Thank the Academy

In this episode we discuss the seventieth Best Picture winner, Titanic, the many records it broke on its way to winning eleven Academy Awards, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s win for Best Original Screenplay, and Billy Crystal’s continued hosting duties. We also explore the making of Titanic, the ever-expanding budget of the most expensive film to date in 1997, and James Cameron’s obsession with deep...

In this episode we discuss the early years of the Coen Brothers’ careers, their process of making Fargo, and the continued critical and growing commercial success of their films. We also talk about Francis McDormand, her friendship with Holly Hunter, her marriage to and working relationship with Joel Coen, and her many career and Academy Award achievements. -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

Based in Tinseltown, well just north of it (North Hollywood), Zach and Kristen are married film industry professionals on a deep dive into the history of the Academy Awards. Every other week they watch the Academy Award winning Best Picture starting with the original ceremony in 1929 to now. Fascinated by the concept of The Oscars and curious about the culture surrounding them, the Phaneufs are on...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-ninth Best Picture winner, The English Patient! We discuss Gil Cates’s and Billy Crystal’s return to producing and hosting the Academy Awards Ceremony, Miramax’s grassroots campaign strategies for convincing voters to favor The English Patient, and Francis McDormand’s exciting Oscar win. We talk about Saul Zaents’s struggles finding a studio partner, director A...

In this episode we discuss the 1995 film Apollo 13, Tom Hanks’ involvement in the film and lifelong interest in space and the Apollo era of NASA space exploration, and the extensive lengths that Ron Howard, Hanks, and the whole team went through to make this film a reality. We also discuss Emma Thompson’s career, from burgeoning comedienne to two time Academy Award winner, her creative and marital...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-eighth Best Picture winner, Braveheart! Quincy Jones takes on the role of producing the ceremony, Whoopi Goldberg comes back to host, and the yearly themes of Gil Cates are gone. Braveheart surprises everyone by winning Best Picture and Best Director over Apollo 13, Sense and Sensibility, Ron Howard, and Ang Lee, and Mel Gibson is seen in a new light by the ind...

In this episode we discuss the critical successes and box-office failures of The Shawshank Redemption, writer and director Frank Darabont’s path to adapting the Stephen King work, and Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins’ stirring performances. We also look back through Tim Hanks’ long and illustrious career, his many hits, his second Academy Award win in a row, and his place in American pop culture. --...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-seventh Best Picture winner, Forrest Gump! We recap the 67th Oscar ceremony, Dave Letterman’s first and only time hosting the awards, Gil Cates’ new theme of “Comedy and the Movies,” and Forrest Gump’s record 13 nominations. We talk about Wendy Finerman’s quest to get this film made, Tom Hanks’ incredible, award winning performance, and the many box office reco...

In this episode we discuss Jurassic Park, the incredible CG effects and animatronics that went into making believable dinosaurs on the big screen, Michael Crichton’s involvement in the film, and Spielberg’s massive success in 1993. We also discuss the life and career of legendary filmmaker Jane Campion, her breakout success with The Piano and Academy Award win for Best Original Screenplay, her inv...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-sixth Best Picture winner, Schindler’s List! We discuss Steven Spielberg’s hugely successful year and night at the Academy Awards, with Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park winning 10 Oscars combined, Whoopi Goldberg’s historic turn at hosting the ceremony, and the exciting wins for Tom Hanks, Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, and Jane Campion. We also discuss Schindler...

In this episode we discuss Francis Ford Coppola’s salacious and violent Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Winona Ryder’s involvement in the production, the tremendous production value, and Oscar winning makeup and costuming. We also take a close look at Al Pacino’s life and career, his start in the theater, breakthrough as Michael Corleone, and his Oscar win for Best Lead Actor in Scent of a Woman. -- Instag...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-fifth Best Picture winner, Unforgiven, the 65th Academy Awards night celebrating women in film, Billy Crystal’s fourth time as host, and the lack of great films in 1992. We also discuss Clint Eastwood’s career, the themes behind Unforgiven, and why it won Best Picture. -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacademypodcast X: https://www.twitter.com/tha...

In this episode we discuss Disney’s resurgence and the making of Beauty and the Beast, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s contributions to the film, its many Academy Award nominations, and its enduring legacy of success. We also look back through Jodie Foster’s career, her big breaks in Scorsese films, her struggles with fame and celebrity, and her two Academy Award wins for The Accused and The Silen...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-fourth Best Picture winner, The Silence of the Lambs, its feat of winning the “Big Five” Academy Awards, Jodie Foster’s and Anthony Hopkins’ stirring performances in the film, and Billy Crystal’s continued success as the host of the Oscars’ Ceremony! -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacademypodcast X: https://www.twitter.com/thankacademypod Email...

In this episode we discuss Martin Scorsese’s gangster epic, Goodfellas. We talk about why it stands above the rest of the gangster genre, the book Wiseguy and author Nicholas Pileggi, Ray Liotta’s involvement in the film, and the positive critical response upon its release. We also discuss the life and career of EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg, her start in stand-up comedy, many of her iconic roles, a...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-third Best Picture winner, Dances with Wolves, Kevin Costner’s first time producing, directing, and acting in the same film, the continued success of Billy Crystal’s hosting of the Oscar ceremony, the cultural impact of Dances with Wolves, and the good that was done for Native American and Indigenous communities because of the film.  -- Instagram: https://www.i...

In this episode we discuss the Oscar-nominated Civil War film Glory: what inspired the making of the film, the involvement of Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, and why the Academy might have overlooked it as a nominee for Best Picture. We also learn about Academy Award winner Denzel Washington's career: how he got his start, how his family and home life contributes to his success, and his...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-second Best Picture winner, Driving Miss Daisy, how it was the safest choice for race-related films from 1989, Morgan Freeman’s breakout, Jessica Tandy’s first Oscar Award, and Billy Crystal’s exciting debut as host of the ceremony! -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacademypodcast X: https://www.twitter.com/thankacademypod Email us your thoughts:...

In this episode we discuss the 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Steven Spielberg’s involvement in the film, the innovation that went into mixing live action and animation, and the great success of the film that spurred Disney into its 90’s Renaissance. We also learn about renowned makeup artist Ve Neill, her many iconic characters, her partnership with Tim Burton, and her first Academy Award...

In this episode we discuss the sixty-first Best Picture winner, Rain Man, the notorious opening number starring Rob Lowe and Snow White, the historic financial success of Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman’s performance as Raymond, and the critique and positive outcomes of his portrayal of someone with autism in the late 1980s. -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacademypodcast X: https://www.tw...

In this episode we discuss Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables, Kevin Costner’s breakout role as Elliot Ness, and Sean Connery’s Best Supporting Actor win. We also discuss John Patrick Shanley’s career as a writer, his penchant for magical realism, and his Oscar winning script for Moonstruck. -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacademypodcast X: https://www.twitter.com/thankacademypod Em...

In this episode we look back at our first 100 episodes, going through the first 60 years of the Academy Awards. We discuss our favorite stories from the making of the first sixty Best Picture winners, special moments from the first sixty Oscar ceremonies, and name several of our favorites from our first one hundred episodes of Thank the Academy! -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacad...

In this episode we discuss the sixtieth Best Picture winner, The Last Emperor, the big six-decade milestone for the Academy, the lackluster ceremony and poor performance by host Chevy Chase, the predictability of a historical epic winning Best Picture, and Bernardo Bertolucci’s experience making The Last Emperor in The Forbidden City.  -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thanktheacademypodcast...

In this episode we discuss Children of a Lesser God, Randa Haines’ contributions to the film, our qualms with the film’s perspective on deafness, and William Hurts’ one-note character. We also talk about Marlee Matlin’s award winning performance in the film, her relationship with the Winklers, the rocky start to her career, and her many successes in Hollywood. -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.c...

In this episode we discuss the 59th Best Picture winner, Platoon, the shift in American culture to discuss the Vietnam war more honestly, the brutality of the film, and the lengths to which the actors went to do their characters justice. We also discuss the 59th Oscars Ceremony, Marlee Matlin’s record-breaking win for Best Actress, Platoon’s four wins, and a tie for Best Documentary Feature. -- In...