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 arrived from DreamWorks in 2001 as a fairy tale told against the grain, pairing Mike Myers' ogre with Eddie Murphy's Donkey and Cameron Diaz's Fiona in a story that mocked the very conventions it borrowed from. It won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and helped establish DreamWorks Animation as a rival to Pixar and Disney, its pop culture soundtrack and irreverent humor marking a turning point for animated films aimed at both children and adults. Rupert Everett's Prince Charming rounded out a cast built on subverted archetypes.
This cell brings together Dragon, Shrek and Donkey, a pairing that anchors the film's central relationships within the swamp and the journey beyond it. Shrek and Donkey formed the buddy dynamic that carried much of the film's comedy and heart, while the Dragon added an unpredictable force tied to Fiona's tower. Collectors seek this combination for its representation of the film's core trio dynamic, a piece of 35mm history from a production that reshaped animated storytelling for a new generation of audiences.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Shrek (2001).
Gauge
35mm; the strip holds three frames, each with four perforations visible on the top edge and four on the bottom edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly formed with rounded corners.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area on the bottom edge, appearing as two bilateral variable-area tracks; a blue DTS timecode stripe is also visible running alongside the optical track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight cyan-blue tint consistent with modern safety stock; the dye image shows warm amber and orange tones with no visible fading.
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 content is consistent with an animated feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The combination of a dual bilateral variable-area optical track and a DTS timecode stripe 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 000063242
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
