Oscar 2009: Andrew Stanton on His WALL-E Win

WALL-E won the Oscar for Best Animated Film, Andrew Stanton discussed the film backstage in the Winners Room.

Q. If you remember we met on the set for WALL E, and I told you I mentioned on my way out that you are going to get Oscar for that?

A. And I ignored you because I didn't want to jinx anything.

Q. So, how do you feel now?

A. Great. Great. I've said this before, but WALL E really was the most unique personal film I could have made, and I really expected it to speak to a minority, not a majority, because I felt I had gotten away with that with NEMO. So, to get this kind of response, it just really gives you a lot of confidence to listen to that little voice inside you again the next time.

Q. WALL E was kind of a film that a lot of people described as groundbreaking in terms of its character development and in depth. Is this where you obviously, this is where animated features seem to be going. Do you see it going in that direction now?

A. To be honest we were trying to go that deep with the first movie we made at Pixar. TOY STORY was an attempt to just show that it's a movie and we just happen to be using animation as a medium to tell it. It's like saying because it's in black and white suddenly it means it has to be a cop movie or mystery. It's very odd. We have just been trying to make the most sophisticated film that we can with the very deep characters, with and we assume that if it's well told then any age will understand it. So, that's been sort of the same attack on every film. Even though WALL E is different and maybe it's getting more attention, I don't feel like we have approached it any differently than we have in any of the other films. So, yes is the answer, but we have always been that way.

Q. Listen, the theme of this film is extremely important. Some people said it may be the most important theme that's dealt with here at the Oscars, so, would you talk about the importance of this is obviously an entertainment film but still it has to deal with very serious things.

A. I think a lot of people attach a little too specifically to the ecological aspect or the complacency aspect of humanity? But I use those as devices to focus on the biggest issue, which is people caring about one another. People connecting with one another. Whether that's literally love between two characters like robots or just you acknowledging that your neighbors right next to you as opposed to being blocked between a cell phone or something. I felt that disconnection is going to be the cause indirectly of anything that happens in life that's bad for humanity of the planet so to me, my focus was connectivity. It wasn't any other specific consequence of that.

Q. This isn't your first Oscar?

A. No.

Q. And congratulations on this one, but since you have, you know, more than one now; what are you thinking about in terms of future projects, I mean you won this one for a movie that virtually has no dialog, so what's the next trick up your sleeve?

A. I try and start before these things happen so I don't let it taint my thinking. Because I don't think worrying about this kind of stuff or striving for this stuff is going to help. It's not how the other films got made, so I've already been a year and a half deep into my next film, so I always try to ignore that, but I got to tell you it's like that song, love is wonderful the second time around and so is Oscar. That's great.

Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.

Q. With computers, animation can get so real and so life like how do you do you keep the charm of animation when it doesn't look really like animation anymore?

A. The point isn't to try and the point usually isn't to try and trick the audience into thinking that it's photo realistic. I think for special effects and live action based movies, yes it's great, but for a fully animated picture I was interviewed by somebody and I apologize if you are here and I forgot your name animation is this great medium to make metaphor a reality, metaphor believable. And I really think that's really its key, so, whether we have something that seems very exaggerated or something that seems very photo realistic like WALL E I think the kinds of stories will always be slightly fatalistic. Just because that's the advantage you make with it. I don't know if that answered your question.

WALL-E is described in press notes as "In a distant, but not so unrealistic future, where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess.

Mesmerized with trinkets of earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, Eve, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with Eve".

He woos her during the film by sharing his love of the film Hello Dolly, he is mesmerized by Michael Crawford singing the show's classic songs "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes A Moment". The film opens with Crawford's voice happily singing out to the universe Jerry Herman's rich and emotional melodies.