What would you say if you found out your brother was up for an Oscar?
That is the situation David Dutton, partner at First Rate Financial in North Battleford, finds himself in as his brother, animator Paul Dutton, sees a film he contributed to nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Animated Film category.
Paul was animation director and assistant director on The Illusionist, a production which has already garnered the top prize as best animated feature from the European Film Awards as well as the New York Film Critics Circle. The project was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and for other awards.
"He's pretty fired up about it, he's pretty excited about it," David said about his brother's reaction to the news. "When he got word, him and his wife were thrilled, and it's a big achievement to even be nominated for something like this."
"It's huge, I'm thrilled for him," David said of Paul's nomination.
Set in Edinburgh, Scotland, the story in The Illusionist focuses on a travelling illusionist whose life is changed when he meets a young girl.
The movie was produced by Edinburgh-based Django Films, a production outfit set up by the film's director and writer Sylvain Chomet. The story was originally written by Jacques Tati.
Paul Dutton, based in Calgary with his own company Roughhouse Animation, was hired to oversee the animation crew during his time working on the project. Paul moved to Edinburgh for three years to work on the film in that important role.
David said it was a major decision for his brother to move to Scotland. Paul was married and had three kids so it was a big commitment to move there.
A lot of "blood, sweat and tears" went into the decision, so for his brother to end up working on an Oscar-nominated movie in an important role was a big deal, he said.
The Illusionist is nominated alongside some heady company. Also nominated was DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon and Pixar's Toy Story 3; the latter movie is also in the running in the category of Best Picture.
While those other nominees were shot using the CGI process, The Illusionist is shot in the more classic hand-drawn animation style of the pre-CGI era.
David admits he still has yet to see the movie, which was targeted to a more European audience when it came out last year and has not seen a wide distribution in North America. He hopes to be able to see a DVD of the movie before too long.
David believes the nomination will serve as a boost for his brother's career. If the movie wins, it could help Paul get established in Calgary, where he hopes to make his footprint in the animation business.
While doors in Los Angeles could now be open for Paul after his work on The Illusionist, David doesn't think another move will be in the cards. Paul spent three years away from home and he didn't think his brother enjoyed being away from family for that long. The family had grown up in Saskatoon, Lloydminster and Yorkton.
It is still unclear whether Paul will be getting a ticket to attend the Oscar ceremony itself in Los Angeles. David, however, plans to watch the broadcast at home on TV along with everyone else.
