In 1992, Martin Brest’s Scent of a Woman garnered substantial critical acclaim. Despite its slightly extended duration and a conventional, inspiring monologue delivered by Pacino, the film received admiration. O’Donnell’s exceptional performance, although praiseworthy, surprisingly did not secure him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Amidst a highly competitive category, O’Donnell’s performance in Scent of a Woman deserved serious consideration for an Oscar nomination. However, a technical glitch rendered his best take, which could have been his standout scene, unusable. Despite the setback, O’Donnell’s performance was commendable, making the nomination snub all the more disappointing.
Chris O’Donnell Gave His Best Performance
After two decades, Martin Brest finally opened up in a candid and comprehensive interview with Variety’s Todd Gilchrist. It becomes evident that he acknowledges his days in the industry have passed, whether for better or worse. In a remarkably self-assured manner, he takes responsibility for both his successes and missteps throughout his career.
A particularly distressing mishap unfolded on the set of Scent of a Woman during a powerful scene where Chris O’Donnell encounters Pacino just moments before he contemplates taking his own life. O’Donnell’s character must disarm the seasoned veteran and desperately plead for him to reconsider, a daunting task for a young, inexperienced individual who has never faced combat. O’Donnell’s acting prowess is put to the test as he must convincingly make us believe in Pacino’s state of mind during the emotionally charged scene.
Brest revealed that the scene was emotionally taxing for O’Donnell, and after several attempts, the actor was struggling to deliver the desired performance. In response, Brest decided to employ a psychological tactic to help O’Donnell find his stride.
An Assistant Cameraman Messed Up The Whole Shot
As Brest recounted the incident, the assistant cameraman became anxious when he witnessed O’Donnell conjuring an intense emotional storm for the pivotal take, which would eventually become a defining moment in the young actor’s career. In a moment of panic, the cameraman attempted to refocus the camera, but upon reviewing the dailies, Brest realized that the take was completely unusable. In a somewhat unconventional move, Brest sought the assistance of the United States’ intelligence community to salvage the crucial scene.
“I was so depressed for so long,” said Brest. “I even had people contact the CIA. I said, ‘I know those motherf***ers have some technology to refocus something that’s out of focus.’
After the CIA declined to participate in the post-production of Scent of a Woman, Brest took matters into his own hands and skillfully edited the in-focus segments of O’Donnell’s best take with other takes to create a cohesive scene. Although it turned out well for most viewers, Brest admits feeling remorseful about the situation as he believes that O’Donnell’s most remarkable moment didn’t make it into the final cut.
Source: Slashfilm
