Steven Spielberg’s movies have been regarded as the epitome of filmmaking. Having multiple Oscar nominations and wins under his belt, his films are some of the most critically acclaimed projects in all of Hollywood. He has been in the business for five decades and his films have become ingrained in the very fabric of cinema. Setting many standards and norms, his impact cannot be measured.
Knowing just how iconic and significant he has been, it is not surprising that he has also been an inspiration to many. His films have made many want to follow a similar path and it would seem that Robert Zemeckis was one such person.
During an interview, the filmmaker revealed just how important Spielberg was in shaping the kind of movies he ended up making in his career.
Steven Spielberg Changed Robert Zemeckis’ Life
Robert Zemeckis an extremely respected figure in Hollywood. He has made masterpieces like the Back to the Future series, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away. Even though he has been labeled as one of the greats, he also had to find his inspiration from somewhere. During an interview with DGA, the filmmaker revealed that Steven Spielberg was the one that made him want to start making movies as a profession.
It would seem that when he was younger and still starting, Zemeckis’ school was visited by the Schindler’s List director. Spielberg brought out his very first film, The Sugarland Express, and showed it to the young director’s class.
He brought his first film, The Sugarland Express, to show to our class. I couldn’t believe how young he was and what a huge, beautiful movie he had made. It was shot in Panavision, Vilmos Zsigmond was his cinematographer, and Steven was almost my age, just a little bit older. I was like, ‘Man, this guy is my hero!’
While the film was very critically acclaimed, Zemeckis, could not help but focus on how young the filmmaker was and just how much he had achieved in his life. They were almost the same age and yet, he was achieving greatness to its fullest extent. Wanting his life to go in a similar direction, Zemeckis decided to look to him and his inspiration and hero.
Robert Zemeckis Had To Talk To Steven Spielberg Personally
While the story could have ended at the life-changing moment, Robert Zemeckis could not let his encounter with Steven Spielberg end on such a note. He wanted to have a one-on-one interaction with the highly respected director and get his name out there. So, taking on a very brave route, the young student approached Spielberg and asked him a very bold question.
Zemeckis asked him if he was interested in seeing a student film he had made beforehand. Surprisingly enough, not only did Spielberg agree, but he also invited the student to Universal Studios to properly watch his movie in a screening room. After watching the film, the filmmaker loved it so much that they ended up maintaining quite a close friendship over the years.
I buttonholed him right after class and told him, ‘Hey, I want you to see this student film I made.’ He said, ‘Yeah, great, call my office.’ So I called him up and he set up a screening room at Universal and we watched my movie. He loved it, and we stayed in touch.
Thanks to this one encounter, Zemeckis has credited Spielberg to be his early mentor, changing his life in the best ways possible.
The Sugarland Express is available for rent on Apple TV.
