Wrong Gong Phooey

Winning an Oscar is a pretty darn good feeling. Not winning one is utterly miserable. But what can you do, asks Robert Fox.

Being involved in a film that is nominated for an award is both exciting and frustrating. Exciting for the obvious reasons, frustrating because even though you know rationally that there is no such thing as a “best” film, the mere fact of being nominated forces you to be competitive about something you cannot control.

I first attended the Oscars a few years ago when I was nominated, along with my friend and co-producer Scott Rudin, for The Hours. Scott wisely went on holiday instead. It was the first post-9/11 ceremony. No red carpet, very low-key, metal detectors everywhere and the certain knowledge that Chicago would win Best Film. But despite that certain knowledge, human nature took over and I woke up in the middle of the night rehearsing my acceptance speech, desperate not to leave anyone out.

Everything went according to plan; Chicago won; The Hours received one Oscar for Nicole Kidman as Best Actress; the other eight nominations went out of the window. Later I went to the Vanity Fair party and met Robbie Robertson from The Band—now that was a result.

Atonement, which was nominated for 14 Baftas and seven Oscars, including Best Film, was another film that I was fortunate to be involved with from the beginning. It is British through and through, apart from the financiers—a subject for another time—so it had every chance of suffering from a Brit Bashing by the Brits at the Baftas. As far as the Oscars go, Atonement was always going to be an outsider; but it’s not violent and maybe the Academy voters would be relieved by that, as well as thrilled by the achievements of the cast and crew.

Well, Atonement won Best Film at the Baftas, having been ignored in every other category. At the Oscars, it won Best Score. Two out of 21—almost a 10 percent strike rate. Not bad, but not exactly No Country For Old Men. I was delighted that the Coen bothers’ film won, even if it meant we could not, because (a) it is a terrific film and (b) Scott Rudin produced it, and he so deserved to be there with an Oscar.

This time I watched the ceremony on TV at home, cheering when we won and just shrugging when we didn’t. After all, there is no such thing as “best”, is there?