Remembering the Time Spike Lee Lost at the Academy Awards | No Film School

Remember that time (oh, it was about 48 hours ago) when Spike Lee won his first competitive Academy Award for his adapted screenplay work on BlacKkKlansman?

Considered a well-deserved prize, Lee's win was viewed as overdue. One of America's best living directors and screenwriters, Lee had previously found more success with audiences than with award bodies. All that finally changed this past Sunday evening.

Was it a makeup win? Many firmly believe that Lee deserved the Academy Award in 1989 for his original screenplay for Do the Right Thing, a nomination (but not award) he went on to receive. Who did Lee ultimately lose to? Tom Schulman for Dead Poet's Society, a screenwriter who you can literally see passing over Spike Lee at the two-minute mark of the video below.

Before you watch the video, it's of note that the film that went on to win Best Picture that year was Driving Miss Daisy, a film with numerous parallels to this year's Best Picture winner, Green Book. The more things change the more they stay the same? Lee may have lost below, but 29 years later, he can now officially call himself a proud Academy Award winner.

Were you happy to see Spike Lee finally win an Oscar? Let us know in the comments below.

spike lee oscars Academy Awards do the right thing

Mark Duplass Has Some Thoughts on Sundance Acceptance

Mark Duplass Shares His Thoughts on Sundance Acceptance

The Calvary King delivers a hopeful message to filmmakers who didn't get into Sundance.

Mark Duplass has always been a filmmaker's filmmaker. He famously delivered his "The Cavalry is Not Coming" speech at SXSW as a call to action for independent filmmakers to stop waiting and start shooting. Duplass also historically creates and works on small-budget indie projects, including being a key member of the lo-fi, bare-bones mumblecore movement. He's also a charismatic actor who brings a relatable ethos to every role he plays—not to mention seems like an overall cool dude.

We love Mark Duplass.

All the above considered, it's no surprise to see Duplass take to social media with an encouraging statement following the recently announced 2025 Sundance lineup this past Wednesday. Duplass, hot off positive reviews for the recently released The Creep Tapes on Shudder, warmly comforted filmmakers that if you happened to apply to Sundance and weren't selected, hey, that's okay. They curate 15,775. It happens.

We all know rejection sucks, but don't sweat it. Be proud of your project no matter what. And watch Mark Duplass's full snippet of encouraging wisdom below.

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