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Streaming data from JustWatch
Wag the Dog
1997
· Movie
· 97 min
B
MEANRANK
73/100
Where it ranks
- Mean Score #1765
- IMDb #1979
- Rotten Tomatoes #1534
- Metacritic #1128
- Letterboxd #2022
- Rotten Tomatoes Critics #1477
+5 more
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience #2037
- Metacritic Critics #1127
- Metacritic Audience #1252
- Criticker #1290
- AlloCiné #2973
Every rating
54–86
out of 100
Split
Lowest is Criticker on 54, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 86.
See the most agreed on films →Just before a presidential election, a devastating scandal threatens to derail the incumbent's campaign. A savvy Washington spin doctor is hired to distract the public. He recruits a Hollywood producer to fabricate a short, patriotic war against Albania, complete with sound bites, footage, and a hero, all manufactured to play out on television and redirect the nation's attention.
Details
- Director
- Barry Levinson
- Writers
- David Mamet, Hilary Henkin
- Based on
- Wag the Dog: A Novel by Larry Beinhart
- Released
- 25 December 1997
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English, Albanian
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rated
- R
- Budget
- $15.0M
- Box office
- $64.3M
- Awards
- 2 wins, 18 nominations
This title elsewhere
Cast
Full cast (101) →
Awards & nominations
See all 20 →1 major award won · 2 wins from 20 nominations across 13 ceremonies
| Berlin International Film Festival 1997 | Special Jury Prize | Barry Levinson | Winner |
| Academy Awards 1997 | Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
| Academy Awards 1997 | Best Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
| Berlin International Film Festival 1997 | Golden Bear | Barry Levinson | Nominee |
| Critics' Choice Awards 1997 | Best Picture | Nominee | |
| Golden Globe Awards 1997 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
| Golden Globe Awards 1997 | Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
| Golden Globe Awards 1997 | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominee |
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Trailer — Wag the Dog
×Full cast — Wag the Dog
×
20 awards — Wag the Dog
×
Berlin International Film Festival
2 nominations, 1 won
| Special Jury Prize | Barry Levinson | Winner |
| Golden Bear | Barry Levinson | Nominee |
Golden Globe Awards
3 nominations
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
| Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominee | |
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
Academy Awards
2 nominations
| Best Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
Critics' Choice Awards
1 nomination
| Best Picture | Nominee |
Screen Actors Guild Awards
1 nomination
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
Writers Guild of America Awards
1 nomination
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
National Board of Review Awards
1 nomination, 1 won
| Best Supporting Actress | Anne Heche (also for Donnie Brasco ) | Winner |
Online Film & Television Association Awards
3 nominations
| Best Comedy/Musical Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
| Best Comedy/Musical Picture | Danny DeVito, Barry Levinson and Jane Rosenthal | Nominee |
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
Satellite Awards
2 nominations
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Dustin Hoffman | Nominee |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Anne Heche | Nominee |
Artios Awards
1 nomination
| Best Casting for Feature Film – Comedy | Ellen Chenoweth and Debra Zane | Nominee |
British Academy Film Awards
1 nomination
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Hilary Henkin and David Mamet | Nominee |
Political Film Society Awards
1 nomination
| Democracy | Nominee |
Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards
1 nomination
| Best Foreign Actor | Robert De Niro | Nominee |