In ‘CODA,’ ‘The Power of the Dog’ found the ultimate Oscars underdog
LOS ANGELES — In “The Power of the Dog,” a swaggering man of the West — authoritative, domineering, seemingly invincible — comes face-to-face with a most unexpected adversary, someone who looks harmless but turns out to be anything but. There’s a certain irony, then, that after looking like a clear-cut favorite for much of this past awards season, Jane Campion’s brooding psychological drama finally fell victim to its own powerful underdog Sunday night. Despite entering the Oscar race with a formidable 12 nominations, more than any other contender, “The Power of the Dog” ultimately won just one Oscar — for Campion’s direction, the one everyone knew it couldn’t lose. It lost the best picture Oscar to “CODA,” Siân Heder’s scrappy, jugular-piercing crowd-pleaser about a hearing teenager growing up within a Deaf family.
At what point exactly did “CODA” go in for the kill?
