Best song? More like most mediocre

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James Cameron’s spectacle “Avatar” hits theaters, along with George Clooney, who is “Up in the Air,” and Robert Downey Jr. as “Sherlock Holmes.”

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This leaves us Oscar’s favorite category for best original song, the full-length animated children’s movie. “Shrek 2” and “Polar Express” follow a tradition that began when “Under the Sea” from the “Little Mermaid” won for 1989. Since then, 10 other songs have been nominated from Disney or Disney-esqe cartoons (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” “Monsters Inc,” etc), and have lost only when pitted against Eminem, Bob Dylan or Celine Dion. Since none from that troika are nominated for 2004, no doubt this year’s Oscar will go to either “Believe” from “Polar Express” or “Accidentally in Love” from “Shrek 2.”

Surface wisdom may predict the saccharine-coated “Believe” as winner. After all, it’s from a Tom Hanks project, and nothing screams “Oscar” louder than Tom Hanks. But a closer look at Oscar’s best original song history reveals “Accidentally in Love” as the stronger contender. More people saw “Shrek 2” than “Polar Express.” As a movie, “Shrek 2” had that crossover appeal — kids enjoy the fairly tale animation, and grow-ups laugh along with the marital strife.

Written and performed by contemporary rock band, Counting Crows, “Accidentally” also has the coveted Eminem factor going for it. Stay with me here. While Counting Crows is destined for the elevator music Eminem may never achieve, it’s all kid’s music in Oscar’s crusty old eyes — another opportunity to appear hip and with it.

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Introduced over an opening honeymoon montage, “Accidentally” actually works with the plot, easing the viewers from the first movie into the sequel. How’d these crazy green ogres come to find each other anyway? Here are the Counting Crows to tell you. This year, the Oscar for best original song may actually make sense.

Helen Popkin lives in New York and is a regular contributor to MSNBC.com.

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