Spike Lee: My Spat With Eastwood May Have Cost Me Oscar

Spike Lee told King magazine that he fears his public war of words with Clint Eastwood may have cost him an Oscar nomination.

Earlier this year, at Cannes, Lee criticized Eastwood for not having African-Americans in Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima, Eastwood then said Lee should "shut his face" and Lee responded "we're not on a plantation."
Now Lee thinks the controversy that followed his remarks may have ruined his Academy Award chances for new movie "Miracle at St. Anna."

Lee tells King magazine:

"My wife Tonya told me I may have hurt my chances with the Clint Eastwood stuff... They (Oscar voters and Academy bosses) take everything into account with me. They take into account that I like the Knicks or that I'm in New York."

Lee is adamant the fact he's a Big Apple guy has cost him an Oscar Best Director nomination in the past: "If you did a survey, the bulk of the people who vote in the Academy are in Los Angeles. There's definite bias, considering that my films are typically New York-based." He's still upset that his Do The Right Thing movie wasn't even considered for an Oscar the year Driving Miss Daisy claimed Best Film.

He adds, "Nobody is watching motherfucking Driving Miss Daisy today. Do The Right Thing is being taught in classes at major universities and high schools all over the world. That's how you're supposed to test art. Does the work stand up?"

Comments

[eoinoshea]

Just imagine the number of people who are genuinely aware of, and concerned regarding, actual issues of race in the US but who find themselves becoming somewhat cynical as a result of this calculated, self-serving and self-righteous petulance masquerading as social consciousness. Many people just dismiss Lee because of his whining (and maybe that really is the 'right thing' to do). But I can't help being genuinely angered by behaviour of his which has validly been compared to that of Kanye West - the emotional immaturity and utterly conditional sense of self-worth (one would associate with a pampered yet insecure child) wrapped up in the body and public image of an influential film-maker. Shame on him.

[strangerinthenight]

Tired of his whinning. Just like Kanye West. They both go on a tirade everytime they get nominated, and not win.

They should just shut up. Now this will make me really boycott his films, or West records. Too much of this "race card". I had had of this BS bull. ENOUGH !

[ElectroJones]

My dislike for Lee has nothing to do with his talent (he is talented) or his race or his politics (most of which I heartily endorse). I dislike him because ever since he released his first movie- a terrible first movie at that- he's been constantly bleating about his Oscar chances and the way that white people have screwed him his whole life. He's a mean-spirited egomaniacal little jerk, and they come in all colors.

Spike, you have no Oscar because you are not that good. Pointing to Driving Miss Daisy (admittedly not that great a Best picture) instead of shutting your famous trap and working on your next film makes you sound like an idiot. Best of luck with that.

[davenav]

Somebody (Tonya?) should tell Spike that this isn't going to help him get an Oscar. He's made lots of great films and I'm sure he'd get some nominations if he could just shut up! I don't buy the whole, "I'm from NY and that's why I didn't get nominated," argument for a second. I think he's mixing up 'winner' with 'whiner'.

[useyourbrain]

The reason he's never received an Oscar is because he's a crappy filmmaker (or jointmaker).

[Freddiejr]

Spike won't win an Oscar or this person's viewership. What a shame. I loved the recent " Inside Man", I thought he was back at his game , but his recent "blame his own weak films" on some sort of racist agenda are so yesterday. After all we have a Great African American man running for president, do you see him whining racism while the Republican Smut machine is out to tear him down? Grow up Mr Lee!!!!!

[justpatrick]

Great pictures are not known by whether the director is from NYC or any other city for that matter. Great pictures have great directors and those directors can come from anywhere. Spike Lee needs to grow up and learn to keep his mouth shut.

[Levittown]

There have been many great writers, directors and actors who have never been Oscared let alone nominated. Some got lucky after 10 or 20 years and some never do. No matter what the reason for
their misfortune great work lives on and speaks for itself. Sometimes being short, black or abrasive is a negative but we all learn to live with our insecurities. Suck it up and never stop trying.

[hoopesaz]

Excuses. Couldn't be that the stupid awards are completely subjectively awarded and that no matter how great he thinks his work is, someone might disagree.

When Moore won an oscar for his 9/11 movie...you HAD to know that the "art" of the work and it's ability to "stand the test of time" has NOTHING to do who wins and who loses. Give it rest already.

[MARTYB]

The best thing about "Do the right thing" was Rosie Perez dancing at the beginning, LOVED X and that is just about it . I really have a problem with people who set themselves up as the arbiters of Blackness, yep makes me rather peckish.

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

I hope Clint's new film, The Exchange, wins Best Picture and Best Director, just to piss Spike off. Then he'll go off on how Clint is a racist, Hollywood is a racist, and Spike is the greatest director to ever walk the Earth, and everyone is a racist who says he isn't.

Clint has won 4 Oscars, Lee zero.

Million Dollar Baby won Best Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman, who is black if I remember correctly.

Mystic River had Laurence Fisburne as a detective if I remember right. He's black, right?

Bird had a predominantly BLACK cast.

Y'all get my drift, I think.

Ironically enough, I'm writing this comment while listening to Odetta music. Bill Lee is playing bass on most of the tracks, and he happens to be Spike's dad.

[bryand1]

Always a victim, never a bride.

Criticizing a major director/star/icon like Eastwood to the press is a b*tchy, snarky thing to do. Every movie and every subject and every discussion is this world of film isn't about black people. Sorry, Spike, it's not all about you.

[luckyoldson]

Ahhhhhhhh, nothing like the smell of racist comments in the morning.

Every time Spike says something about anything, especially white people in general, they come out blasting.

[picval]

Mr. Lee,

I have not followed the current trouble with Mr. Eastwood, but YOU WERE ROBBED! the Oscar should have gone to X not Unforgiven.

[duckcrackers]

While I agree that this news merits close inspection, can we please have more stories on Ernest Borgnine stroking himself.

[aMOMinous]

Yes they hold the New York thing against Woody Allen too I suppose.

[scoutsami]

Mr Lee you have a number of good films ("Do The Right Thing" is still my favorite of all time..) and kudos to you for being able to break into the Hollywood establishment.

It was disappointing to see you use the media to accuse and to discredit another artist. I would think you could have arranged a meeting with Mr Eastwood and man to man ask him "why". I think Mr Eastwood's film is not entirely accurate in regards to the specific issues you addressed. For you to have a discussion first versus spewing to the media (you knew the cameras were rolling) would have had a more positive impact a better discussion on the subject. Instead you belittled the issue by your decision to insinuate the Mr Eastwood is a racist - which sorta backfired on you because society is tired of the race card (USING guilt as a means to further a personal/selfish agenda!?!?))

Personally I think you created the drama in the media to draw attention to yourself and your film. (after all Hollywood is notorious for its inaccurate depictions so you might as well get in long line of grievances)

And far as your film not being nominated - kinda ahead the game no?