Paperman

An animated short that follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him

Peter Howell: Paperman (John Kahrs): Shy boy meets coy girl through the medium of strategically thrown paper airplanes. Monochrome, moody and expertly paced, it’s the clear standout amongst the nominees, although I agree with Pond that the Disney brand may be more hindrance than help if voters choose indie over studio candidates.

My choice for the Oscar: Paperman.

Steve pond:
This blend of hand-drawn and computer animation is considered the odds-on favorite in many circles, but it faces the same problem that "The Longest Daycare" does: It was made by a major player in the animation field, in this case Disney.

The simple, wordless story of a big-city office worker who spots the girl of his dreams on a train platform and then uses paper airplanes to pursue her, the film has an imaginative look (even if the heroine does look an awful lot like a Disney princess who's found herself in the secretarial pool).

The narrative is an emotional one, which his good; it also goes a little over the top when the action heats up toward the end. It has a shot at winning if voters ignore that "Disney" logo at the beginning, but that's a big if.

Likeliest winners: "Head Over Heels," "Adam and Dog"
If the voters can forget about who made them: "Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare,'" "Paperman"
Delicious, but not nourishing enough: "Fresh Guacamole"