Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Lets look at the films Oscar bona fides from both sides.
At the moment,CODAappears to be the strongest alternative toThe Power of the Dog.
When people ask me whos winning Best Picture, I default to the safe choice, Jane Campions western.
But I pause before proclaimingThe Power of the Doga lock.
If notDog, then who?
The timing is right.
They just thought that movie would beBelfast.
(Oscar bloggers bear much of the blame for this sorry, Ken.)
Though it debuted even earlier,CODAwas free of such burdensome expectations.
It has a winning pitchman.
ButCODAhas the additional resonance of its predominantly deaf cast providing representation for a community given short shrift onscreen.
Now lets put on our spoilsport pants.
Why should we say No, duh toCODA?
The Best Cast SAG doesnt always go to a top-tier contender.
It may struggle to maintain its post-SAG momentum.
ThatCODAgot two weeks of good press after its SAG win is due to a quirk of the awards-season calendar.
Because of Omicron and other schedule shuffles, there hasnt been another major precursor ceremony since.
Is SAG all it needs to get by?
Finally, why didnt it get more nominations?
CODAs only other recognition from the Academy came in Supporting Actor and Adapted Screenplay.
You have to go back to the 1930s to find a Best Picture winner with so few nominations.
And its not as if there was nowhere elseCODAcould have shown up.
That neither of them made it in has to be factored intoCODAs chances.
Sure, no ones marking it last, but will it garner enough No.
1 votes to survive the first few rounds of voting?
Im reminded of another orchestral term: fermata.
It means you keep playing until the conductor says stop.
