Eric Litt has written a great new book about the Academy Awards. He calls it Oscars Biggest Mistakes, and it’s available now for pre-order right here at Eckhartz Press. The book ships in February. We recently got a chance to catch up with Eric and talk to him about the book…
EP: What inspired you to write this book?
Eric: That’s a great question. At the time of the Pandemic, I was still working from home exclusively, at a folding table in my basement. I had just lost my stepdad 2 days after one of my best buds lost his young wife to Covid. It was Thanksgiving time too and I just felt blah. I needed a distraction or something to fulfill me. I was looking for a challenge and I thought writing a book was something I could try while stuck at home. I chose a movie book because it’s something that I know. and love. I had always wanted to be a movie critic of some fashion, but I’ve got awful writing skills and never really got a chance to do it formally, so this is an avenue where I could write some opinions and put them on paper so people could read and hopefully enjoy it. I incorporated it into an Academy Awards book because I’m a fan of the show and it seemed like a natural fit. It’s a show that drives me absolutely nuts every year and last year’s telecast was the tipping point. I didn’t know if I could write a book, but I wanted to try to see if I had it in me.
EP: Oscar mistakes is a great hook. All of us can immediately name a few off the top of our heads. For me, it’s Goodfellas losing to Dances with Wolves. You go through all of the big seven categories in your book. If you had to pick the most egregious in the best picture category, which would they be?
Eric: I don’t touch on director in the book, but I still can’t believe how long it took Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese to win a statue. As for the most crazy choice for movie, that’s an easy one. In 1999, they announced the best picture winner “Shakespeare in Love” which was a product of Miramax Studios, when it was probably the 4th best movie in that category. Saving Private Ryan or Life is Beautiful would have been far better choices. There are other instances too, where sly marketing and politics probably played into the Academy’s decision.
EP: What about in the acting and supporting actor categories?
Eric: The Academy offers up a lot of career awards, which is fine. I didn’t have much of an issue when Paul Newman, Henry Fonda or John Wayne finally won Oscars at the twilight of their careers. I do find it hard to believe that Al Pacino lost 3 years in a row after a trifecta of Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and The Godfather II. I’m glad he finally won years later, but losing to Art Carney for Harry and Tonto seemed egregious to me. I like Art Carney a lot and it’s a sweet movie, but we’re talking about Michael Corleone here. As far as supporting actor, I thought Eddie Murphy should’ve won for Dreamgirls instead of Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine). Murphy was outstanding.
EP: For a lot of people, Oscar night is the equivalent of the Super Bowl. There are pools and bets and predicitons. I’m guessing you are one of those people. What kind of prep work do you before the show?
Eric: Oscar night is my Super Bowl. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some football too, but I get all giddy for the Academy Awards. I run all the Oscar pools at work and have a side bet with my buddy which I also pay attention too. In some respect, that side bet is more important because of bragging rights. On Oscar night, I make sure I don’t have any plans, I order up plenty of crap to eat and I have all my sheets in front of me to keep track. My wife, Alice enjoys watching the show with me and she fills out her own ballot. It’s a crack-up because she doesn’t know these categories like I do and goes off of what title sounds good or if she saw the picture. She’ll get a few right, but I’m just glad that she watches with me when she can. Ahead of time, I try and see all the nominees too, but with Covid, I haven’t set foot in a movie theater since February 2020 so I have to rely on streaming services and home video. It sucks, but it is what it is.
EP: What are your thoughts about the show itself? Clearly the ratings have gone down significantly the last few years. Do you think the producers of the show are making a mistake by not having an official host? Has it ruined the spectacle of that night?
Eric: Last year’s telecast was a travesty. I couldn’t believe how awful it was. I believe the producers really screwed the pooch trying to turn the show into something that it isn’t. Meaning, they forgot that they were producing a television show that celebrates film. Instead, it was a joyless night of long speeches, no production numbers and for a year where nobody went to the theater and the movies nominated, hardly anybody saw, the show offered no clips or montages. As far hosting is concerned, I didn’t mind not having a host for a few years because sometimes the wrong host can really ruin the show. Their are plenty of examples of that (Neil Patrick Harris, James Franco, Sean McFarlane), but I hear that this year’s telecast will in fact, carry a host. Last I heard they were talking to Pete Davidson, which is an odd choice, but I’ll keep an open mind. The host doesn’t have to be a comedian. Hugh Jackman is a song and dance man and he knocked it out of the park, but the host needs to be able to move things along and keep the audience engaged for 3.5 hours. I thought Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen did a terrific job. Kimmel was fantastic a few years ago when they got the best picture wrong. He navigated that really well.
EP: You write about the mistakes, but has there ever been a magical moment, a magical night where the academy voters got them all right?
Eric: Absolutely! The year (2004) that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King swept up everything made me very happy because that film is terrific, both technically and as entertainment. I also thought that the 1998 telecast where Titanic was the big winner was a very good night. Going back a number of years, in 1977, they named Rocky best film and still honored Network with many of the other big awards. Rocky is a timeless classic and Network is probably one of the greatest written and acted movies that I’ve ever seen. A great satire.
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