The annual awards season arrived, right on schedule.
However, it had never been a season of success for Anson. He had been labeled as a "pretty boy" actor, not known for solid acting skills or masterful performances.
This year seemed no different.
There wasn't much to expect from Spider-Man, a blockbuster film with no real connection to the prestigious Academy Awards. At best, it might land some technical awards, like for visual effects.
The same could be said for Catch Me If You Can.
Typically, biopics dominate awards season. In fact, it's been noted that biopics have won the most Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress, leading Hollywood to develop a bit of an unfortunate trend:
Want to win awards? Make a biopic.
Catch Me If You Can is indeed a biopic, focusing on the legendary Frank Abagnale Jr., but DreamWorks didn't seem all that interested this time around.
The release schedule made that obvious.
Normally, if a movie plans to target the Oscars and releases close to Christmas—right before the Academy's deadline—it should have a limited release four to six weeks beforehand.
There's a simple reason for this: the Golden Globes announce their nominations in early December each year, meaning any movie that releases afterward misses out on being considered. Yet, the Golden Globes are widely considered one of the most significant predictors for the Oscars. Missing out on them can be a major disadvantage in the Oscar race.
So, to solve this, production companies often hold limited screenings before the full release, inviting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and other industry insiders to watch early and secure a spot on the Golden Globes ballot.
This is why, each year, when the Golden Globe nominations are announced, you might see titles you've never heard of, prompting fans to wonder:
"How can a movie get nominated before it's even released?"
And this is where the Golden Globes' credibility has often been questioned. Yet, they've remained self-aware, focusing on entertainment and ensuring that awards are spread around generously—everyone gets a slice of the pie.
This year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided to announce its nominations on December 26th, just one day after Catch Me If You Can hit theaters.
By all accounts, if Catch Me If You Can wanted to compete in the awards race, DreamWorks should have held screenings at least a week prior and begun a promotional campaign.
But they didn't.
There was nothing—no screenings, no campaign, nothing.
DreamWorks wasn't even trying.
With awards season being so fiercely competitive this year, it seemed unlikely that Catch Me If You Can would have much of a presence, even with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks behind it. The competition was too intense, with studios rolling up their sleeves and giving it everything they had.
Additionally, there was another issue.
The Golden Globes divide films into Drama and Musical/Comedy categories, meaning a film needs to position itself accordingly. A strong, strategic categorization can be half the battle.
On paper, Catch Me If You Can is a crime biopic, clearly falling under Drama. But the film's lighthearted, humorous tone made it more of a comedy.
When the film was released, it faced harsh criticism—not from critics, but from social commentators. Some believed that portraying a crime story in such a humorous way, especially with a teenage protagonist, sent the wrong message and set a bad example for young viewers.
Not even Spielberg and Hanks were spared from this criticism.
This controversy raised a key question: should Catch Me If You Can be considered a drama or a comedy?
Ultimately, the decision rested with the awards organizers.
For example, in 2023, Barbie was considered an original screenplay by the Writers Guild of America, since the script was entirely original. However, the Academy disagreed, arguing that since it was based on a long-standing, well-known character, it belonged in the Adapted Screenplay category.
The Golden Globes operate similarly, and it's not uncommon to see people wondering why certain films ended up in the Musical/Comedy category. But it's all up to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
That said, production companies and PR teams can still influence these decisions with the right strategies and buzz.
A prime example of this was The Silence of the Lambs. Anthony Hopkins was only on screen for sixteen minutes—clearly a supporting role—but through strategic promotion, his performance was pushed for Best Actor. In the end, Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor, making him the actor with the shortest screen time to ever win the award.
Sometimes, when the competition is too tough in the Drama category, production companies pivot to the less competitive Musical/Comedy category to improve their chances, as was the case with Silver Linings Playbook.
However, DreamWorks showed no interest in doing any of this for Catch Me If You Can. They left everything to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, indifferent about whether it landed in Drama or Comedy, clearly uninterested in competing for awards.
The problem was, this year's Drama category was fiercely competitive. Just listing some of the contenders gave a sense of how strong the field was:
Gangs of New York, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Hours, About Schmidt, The Pianist, The Quiet American, Far from Heaven, and Road to Perdition, among others.
Every one of these films was a heavyweight, and with such strong contenders, it was going to be tough for anything to break through. That's why Sony positioned Adaptation, a crime drama, in the Comedy category to stand a better chance.
DreamWorks' lack of effort could easily have left Catch Me If You Can empty-handed.
But did Steven Spielberg or Tom Hanks care?
The answer was clearly no.
From the start, Spielberg made Catch Me If You Can to escape the heavy atmospheres of his previous films and return to something lighthearted and fun. He wanted to take it easy, without concern for box office results or awards.
From every angle, Catch Me If You Can looked like it would have no role in awards season.
Yet—
When the Golden Globe nominations were announced, Hollywood was surprised to see Catch Me If You Can had earned a spot among some fierce competitors.
It was a pleasant surprise—an unexpected blessing—as DreamWorks easily secured a place for itself in this year's awards season.
And that honor went to Anson Wood—
Golden Globe nominee for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.