Steven Spielberg needs no introduction. Many think that his name is synonymous with the phrase best director. From Jurassic Park to Minority Report, the man can’t do any wrong. However, others have wronged him.
When Saving Private Ryan contested with Shakespeare in Love in the Best Picture category at the 1999 Academy Awards, everyone thought that Spielberg’s film would win. But the Gwyneth Paltrow-starring film pulled the biggest upset that night and it was all due to the dirty politics of Harvey Weinstein that Spielberg refused to step into.
How Harvey Weinstein Pulled The Best Picture Oscar Right Under Steven Spielberg’s Nose
Oscar upsets are common. After all, who can forget the famous La La Land and Moonlight debacle. But in 1999 when Saving Private Ryan lost the Best Picture Oscar award to Shakespeare in Love, it made everyone’s jaw drop. It was not just unexpected but also unprecedented. After all, Steven Spielberg’s $482 million grossing war epic was the frontrunner to win.
Also, the reception towards Iron Man star Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Shakespeare in Love was quite lukewarm at best. However, this upset was possible because the producer of the $289 million grossing film, Harvey Weinstein, did something that changed the face of Oscar campaigning. The now-disgraced Hollywood mogul followed a different formula than other studios.
Most of Weinstein’s indie films didn’t make money first at the box office and then were sent off for Oscars contention. Instead, he put his films into the Oscars race and then relentlessly campaigned to ensure that they won awards. Only after receiving the prestigious Oscars did those films earn more money. This strategy of relentless campaigning was started by Weinstein.
Before this, Oscar campaigns were cordial affairs that would include industry screenings and promotions in newspapers with the For Your Consideration ads. It was Weinstein who pretty much invented the now-followed months-long method of Oscar film promotions that include junket interviews, going on talk shows, hosting countless screenings, collecting myriad awards, and more. But Steven Spielberg wasn’t a fan of this.
Steven Spielberg Wasn’t Fond Of Harvey Weinstein’s Aggressive Oscars Campaigning
Back during the campaigning for Shakespeare in Love, Harvey Weinstein knew that Tom Hanks’ Saving Private Ryan was the frontrunner for the Best Picture award. So he spread the rumor that only the initial 15-20 minutes of the film were worth watching and then everything descended into an emotional mess. It was clear that Weinstein was playing dirty.
But Steven Spielberg refused to wade in with him to beg for awards. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz recalled the acclaimed director saying:
“No, I’m not going to campaign for my movie. I’ll do promotions for my movie, but I’m not going to try and charm people and send them things so they vote for my movie.”
While Spielberg’s film didn’t get the coveted Best Picture Oscar at the 1999 Academy Awards, it’s clear that it is his film that has now become a classic, while in comparison, people barely even remember the existence of Shakespeare in Love.
Saving Private Ryan and Shakespeare in Love are available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Den Of Geek
