Best Column

The Artist: Can Hollywood dogs actually act?

As the argument continues over whether a Jack Russell terrier deserves an Oscar nod for his work in the silent film, says Brian Wheeler at BBC News, a parallel debate emerges

Deafening Oscar buzz surrounds the silent film The Artist, a period piece juxtaposing one actor's decline against another's rise at the dawn of talkies. Though the flick is predicted to rack up Academy Award nominations, a number of critics are miffed that one of its stand-out performers — Uggie, a 9-year-old Jack Russell terrier who portrays the fallen-from-grace actor's loyal sidekick — has been judged ineligible for an Oscar. While that debate rages on, a related one is emerging: Can dogs really act? Starting with Rin Tin Tin in the late '20s, says Brian Wheeler at BBC News, canines have delivered emotional performances that leave audiences amazed. While some animals clearly owe their acting prowess more to deft trainers than "talent," a select few, Uggie among them, seem to truly grasp the craft. Here, an excerpt:

…There are certain special animals — such as the equine stars in current hit War Horse — who have enough "charisma" and "presence" to be considered actors in their own right, says [Susan] Orlean, author of Rin Tin Tin: The Life and The Legend.

"There are animals who have performed in a way that is dazzling and that really does make you think they understand something beyond their specific training. There is a kind of magic. What it is that they think they are doing I don't know..."

Read the full story at BBC News.

Recommended

Is protected land really protected?
Grand Canyon.
Briefing

Is protected land really protected?

Going into debt for a bachelorette
Bachelorette decor on a pink background.
Briefing

Going into debt for a bachelorette

Orlando's Gay Days draws LGBTQ crowds to Disney World amid DeSantis feud
Gay Days at Walt Disney World in 2023
Come as You Are

Orlando's Gay Days draws LGBTQ crowds to Disney World amid DeSantis feud

6 enviable homes in Brooklyn
House
Feature

6 enviable homes in Brooklyn

Most Popular

Ban the Bible?
Holy Bible.
Briefing

Ban the Bible?

What is Mike Pence thinking?
Former Vice President Mike Pence on a motorcycle
Talking point

What is Mike Pence thinking?

CNN CEO Chris Licht steps down
Chris Licht
so long

CNN CEO Chris Licht steps down