around, I’ll be more than offended if it doesn’t win.