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How to Build a Sturdy Foxhole

Posted by Ryan Adams On November - 11 - 2009

mr fox
This wikiHow article explains how to build a foxhole as “a strong defensive fighting position.”   Metacritic provides attractive needlepoint blurbs for furnishing it.

  • 100 – “a nonchalant masterpiece” — Stephanie Zacharek, Salon
  • 100 – “virtuoso tomfoolery” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
  • 100 – “a marvel to behold” — Scott Foundas, Village Voice
  • 90 – “Fox is a visual delight” — Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
  • 90 – “endlessly enchanting” — David Edelstein, New York Magazine
  • 80 – “silly, hilarious and oddly profound” — Ian Nathan, Empire
  • 80 – “both precious and rough-hewn” — Todd McCarthy, Variety

7 out of 8 scores above 80.
Reviews aren’t everything, but this is how filmmakers like to see them stack up.

[Note: Zacharek's review hasn't been officially ranked on metacritic yet, but if it's not a 100 tomorrow I'll sign up for reading lessons.]

[UPDATE 2: Here's an interesting development we don't see every week. Since last night's reviews first appeared on metacritic -- two of the scores have been adjusted upward. Scott Foundas' and Sheri Linden's reviews have both jumped 10 points, from 90 to 100, and from 80 to 90, respectively. One has to assume that it was the critic himself who asked for the numerical score to be fixed. Looks like we're seeing a rare situation when critics don't want to be perceived as underestimating a movie. They love it, and they want to be sure we know how much they love it.]

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9 Responses for "How to Build a Sturdy Foxhole"

  1. menyc November 11th, 2009 at 8:08 pm 1

    Not being an animation freak by any stretch, I think this category has become more interesting than the BP category this year.

  2. Tory Smith November 11th, 2009 at 8:16 pm 2

    I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I have no interest in this movie. I’m sorry it looks like a snore.

  3. Bill November 11th, 2009 at 8:55 pm 3

    coll, i had no faith in anderson, but i love myself some good stop motion

  4. Nick K. (and a talking fox) November 11th, 2009 at 9:27 pm 4

    Awesome news. I hate it that we have to wait another two weeks before it opens nationwide. :(

  5. richard crawford November 12th, 2009 at 8:43 am 5

    haven’t seen it yet, but maybe this’ll be the first movie by Wes Anderson….i’ll have EVER LOVED.

    Zacharek is the only film critic i trust…or usually agree with. Please read her if you have not.

  6. DBibby November 12th, 2009 at 8:51 am 6

    It’s not a snore at all Tory, it a funny and poignant ride. It’s quirky but also touching, unlike most of Anderson’s films IMO.

  7. Nick K. (and a talking fox) November 12th, 2009 at 11:54 am 7

    That *is* interesting Ryan. Makes me want to see this all the more.

  8. daveylow November 12th, 2009 at 1:29 pm 8

    I love Wes Anderson’s films. Maybe I’ll hate this one.
    I hope it’s a hit because he needs it. Wouldn’t it be something if it becomes a children’s classic film?

    Will there be Fox dolls available? I want one.

  9. The Movie Scoop - Fantastic Mr. Fox Has Universal Acclaim from Critics So Far! November 13th, 2009 at 5:09 pm 9

    [...] by this amusing post on Awards Daily titled “How to Build a Sturdy Foxhole”, I thought I’d point out that Wes [...]


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  • Contender Tracker

    Best Picture
    Up in the Air
    Nine
    The Hurt Locker
    An Education
    Precious: Based on the Novel
    Push by Sapphire

    A Serious Man
    Inglourious Basterds
    Up

    Julie & Julia
    Star Trek
    District 9
    Bright Star
    Where the Wild Things Are
    A Single Man

    Best Actor
    Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
    Colin Firth, A Single Man
    George Clooney, Up in the Air
    Matt Damon, The Informant!
    Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
    Viggo Mortensen, The Road
    Ben Foster, The Messenger
    Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
    Michael Sheen, The Damned United

    Best Actress
    Gabby Sidibe, Precious
    Carey Mulligan, An Education
    Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
    Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
    Helen Mirren, The Last Station
    Michelle Monaghan, Trucker

    Best Supporting Actor
    Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
    Alfred Molina, An Education
    Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
    Peter Sarsgaard, An Education
    Robert Duvall, Crazy Heart
    Peter Capaldi, In the Loop
    Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover
    Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
    Brian Geraghty, The Hurt Locker

    Best Supporting Actress
    Mo'Nique,Precious
    Anna Kendrick,Up in the Air
    Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
    Julianne Moore, A Single Man
    Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
    Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
    Samantha Morton, The Messenger
    Emma Thompson, An Education
    Cara Seymour, An Education

    Best Director
    Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
    Lee Daniels, Precious
    Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
    Lone Scherfig, An Education
    Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
    Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Neill Blomkamp, District 9
    Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are
    Tom Ford, A Single Man
    Jane Campion, Bright Star

    Best Original Screenplay
    Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
    Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Jane Campion, Bright Star
    Quentin Tarantino,Inglourious Basterds
    Michael Haneke,White Ribbon
    Bob Peterson, Pete Docter,Up
    Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, 500 Days of Summer

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
    Nick Hornby, An Education
    Spike Jonze, Dave Eggars, Where the Wild Things Are
    Peter Morgan, The Damned United
    Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
    Scott Burns, The Informant!
    Tom Ford, A Single Man

    Best Editing

    Chris Innis, Bob Murawski, The Hurt Locker
    Sally Menke, Inglourious Basterds
    Dana E. Glauberman,, Up in the Air
    Joel and Ethan Coen,, A Serious Man

    Best Cinematography
    Greig Fraser,Bright Star
    Robert Richardson,Inglourious Basterds
    Roger Deakins, A Serious Man
    Christian Berger, White Ribbon
    Bruno Delbonnel,Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker

    Best Art Direction

    Where the Wild Things Are
    Julie & Julia
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Bright Star
    Inglourious Basterds
    White Ribbon
    District 9
    A Serious Man

    Best Sound Mixing

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    District 9
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    The Hurt Locker
    Star Trek

    Best Sound Editing

    District 9
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    Star Trek
    Up

    Best Costume Design
    Janet Patterson, Bright Star
    Jany Temime,Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
    Anna B. Sheppard,Inglourious Basterds
    Mary Zophre, A Serious Man
    Colleen Atwood, Public Enemies
    Consolata Boyle,Cheri

    Best Original Score
    Carter Burwell, Karen O,Where the Wild Things Are
    Carter Burwell,A Serious Man
    Michael Giacchino,Up
    Alexandre Desplat, Cheri
    Elliot Goldenthal, Public Enemies

    Best Foreign Language Film (submissions)

    Letters from Father Jacob, Finland
    White Wedding, South Africa
    A Prophet, France
    Dawson, Isla 10, Chile
    Nobody to Watch Over Me, Japan
    Prince of Tears, Hong Kong
    No puedo vivir sin ti, Taiwan
    Kelin, Kazakhstan
    Mother, Korea
    The White Ribbon, Germany
    Silent Army, The Netherlands


    Best Documentary Feature

    The Beaches of Agnes
    Burma VJ
    The Cove
    Every Little Step
    Facing Ali
    Food, Inc.
    Garbage Dreams
    Living in Emergency
    The Most Dangerous Man in America
    Mugabe and the White African
    Sergio
    Soundtrack for a Revolution
    Under Our Skin
    Valentino
    Which Way Home


    Best Animated Feature
    Up
    The Princess and the Frog
    Coraline
    The Fantastic Mr. Fox
    A Christmas Carol
    Mary and Max
    Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
    Ponyo


    Best Visual Effects
    Star Trek
    District 9
    A Christmas Carol
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Transformers


    Best Makeup

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    District 9

    Best Song

    Best Live Action Short

    Best Animated Short

    Best Documentary Short

    China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
    The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
    The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
    Lt. Watada
    Music by Prudence
    Rabbit a la Berlin
    Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak
    Woman Rebel

  • Ampas Breakdown

    Actors-1,222
    Producers-462
    Executives-436
    Sound-411
    Writers-388
    Art Directors-373
    Directors-375
    Public Relations-370
    Members at Large-254
    Shorts/Feature Ani-335
    Visual Effects-272
    Music-233
    Editors-227
    Cinematographers-197
    Documentary-145
    Makeup-115
    Total Voting Members -approx 6,000
  • Tuesday, December 1, 2009: Official Screen Credits forms due

    Monday, December 28, 2009: Nominations ballots mailed

    Saturday, January 23, 2010: Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PT

    Tuesday, February 2, 2010: Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Samuel Goldwyn Theater

    Wednesday, February 10, 2010: Final ballots mailed

    Monday, February 15, 2010: Nominees Luncheon

    Saturday, February 20, 2010: Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards presentation

    Tuesday, March 2, 2010: Final polls close 5 p.m. PT

    Sunday, March 7, 2010: 82nd Annual Academy Awards presentation