One the year's biggest breakout film stars is a 9-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Uggie. His turn as the sidekick to a falling-from-grace movie star in The Artist, the silent film that's widely expected to earn a Best Picture nomination, is "the best performance, human or animal, in any film I've seen this year" says New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick. S.T. Vanairsdale at Movieline launched a viral campaign for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Uggie, and nearly 1,800 people have "liked" the "Consider Uggie" Facebook page. The problem: The Academy has long barred animals from receiving nominations. Does Uggie, who's also a talented skateboarder, merit an exception?
Uggie deserves a trophy: Failing to honor Uggie would be a "cruel snub," says Vanairsdale at Movieline. He gives a performance as nuanced as human co-stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo "while adhering most strictly to the covenants of silent-cinema storytelling." The people who dole out awards need to wise up, "take a good hard look into Uggie's huge eyes and huger talent," and do the right thing.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
