Dog movies don’t have a huge presence at the Oscars, but we’ve dug into the research to see how they’ve historically fared.
The Oscars – technically known as the Academy Awards – are some of the biggest film awards of the year. Dog movies don’t really have the best track record with them, either. But here at Dog O’Day we’ve dug into the files to track down the performances of canine content throughout Oscars history. As far as we can tell, we think we tracked everything down.
First, it should be remembered that we’re pretty generous with our definition of what a “dog movie” is: it must A: be about dogs (or other canines), B: have a dog with a significant amount of screen time, or C: have a dog make a significant impact on the plot.
That means that Legally Blonde would count, thanks to Reese Witherspoon’s character’s Elle’s Chihuahua Bruiser appearing in most scenes, and Keanu Reeves’ John Wick trilogy counts because the plots revolve around dogs to some extent. Coyote Ugly wouldn’t, since it’s the name of a bar, and there are no canines in that movie.
Because of a movie executive bias which could be summarized as “not enough animated pictures are made regularly,” many of the animated classics like 1955’s Lady and the Tramp, 1982’s The Fox and the Hound or 1989’s All Dogs Go to Heaven are not listed due to not being nominated for anything.
Best Picture
The Award for Best Picture has had a handful of dog movies over the years, beginning in 1939 when The Wizard of Oz was nominated. Based on L Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel, Dorothy Gale’s (Judy Garland) Scottie Toto accompanies her on the journey through Oz.
In 1940, the Alfred Hitchcock-directed Rebecca won the category. Based on Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel about a young girl thrust into the shadowy world of high-class society, the one part of the estate of Manderley that Mrs De Winter feels comfortable with is the dogs, who take an instant liking to her. This element is present in the movie as well, though obviously much toned down, since it isn’t essential to the plot.
In 1962, To Kill a Mockingbird was nominated, based on Harper Lee’s 1960 novel. Scout Finch (Mary Badham) and her brother Jem gain a new respect for their older, scholarly father Atticus (Gregory Peck) when he shoots a rabid dog roaming the neighborhood. For this scene’s importance, it was included in the movie as well.
In 1967, Doctor Doolittle was nominated, based on the book series by Hugh Lofting about an eccentric physician/veterinarian who can speak all animal languages. Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) played Dr Doolittle, who has a dog named Jip among his animal companions.
Fast-forwarding to 1990, the Kevin Costner film Dances With Wolves won the category, in addition to many other awards. Costner plays Lt John Dunbar, who was sent to evict Indians from the territory during westward expansion only to eventually become friendly with them. His affinity with wolves give him his Indian name, Dances With Wolves.
Up was nominated in 2009, this is one of Pixar‘s best, a story about a widower trying to rebuild his life by vacationing to South America. Along the way, a talkative overweight Golden Retriever named Doug (Bob Peterson) joins the unusual group that forms to prevent a trophy hunter and his pack of Dobermans from slaughtering a rare bird.
Toy Story 3 earned a nomination the next year; what we all thought was the perfect concluding chapter included Slinky Dog as a minor character, and the series also featured Andy’s Dachshund Buster as a secondary ally and Sid’s Staffy Scud as a secondary antagonist.
Roma was nominated in 2019, it’s a black and white Netflix film set in 1970s Mexico City. The family guard dog Borras appears in many scenes, which earned him several unofficial Dog Oscars.
Best Director
Robert Mulligan was nominated for Best Director for To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962, Kevin Costner was nominated in 1990 for Dances With Wolves, and Alfonso Cuaron was nominated in 2019 for Roma.
Best Actor
Gregory Peck won Best Actor in 1962 for portraying Atticus in Mockingbird, and Costner’s role of Lt Dunbar earned a nomination for Dances With Wolves.
Best Actress
in 1940 Joan Fontaine was nominated for Best Actress for her role of Mrs De Winter in Rebecca, and in 2019 Yalitza Aparacio was nominated for her role of Cleo Gutierrez in Roma.
Best Supporting Actor
In 1990 Graham Greene was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role of Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves, and five years later James Cromwell was nominated for his role of Farmer Hoggett in Babe, based on Dick King-Smith’s children’s novel The Sheep-Pig, where a pig becomes an accomplished sheepdog.
Best Supporting Actress
In 1940 Judith Anderson received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Rebecca as the highly unpleasant housekeeper Mrs Danvers. In 1962 Mary Badham was nominated for playing Scout in Mockingbird, and Julia Roberts was nominated 1889 for her role of Shelby Eatonton-Latcherie in Steel Magnolias (though Shirley MacLaine’s Wheezer owns the dog in that film).
Also, Mary McDonnell was nominated for her role of Stands With a Fist in Dances With Wolves, and in 2019 Marina De Tavira was nominated for her role of Sofia in Roma.
Best Cinematography
Rebecca won the Black and White division for Best Cinematography of 1940. Lassie, Come Home was nominated in the Color division for 1943, and Mockingbird, Doctor Doolittle, Dances With Wolves and Roma were all nominated as well.
Best Costume Deisgn
Dances With Wolves also got a nomination for Best Costume Design, as did 102 Dalmatians in 2000. 102 Dalmatians was the little-known sequel to the live-action remake of the Disney animated classic based on Dode Smith’s novel. (Note to self, explain that franchise timeline…)
Best Film Editing
In Best Film Editing, Rebecca, Doctor Doolittle, and Babe were all nominated, and Dancing With Wolves won.
Also, it should be noted that Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope was this category in 1976. Why does this need mentioning? Because while no actual dogs or dog-like creatures appear in any Star Wars movie, Chewbacca was inspired by George Lucas’ Malamute named Indiana, and in the 1987 Mel Brooks parody Spaceballs, the Chewie character Barf was half-dog.
Best Hairstyling and Makeup
In Best Hairstyling and Makeup, An American Werewolf in London won the first year it was awarded in 1981. Also winning was 2010’s The Wolfman, which has a lot of big names for a movie you’ve never heard of – Benecio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving.
Wonder was nominated in 2017; a key scene in both the movie and RJ Palacio’s novel is the death of Auggie’s dog Daisy.
Best Original Score
Best Original Score has a lot of dog movies (real or generously-defined) among its nominees: Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Doctor Doolittle, Annie, Toy Story, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Adventures of Tintin and Isle of Dogs were all nominated, while The Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, Dances With Wolves, The Lion King and Up all won their respective years.
Best Original Song
Best Original Song also has a lot of good candidates from our pawspective. “Over the Rainbow” (The Wizard of Oz), “Talk to the Animals,” (Doctor Doolittle), “Under the Sea” (The Little Mermaid) and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” (The Lion King) all won their years.
“I Feel Love” (Benji), “The Day I Fell in Love” (Beethoven’s 2nd), “Circle of Life” (The Lion King), “Hakuna Matata” (also The Lion King), “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story), “When She Loved Me” (Toy Story 2), “We Belong Together” (Toy Story 3) and “Remember Me” (Coco) were all nominated.
Best Production Design
Best Production Design goes to the best interior design in film. To Kill a Mockingbird won, while Rebecca, Doctor Doolittle, Dances With Wolves, Into the Woods and Roma all have been nominated.
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Editing is probably laughable to dogs, considering humans’ limited ability at hearing, but the award has seen both Up and Toy Story 3 nominated here.
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Mixing is probably silly to dogs, because even the best of us humans can’t discern the myriad of radio waves passing through the air. Dances With Wolves won, and Of Mice and Men, Doctor Doolittle and Roma were all nominated.
Best Visual Effects
Doctor Doolittle won in 1967 for Best Visual Effects, while The Wizard of Oz and Rebecca were both nominated here.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Dances With Wolves and To Kill a Mockingbird both won Best Adapted Screenplay, while Rebecca, Babe and Toy Story 3 were all nominated.
Best Original Screenplay
Toy Story, Up and Roma have all been nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Best Animated Short Film
The records for cartoons throughout history, despite wonderful histories like Michael Barrier’s 700-plus work Hollywood Cartoons, is rather sketchy. As a result, there is probably more doggy content in Best Animated Short Film than what’s listed here.
“The Pointer,” one of the earliest shorts to feature Mickey Mouse’s dog Pluto, was nominated in 1939; Mickey and Pluto go on a hunting trip. “Blitz Wolf” is WWII propaganda from 1942, a parody of the Three Little Pigs with Hitler as the Big Bad Wolf. In 1944 as part of Goofy’s attempt to learn various sports, “How to Play Football” was nominated. “Pluto’s Blue Note” was nominated in 1947,
Body-swapping “Crazy Mixed Up Pup” was nominated in 1954, Hanna-Barbera’s Droopy the Basset Hound starred in 1957’s “One Droopy Knight,” a 1979 short called “It’s So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House” was nominated, in 2007 there was a Russian folk tale called “Peter and the Wolf,” and in 2012 there was “Adam and Dog,” a retelling of Adam and Eve from their dog’s pawspective.
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Animated Feature Film is essentially the Best Picture as far as we’re concerned. It’s fairly new, spurred into existence by Pixar and DreamWorks for the most part. The first dog movie to win was the British Claymation Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005.
Bolt, starring John Travolta as a dog convinced he’s a superhero and Miley Cyrus as his owner, was nominated in 2008,
Up rightfully won in 2009, beating a field that included Fantastic Mr Fox, which was similar to Marguerite Henry‘s fox book Cinnabar.
Toy Story 3 rightfully won in 2010, defeating a field that also included the underrated How to Train Your Dragon, which features puppylike actions by the baby dragon Toothless.
Tim Burton’s interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein was 2012’s Dachshund-centered Frankenweenie, which earned a nomination.
Frozen won in 2013, where Kristoff’s reindeer Sven essentially functions as a very large dog throughout the film.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 was nominated in 2014, and Shaun the Sheep Movie was nominated in 2015.
Zootopia, which stars a con-artist fox, won in 2016, and the next year Coco won, which features a Mexican Hairless Dog named Dante as comic relief. Coco beat the much-better-than-expected Ferdinand, where a dog named Jose is one of Ferdinand’s friends.
The quirky Wes Anderson film Isle of Dogs was nominated in 2018.
What did you think of this year’s Oscars, if you watched? Did your favorites win? Let us know on the Dog O’Day Facebook and Twitter pages.