Disney Pixar's Toy Story 3 accomplishes a rare feat for animated films by receiving a "Best Picture" Award Nomination from The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  The Disney Pixar film is the 3rd installment of the box office smash Toy Story starring the now household names: Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Toy Story 3 received a total of 5 Academy Award Nominations in all for the 83rd rendition of the awards:

• Sound Editing “Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
• Writing (Adapted Screenplay) “Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
• Music (Original Song) “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• Animated Feature Film “Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich
• Best Picture “Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer

Rare Best Picture Nomination
Toy Story 3 receives only the 3rd ever Animated Film to receive a Best Picture Nomination.  Probably to no one's surprise the other 2 also belong to Disney and Pixar with the 1991 Disney hit "Beauty & The Beast" and the 2009 Pixar film "Up.'"

The "Writing (Adapted Screenplay)" nomination was ever rarer for a sequel that was based solely on an extension of the earlier movie in the series.  This was only the 2nd time that such a film received that nomination.  The only previous one was 1936's "After The Thin Man."

Toy Story Mania
The Toy Story trilogy has thrilled fans from around the world and has even made its way to a smash theme park attraction called Toy Story Midway Mania  at Disney World  and Disneyland.  Both attractions were recently updated to include characters from Toy Story 3.