Oscars for animals?
Film awards ignore claim that dog showed better acting
skills than human co-stars
Animal-loving movie fans were disappointed yesterday when the
list of actors nominated for this year's Oscars did not include any
with four legs.
The judging panel for the 84th Academy Awards, or
Oscars, ignored a campaign to recognise the talents of Uggie, a
jack russell terrier that starred in the hit silent film The
Artist.
Consider Uggie, a campaign launched by the American website
Movieline, claims that the dog displayed better acting skills than
many human stars and should be considered a contender for all the
major film awards.
Even Steven Spielberg, the famous director who created War
Horse, has agreed that animals should be eligible to win an
Oscar.
Other animal performers who might have been hoping for an award
this year include the ten different horses that played Joey in War
Horse, and Crystal, a capuchin monkey that starred in The Hangover
Part II.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) told
people who had wanted to vote for Uggie for one of their
awards:
"Regretfully, we must advise that as he is not a human being and
as his unique motivation as an actor was sausages, Uggie is not
qualified to compete for the Bafta in this category."
No animal has ever won an Academy Award because they are not
eligible.
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Oscars for animals?
British (human) stars sparkle as Oscars shortlist is
revealed
Veteran Hollywood stars, not animals, will dominate this year's
Oscars, with British stars Gary Oldman and Kenneth Branagh
nominated, and Meryl Streep and George Clooney favourites to win
the top acting awards.
Streep, 62 - already a winner of two Oscars - has been
shortlisted for a record 17th time this year for her role as former
prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were revealed in
Beverly Hills yesterday and included nods for Oldman, 53, for his
role as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Branagh for
playing Sir Laurence Olivier in the Marilyn Monroe biopic My Week
With Marilyn.
Despite a campaign to honour the acting talent of Uggie the dog
from The Artist, he failed to make the list, as did Crystal the
monkey from The Hangover II and all ten equine stars of War
Horse.
Oldman described his nomination for best actor as
"humbling".
Branagh, 51, said: "It was a rare honour to play Sir Laurence
Olivier. To be recognised by the Academy for doing so is
overwhelming."
Being listed in the best supporting actor class means the
Belfast-born star has now broken an Oscar record - with five
nominations in five categories over the years. He has previously
been up for best actor, director, adapted screenplay and short.
Newcastle-born Janet McTeer, 50, is listed for best supporting
actress in the drama Albert Nobbs.
However, there was no nomination for Tilda Swinton, whose role
as a mother in We Need To Talk About Kevin, directed by Scot Lynne
Ramsay, was ignored by the Academy.
Martin Scorsese's Hugo leads the Oscar list with 11 nominations,
while black-and-white silent film The Artist has 10 - including
best film, best actor for French star Jean Dujardin and supporting
actress for Berenice Bejo.
War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the
National Theatre play inspired by Michael Morpurgo's novel, is up
for six awards.
London-born filmmaker Lucy Walker was named in the best
short-subject documentary category for The Tsunami and the Cherry
Blossom.
Woody Allen is up for best director for Midnight In Paris, the
film which was hailed by some as a return to form. He will be up
against Scorsese for Hugo, fellow US filmmaker Terrence Malick for
The Tree Of Life, French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius for The
Artist and Alexander Payne for The Descendants.
Clooney is the favourite to pick up the best actor award as the
leading man in The Descendants. He is up against Brad Pitt for
baseball drama Moneyball and Mexican Demian Bichir for A Better
Life, as well as Oldman and Dujardin.
Streep is the clear favourite to be crowned as best actress for
The Iron Lady. Michelle Williams is her closest competition for her
role as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn.
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