For Your Consideration: Cosmo The Dog
In the wake of Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier in The Artist, who stole the show the other night at the Golden Globes, a grassroots internet campaign has formed, calling not only for animals to be made eligible in Oscar voting but for Uggie to be considered for an Oscar THIS year (which seems problematic when considering the voting deadline for nominations has already passed, but never mind). More realistically, he appears to be a shoe-in for Best Dog In A Theatrical Film at the first ever Golden Collar Awards.
I, for one, cannot abide.
Look, Uggie is fine and all. I have no issues with Uggie. He’s cute and he did respectable work, particularly in a dramatic sense when he helped rescue Jean Dujardin from a most dire situation. However, I would like to direct your attention to a different Jack Russell terrier who in 2011 surpassed by leaps and bounds even the work of dear Uggie.
I am talking, of course, about Cosmo of Beginners.
Cosmo plays Arthur, belonging to Christopher Plummer’s Hal until his tragic death at which point his son, Oliver (Ewan McGregor), takes ownership. In theory, Arthur is, as most cinematic dogs are, über-cute, excessively adorable, but a more thorough glance reveals he far less like Ron Burgundy’s beloved Baxter and much more like The Life Aquatic’s Klaus Daimler (Willem Dafoe), loyal to Steve Zissou, the man in charge, but needy to a fault. And despite being flummoxed by a “vocabulary” of no more than 150 words, Cosmo is able to utterly convince us of his canine pathos.
Uggie’s Jack is a hero, a comedian, a showman, larger than life – he is an ideal, noble but unreachable. Cosmo’s Arthur, on the other hand, has good in his heart but that same heart suffers from sadness, frightened that the darkness will consume he and his owner - he is imperfect and neurotic. In other words, he is like us.
Please, Golden Collar Awards, if you would like to crown the Best Dog In A Theatrical Film, I ask that you consider Cosmo. Uggie is the Ben Affleck of Jack Russell Terriers. Cosmo is the Matt Damon.
WHICH JACK RUSSELL WILL YOU BE SUPPORTING AT THE GOLDEN COLLAR AWARDS?
20 Comments
Godammn, I haven’t seen either film. Man, I can’t say.
I want to vote for both as I think they’re so cute. They need to have an award for animals. Cannes has an award for pets as they gave one to Uggie.
Oh man, really? You’ve GOTTA see “Beginners.” Really good stuff there.
Ahah, the Golden Collar Awards, good one Nick! I haven’t seen Beginners but I had to laugh at that Damon/Affleck comparison. So I guess Uggie will probably direct his next feature then right?
No, no, no! The Golden Collar Awards are real! Which is why I can’t abide this Uggie abomination!
Indeed, Cosmo faces death, loss and mourning, while Uggie is all “show”.
Unfortunately, just like in the human categories, the dogs whose films come out at the end of the year always end up getting more attention. Plus, Uggie has Harvey Weinstein in his corner. HAhaha!
Excellent point. Even when it comes to Jack Russell Terriers, you have to have Harvey in your corner.
Ahaah Nick, I think you are projecting on Cosmo! Uggie’s performance was much more expressive and substantial than Cosmo who basically only had to look cute in front of the camera and have the audience project the overall mood of each scene on his cute dog face/mannerism.
Woah, woah, woah! How dare you, sir. Uggie is over-emoting like Daniel Day Lewis in “There Will Be Blood.” Cosmo is merely underplaying each moment to allow the audience to draw its own conclusions.
(Also, I am probably projecting on him.)
Great piece Nick. Cosmo is one heck of a movie dog. Here is an LA Time article about Cosmo if you are interested:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/06/dog-in-beginners-cosmo-jack-russell-ewan-mcgregor.html
Nice! Thank you! There is Cosmo love out there!
HAHA Nice post Nick. But where do we stop?
It will be like a Zoo up there soon!!
Just to be clear, I don’t ACTUALLY think animals should be nominated for Oscars. Not that I don’t still love Cosmo. Because I do.
The Golden Collar Awards – love it! I do kinda agree with Scott though, where will it end?
I haven’t seen The Artist yet as it isn’t showing at my local cinema. I’m still hatching a plan to try and see it, though! I did see Uggie on a chat show here in the UK and he was FANTASTIC. He did a trick where he pretended to be shot and another where he was surfing
Uggie does have some skills. And I assume we’ll be seeing him in another movie very soon.
I like this post! haha
have to agree with Scott there though…where do we stop. Pretty soon, it would be a zoo. Especially if ZOOKEEPER 2 were to release!
I’d be game to see the Madagascar Penguins on stage though!
Madagascar Penguins on the stage, you say? I would buy a ticket to see that.
Cosmo was amazing in Beginners
Nick, why don’t you start a campaign in Facebook for him?
Uggie has one: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Consider-Uggie/324324694261159
If he gets at least a nomination i’m already happy …
Ooooooh, not really my field of expertise, I’m afraid. In 2009 I attempted to form a grassroots campaign to get Kelly Macdonald a Best Actress nomination for “The Merry Gentleman.”
It was, needless to say, SPECTACULARLY unsuccessful. (Although that could simply be because everyone thought I was an idiot.)
My vote is for Mr. Cosmo. Saw both movies & Uggie was wonderful as well. It’s really what Cosmo is doing off screen that is amazing. He interacts with the actors & with out as if he had absolutely no trainer near by. I told my husband that that was the best acting from a dog I have ever saw. Then we see Uggie & he seems nearly just as worthy. Incredible…. are Jacks getting smarter? Is that even possible?
I would love to see a dog give a acceptance speech. And as for whether animals can act…i’m honesty not sure. I mean, they can be trained to do things, but i don’t know whether that counts as acting or not.
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