National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2020
“Even by DreamWorks standards, the charm and magic of "Shrek" seemed extraordinary upon its initial release almost 20 years ago — and its power has yet to diminish in the intervening years.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Studio
DreamWorks · DreamWorks Animation · Pacific Data Images · 90 min
Box office
$488.4M worldwide on a $60M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 1 win, 2 nominationsAnnie Awards — 1 winBritish Academy Film Awards — 1 winCritics' Choice Movie Award — 1 winAll 4 wins · 3 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature
Annie Awards: Best Animated Feature
British Academy Film Awards: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film
Critics' Choice Movie Award: Best Animated Feature
Scholarship
Named in the title of 17 peer-reviewed works
Examples
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Shrek (2001) arrived from DreamWorks Animation as a bold counterpoint to the prevailing fairy tale formula, released in the spring of 2001 to widespread box office success and eventual Academy Award recognition as the first winner of the Best Animated Feature category. Built on irreverent humor and pointed genre subversion, the film reshaped audience expectations for computer animation, proving that a cynical ogre and his motormouth companion could headline a franchise. Its cultural footprint extended well beyond children's entertainment, influencing animated comedy for the following decade.
This cell centers on Shrek and Donkey, the central duo whose mismatched dynamic drives the narrative engine of the film. Shrek, the reluctant hero and title character, and Donkey, his persistent and talkative traveling companion, represent one of the most collected pairings from the DreamWorks catalog. A 35mm cell featuring both figures together speaks to their shared screen time, the buddy comedy at the heart of the story, and the enduring appeal of their contrasting temperaments as a defining image of the franchise.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Shrek (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, and a blue DTS timecode line is also visible, indicating a tri-format soundtrack configuration.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; no manufacturer text or key numbers can be read with confidence.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint consistent with a colour print stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated characters visible are consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The tri-format optical soundtrack configuration combining variable-area, Dolby Digital data blocks, and DTS timecode is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2001 release date on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063129
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
