It was ranked by many critics as one of the year’s best films, receiving a higher score at Metacritic.com than any film nominated this year for best picture. Although it garnered five Oscar nominations, it was never considered a serious contender for best picture honors. Why? Because “Ratatouille” is an animated work.

Its five nominations rank as the most ever for a computer animated film, and rate second among all animated films, only surpassed by the six received by Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” That picture, done in the traditional Disney style in 1991, stands as the only animated film to ever be nominated for best picture.

If not for the best animated feature category, it’s safe to say “Ratatouille” would have been strongly considered for best picture. Brad Lewis, the film’s producer, is quick to point out that he has no sour grapes with the academy — and that he’s ecstatic about the five widespread nominations.

Still, he has to wonder.

“Ultimately, it makes it perhaps too convenient for people to look at an animated film from an isolated perspective,” said Lewis. “Somebody can say, ‘You know what? We have a place for that, so we don’t necessarily have to give it broader consideration.’ “

According to columnist Tom O’Neil, “It’s folly to have a separate animated category because it hurts the chances of a movie like ‘Ratatouille’ for being in the best picture race.” But do animated films really deserve an equal shot at earning the title of best picture?