From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

The annual awards season unfolds on schedule.

However, consistently overlooked, Ansen, an actor pigeonholed as an idol and pretty face, is clearly not renowned for solid acting skills or exquisite performances.

This year should be no exception.

"Catch Me If You Can" is also a biography, focusing on the legendary figure of Frank Abagnale Jr.; but this time, DreamWorks seems unenthusiastic.

This can be seen from the release arrangements.

Originally, if a film had to choose to be released during the Christmas season, just before the Oscar nomination deadline, then a distribution company aiming for awards season should conduct small-scale internal screenings four to six weeks in advance.

The reason is very simple: the Golden Globe Awards will announce their nominations in early December each year, which means that films released afterward are all excluded; however, the Golden Globe Awards, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are undoubtedly one of the most important barometers for the Oscars each year. Missing the Golden Globes is not a good thing if you want to compete for an Oscar.

Thus,

Distribution companies have come up with such release plans: conduct internal screenings before the film is fully released, inviting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and other industry insiders to watch in advance, securing a seat.

Therefore, it often happens that when the Golden Globe nominations are announced, some unfamiliar names appear, films that no one has ever seen. After searching and checking, it is discovered that the film has not even been released yet, and then movie fans are filled with question marks:

Can it be nominated even before it is released?

It is precisely because of this that the authority of the Golden Globe Awards has always been questioned, but the Golden Globe Awards themselves remain clear-headed, always positioning themselves as entertainment first, and the awards are mainly distributed to everyone.

This year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association chose to announce the nominations after Christmas, that is, on December 26th, the second day of the release of "Catch Me If You Can."

Logically speaking, if "Catch Me If You Can" wants to compete for awards season, it should at least conduct internal screenings one week in advance, and then start publicity.

However, there was nothing.

DreamWorks had absolutely no internal screening plans, adopting a completely indifferent attitude.

As a result, seeing the name of "Catch Me If You Can" in the fiercely competitive awards season may face some difficulties, even with the blessing of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. After all, other competitors are rolling up their sleeves and going all out.

Moreover, there is one more thing.

The Golden Globe nominations are slightly different, divided into Drama and Musical/Comedy, which also means that films need to position themselves when competing for awards season. An accurate positioning is half the battle.

"Catch Me If You Can," according to the genre, belongs to crime and biography, which is a typical drama; but from the film's style, it is different. The light and humorous narrative style is completely typical of comedy—

After the film's release, it encountered fierce criticism, although not from film critics or included in media reviews, but some social observers expressed severe criticism.

They believe that such a crime story, presented in such a relaxed and humorous way, and with the protagonist being a teenager, will inevitably set a bad example for teenagers and have a negative impact.

Even Steven and Tom, such high-caliber individuals, were not spared from criticism.

From these controversies, it can be seen whether "Catch Me If You Can" is a drama or a musical/comedy film?

Of course, the decision-making power is in the hands of the organizers.

For example, in 2023, "Barbie", the story and script were all original, created from scratch. The Writers Guild of America recognized it as an original screenplay; but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had different ideas. They believed that the story was based on a long-standing popular character/role image, so the screenplay was placed in the adapted screenplay category.

The Golden Globes are the same, often with huge question marks like "Why is this film in the Musical/Comedy category?", but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association categorizes it this way.

However, before the organizers make a decision, film companies and distribution companies can lay out and promote in advance, creating public opinion.

The most typical example is "The Silence of the Lambs". Anthony Hopkins' performance is only sixteen minutes long, and it looks like a supporting role, but the distribution company Orion still launched a full-scale promotion, and finally sent Anthony Hopkins to the Oscar for Best Actor, becoming the Oscar winner with the least screen time in history.

Occasionally, when the competition in the drama category is too fierce, distribution companies and public relations companies change their strategy, seeking breakthroughs from the less competitive musical/comedy category, and promoting with a roundabout approach, which can often achieve gratifying results. "Silver Linings Playbook" is a typical example of this.

However, DreamWorks is still adopting a laissez-faire attitude, not caring about the drama category or the comedy category, completely handing it over to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to decide, with no interest in awards season.

The key is that this year's competition in the drama category is particularly fierce. Just counting casually, you can see a series of strong contenders sitting in a row—

"Gangs of New York", "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", "The Hours", "About Schmidt", "The Pianist", "The Quiet American", "Far from Heaven", "Road to Perdition", and so on.

Each one has a background; moreover, the awards season momentum is particularly strong.

If any work squeezes in, it will probably face enormous pressure. It is precisely because of this that "Adaptation.", starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep, written by Charlie Kaufman, and directed by Spike Jones, is clearly a crime drama, but Sony Columbia positioned it as a comedy film to compete for awards season.

DreamWorks' indifference may put "Catch Me If You Can" in a situation where it receives no awards.

But, do Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks care?

The answer is clearly no.

This "Catch Me If You Can", Steven started working on the crew to get rid of the heavy atmosphere and regain a light and cheerful mood from the beginning. He hoped to be relaxed and simple, and had no expectations for box office or awards, and did not intend to join the melee.

From all aspects, "Catch Me If You Can" should also be out of the running for awards season.

However,

When the Golden Globe Awards announced the nominations, Hollywood miraculously discovered a place for "Catch Me If You Can" among a group of strong competitors.

Surprise, absolutely a surprise. Clearly, nothing was done, but good news fell from the sky. DreamWorks easily grabbed a spot in this year's awards season.

And, it belongs to Ansen Wood—

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.