A few weeks back, Anne Thompson reported that Pixar planned to push WALL-E in the Best Picture race, thinking (rightfully so) that the well-received film could transcend the Animated category - for which it is a lock - and compete in the top category.

On the heels of this announcement came word that James Marsh’s captivating documentary Man On Wire had surpassed Toy Story 2 as the Web site’s highest-rated film (with the most number of reviews): 100% Fresh with 129 reviews. Not the highest-rated film of 2008, but of all time!

Why can’t Wire be considered for the Best Picture Oscar? Why can’t both of these fantastic films factor in? Will we really see better films before the year is up? It’s possible. But just because Animated and Documentary categories exist doesn’t mean films in those genres should be content with what amounts to a Runner-Up ribbon on Oscar night.