To say the least, Sam Elliott is facing quite a bit of backlash from his comments on the western movie, The Power of the Dog.
The actor called the movie a “piece of sh*t” on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, referencing to allusions of homosexuality throughout the film, the “evisceration” of the American West,” and also questioned Jane Campion’s credibility for directing a movie about the American West, considering she’s from New Zealand (she also filmed it there even though the movie was set in Montana).
Star of the movie, Benedict Cumberbatch, responded to Elliott’s criticism, saying that the film was an exploration of toxic masculinity:
“These people still exist in our world. Whether it’s on our doorstep or whether it’s down the road or whether it’s someone we meet in a bar or a pub or, I don’t know, on the sports field…
There is aggression and anger and frustration and an inability to control or know who you are in that moment that causes damage to that person and, as we know far more openly now, as I was saying, damage to others around them.”
With that being said, another co-star from the movie is speaking out on Elliott’s comments, and that’s Kodi Smit-McPhee.
He was asked by Variety if he had anything to say to the comments, and he responded:
“Nothing… ‘Cause I’m a mature being and I’m passionate about what I do, and I don’t really give energy to anything outside of that.
If anything I’ll just have a little bit of a laugh, but yeah… good luck to him.”
Based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name, and directed by Jane Campion, The Power Of The Dog is billed as a western psychological drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
However, despite Sam Elliott’s scathing review of the film, it’s still an Oscar darling leading the charge with 12 nominations this year.
The 94th Academy Awards are set for Sunday, March 27th.
