Critics Choice Awards, DGA awards boost Power of the Dog
After Jane Campion's strong showing at the Critics Choice Awards and director's guild win, the neo-Western is now the frontrunner for the Oscars.
People often ask how a film becomes positioned as the frontrunner for the Academy Awards, and this is a good year to point to “The Power of the Dog” as a textbook example of how it happens.
The tiny-budget neo-Western was just one of a dozen or so movies that around the end of the year seemed to be in the best picture conversation. After the box office disappointment of “West Side Story,” there was no clear dominant blockbuster like “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
“Dog” had been a film festival favorite — I was privileged to see it very early on at Heartland Film Festival here in Indianapolis — but didn’t even get a U.S. theatrical release, going out strictly on Netflix. Their viewing numbers are kept pretty opaque, so who knows how many people have actually seen it.
It’s also very much an art-house picture, a haunting and challenging story about a brutish cattle baron (Benedict Cumberbatch) who tries to terrorize everyone around him while trying to reconcile his dominant masculinity with his own sexual impulses.
Fun for the whole family, it is not.
But it had an Oscar pedigree with writer/director Jane Campion, who a lot of people (myself included) thought she should have won the directing statuette for “The Piano,” and Cumberbatch, another previous nominee. Losing an Academy Award is one of the best ways to prime yourself to winning down the road.
Another factor is the awards process has become very drawn out, allowing more space for small pictures to build a reputation. I saw “Dog” more than five months before the date the Oscars will be announced, March 27. The various critic groups weighed in back in December, giving it a lot of momentum. Then you have the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild awards and the various other awards giving it a boost.
I’d like to think the Critics Choice Awards, of which I’m a voting member, has gained power and prestige in recent years, especially as the Golden Globes were disgraced. I was surprised and pleased at how much star wattage they had at last night’s ceremony — we’re used to having to do the “accept this award on their behalf” thing.
In addition to best picture, Campion also won best director and best adapted screenplay at the CCAs. “Dog” also won big at the British film awards.
The acting awards also seem locked up now: Will Smith for best actor, Jessica Chastain for actress, Troy Kotsur for supporting actor and Ariana DeBose for supporting actress.
Last up are the various guild association awards. The Directors Guild Awards, which also happened this weekend, are important because the DGA winner nearly always takes the Oscar for best director. With Campion claiming that prize, and also many of the preliminary and critics’ awards, she seems like a strong lock at this point.
The two big ones left are the American Society of Cinematographers and Producers Guild Awards, both this weekend. If “Dog” wins big there, too, it will have successfully threaded the needle from underdog (pun totally intended) to odds-on favorite.
That is, assuming Campion’s somewhat inartful comments about the Williams tennis sisters don’t hurt her voting chances.
It's funny how the worm turns. Everyone was cheering Campion for tacitly acknowledging the challenges and discrimination she's faced in striving to be just the third woman to win the Best Director Oscar. Now she's in the doghouse for a spontaneous quip.
I’d say the only two films that have a chance of knocking “Dog” off its perch are “CODA” and “Belfast.” The former has garnered a lot of affection in the industry, winning the top SAG awards. And “Belfast” has all the hallmarks of a best picture, from the very personal story from writer/director Kenneth Branagh to the historical setting and black-and-white photographer.
But right now, you’d be betting smart money to put it all on “Dog.”
Below is a list of all the CCA winners:
FILM
BEST PICTURE
The Power of the Dog (WINNER)
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
Tick, Tick … Boom!
West Side Story
BEST ACTOR
Will Smith – King Richard (WINNER)
Nicolas Cage – Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
Peter Dinklage – Cyrano
Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick … Boom!
Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye (WINNER)
Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
Lady Gaga – House of Gucci
Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Troy Kotsur – CODA (WINNER)
Jamie Dornan – Belfast
Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
Jared Leto – House of Gucci
J.K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story (WINNER)
Caitríona Balfe – Belfast
Ann Dowd – Mass
Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
Rita Moreno – West Side Story
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Jude Hill – Belfast (WINNER)
Cooper Hoffman – Licorice Pizza
Emilia Jones – CODA
Woody Norman – C’mon, C’mon
Saniyya Sidney – King Richard
Rachel Zegler – West Side Story
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Belfast (WINNER)
Don’t Look Up
The Harder They Fall
Licorice Pizza
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
BEST DIRECTOR
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog (WINNER)
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley
Steven Spielberg – West Side Story
Denis Villeneuve – Dune
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast (WINNER)
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Zach Baylin – King Richard
Adam McKay, David Sirota – Don’t Look Up
Aaron Sorkin – Being the Ricardos
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog (WINNER)
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Lost Daughter
Siân Heder – CODA
Tony Kushner – West Side Story
Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth – Dune
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ari Wegner – The Power of the Dog (WINNER)
Bruno Delbonnel – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Greig Fraser – Dune
Janusz Kaminski – West Side Story
Dan Laustsen – Nightmare Alley
Haris Zambarloukos – Belfast
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos – Dune (WINNER)
Jim Clay, Claire Nia Richards – Belfast
Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Nightmare Alley
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo – The French Dispatch
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo – West Side Story
BEST EDITING
Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn – West Side Story (WINNER)
Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast
Andy Jurgensen – Licorice Pizza
Peter Sciberras – The Power of the Dog
Joe Walker – Dune
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jenny Beavan – Cruella (WINNER)
Luis Sequeira – Nightmare Alley
Paul Tazewell – West Side Story
Jacqueline West, Robert Morgan – Dune
Janty Yates – House of Gucci
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (WINNER)
Cruella
Dune
House of Gucci
Nightmare Alley
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune (WINNER)
The Matrix Resurrections
Nightmare Alley
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
BEST COMEDY
Licorice Pizza (WINNER)
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Don’t Look Up
Free Guy
The French Dispatch
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (WINNER)
Encanto
Flee
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Drive My Car (WINNER)
A Hero
Flee
The Hand of God
The Worst Person in the World
BEST SONG
“No Time to Die” – No Time to Die (WINNER)
“Be Alive” – King Richard
“Dos Oruguitas” – Encanto
“Guns Go Bang” – The Harder They Fall
“Just Look Up” – Don’t Look Up
BEST SCORE
Hans Zimmer – Dune (WINNER)
Nicholas Britell – Don’t Look Up
Jonny Greenwood – The Power of the Dog
Jonny Greenwood – Spencer
Nathan Johnson – Nightmare Alley
TELEVISION
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Succession (HBO) (WINNER)
Evil (Paramount+)
For All Mankind (Apple TV+)
The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Pose (FX)
Squid Game (Netflix)
This Is Us (NBC)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game (Netflix) (WINNER)
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Mike Colter – Evil (Paramount+)
Brian Cox – Succession (HBO)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX)
Jeremy Strong – Succession (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime) (WINNER)
Uzo Aduba – In Treatment (HBO)
Chiara Aurelia – Cruel Summer (Freeform)
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Katja Herbers – Evil (Paramount+)
MJ Rodriguez – Pose (FX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kieran Culkin – Succession (HBO) (WINNER)
Nicholas Braun – Succession (HBO)
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession (HBO)
Mandy Patinkin – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO) (WINNER)
Andrea Martin – Evil (Paramount+)
Audra McDonald – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Christine Lahti – Evil (Paramount+)
J. Smith-Cameron – Succession (HBO)
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) (WINNER)
The Great (Hulu)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Insecure (HBO)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) (WINNER)
Iain Armitage – Young Sheldon (CBS)
Nicholas Hoult – The Great (Hulu)
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max) (WINNER)
Elle Fanning – The Great (Hulu)
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Sandra Oh – The Chair (Netflix)
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) (WINNER)
Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education (Netflix)
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)
Ray Romano – Made for Love (HBO Max)
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) (WINNER)
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)
Kristin Chenoweth – Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Molly Shannon – The Other Two (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Josie Totah – Saved By the Bell (Peacock)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Mare of Easttown (HBO) (WINNER)
Dopesick (Hulu)
Dr. Death (Peacock)
It’s a Sin (HBO Max)
Maid (Netflix)
Midnight Mass (Netflix)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
WandaVision (Disney+)
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Oslo (HBO) (WINNER)
Come From Away (Apple TV+)
List of a Lifetime (Lifetime)
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Amazon Prime Video)
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (The Roku Channel)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Michael Keaton – Dopesick (Hulu) (WINNER)
Olly Alexander – It’s a Sin (HBO Max)
Paul Bettany – WandaVision (Disney+)
William Jackson Harper – Love Life (HBO Max)
Joshua Jackson – Dr. Death (Peacock)
Hamish Linklater – Midnight Mass (Netflix)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kate Winslet – Mare of Easttown (HBO) (WINNER)
Danielle Brooks – Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Cynthia Erivo – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
Thuso Mbedu – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
Elizabeth Olsen – WandaVision (Disney+)
Margaret Qualley – Maid (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus (HBO) (WINNER)
Zach Gilford – Midnight Mass (Netflix)
William Jackson Harper – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
Evan Peters – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Christian Slater – Dr. Death (Peacock)
Courtney B. Vance – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus (HBO) (WINNER)
Kaitlyn Dever – Dopesick (Hulu)
Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision (Disney+)
Melissa McCarthy – Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Julianne Nicholson – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Jean Smart – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Squid Game (Netflix) (WINNER)
Acapulco (Apple TV+)
Call My Agent! (Netflix)
Lupin (Netflix)
Money Heist (Netflix)
Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
What If…? (Disney+) (WINNER)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bluey (Disney+)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
The Great North (Fox)
Q-Force (Netflix)
BEST TALK SHOW
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO) (WINNER)
The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
Desus & Mero (Showtime)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)
Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC)
Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen (Bravo)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix) (WINNER)
Good Timing With Jo Firestone (Peacock)
James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 (Vimeo)
Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy (Peacock)
Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American (Netflix)
Trixie Mattel: One Night Only (YouTube)