Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" (2019)

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Written By: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Running Time: 161 minutes

Summary: A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

- The Movie -

If there's one thing that's easy bait for Oscar voters, it's movies about movies. After all, what's more fun than discussing the process of making art into what it is? That is at the heart of Netflix's latest film, Mank, which explores the history of bringing Citizen Kane to the big screen. As many can guess, it's already destined to be one of the big awards players of this unorthodox year. It joins a long and impressive history of contemporary films that look to the past to understand the present, finding these haloed figures as blazing a trail that continues to be felt to this day. Even with that said, none of them could possibly be compared to Quentin Tarantino's proposed penultimate film Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, which doesn't only seek to discuss film history, but reinvent the audiences' understanding of it.

Like his other revisionist films, this one came with its fair share of controversy and acclaim. The story takes place in 1969 at a time when the industry is preparing for a major shift. The old guard is witnessing their final days while the group that will make up New Hollywood are starting to take charge, discussing a more ambitious direction for art to go. At the center is Tarantino, whose affection shines through in very decision he made, whether it be the choice to rewrite the Sharon Tate murders or give a beautiful, hilarious swan song to the cowboy genre. It's a story that may be his least plot-driven in his career, but conveys a series of themes that remain fascinating. From aging to nostalgia, it's a story about the magic that Hollywood bestows on those who come to it looking for a good time.

One of the biggest selling points was that this was Tarantino's penultimate movie, his ninth overall. Within that gaze, it's easy to see this as some fairytale that he's concocted about the industry that has welcomed him for almost 30 years. Every detail is meticulously placed to create peak nostalgia, even redesigning key locations in Los Angeles County and recalling obscure pop culture references, including a whole soundtrack featuring radio bumpers. This is maybe the most lived-in period piece about Hollywood ever, and its blend of fact and fiction is an admirable way to comment on media that has withstood the test of time, or faded in a kitschy blaze of glory.

Still, with accusations of violence, misogyny, and racism to back everything up, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood was a film that refused to come and go. Along with an extended cut released that Fall, it became one of the most popular movies of 2019. No matter what your perspective was, there was a good chance that you had an opinion on how it portrayed filmmaking then and what it says about now. Whether or not it's considered his best film, it's another triumph in The Academy Awards' eyes, reminding them what it's like to be alive and making art, even as your life is falling apart. It's a love letter so personal that it'll take a historian to appreciate it all. No matter where you stand, it's like the best of Tarantino: an inescapable earworm that will continue to be discussed for years and years. 

- The Campaign -

The simple rule of thumb is that every Tarantino movie qualifies as an awards contender. At one point, even Grindhouse could be seen on that list. What makes Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood interesting is that it comes after one of his more derisive films since becoming an awards darling. The Hateful Eight may have won Ennio Morricone his overdue Best Original Score Oscar, but it was considered a dud in his career, missing the Best Picture category. It wasn't a mark that suggested he was fading, but the question as to whether he was favoring more nihilistic and cynical commentary would outshine what made critics love him in the first place. 

Cut to 2017 and the announcement that Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood would be his latest project. With a reported decade-long period of conceptualizing it, it would be his love letter to cinema down to cheekily calling it Magnum Opus. It was also inspired by a novel that he was writing. As he created more details, he discovered that he wanted to make a film. This included outlining the fake TV series Bounty Law after the Steve McQueen series Wanted: Dead or Alive. He claims to have five episodes outlined and would love to make a TV series out of it. As he went through casting, he pulled together one of his most impressive casts to date, including returning favorites Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. 

Unlike most productions, it was difficult to keep things hidden. While Tarantino claims to have locked up his script in a vault (likely to combat the leaking of his previous film), he decided to shoot on location around Hollywood. Everything in the film was organic, with several buildings receiving heavy renovation to look like they did in 1969. This included everything from movie theaters to random Taco Bells. They appear in a montage in the film, and one of the more interesting things about filming was public interference. People would take pictures of the altered sets and discuss how it changed the whole vibe of Los Angeles. Still, one of the most impressive factors was the ability to shoot freeway scenes without running into heavy traffic.

The film would not be distributed by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the first for Tarantino. This was in response to the Me Too Movement and the criminalization of Harvey as a sexual predator. Still, it was enough to make this international project all the more impressive. However, it didn't take long for the film to court controversy. At its premiere in 2019 at The Cannes Film Festival, there were complaints that Tarantino didn't have Tate talking enough. Along with accusations of liking Roman Polanski, it leads many to consider the work misogynistic. This was only the start of things. While he would expand her role before the theatrical release (he had final cut as well), it was a complaint that would emerge throughout its release.

Following complaints that the initial teaser posters were lackluster, the trailer was dropped and immediately got people excited. Any tepid review didn't matter as everyone sought to find every film reference in the trailer, admiring the large cast. Despite it being riddled with death (Burt Reynolds died before making it, Luke Perry shortly after), it was going to be a hit. Given that Al Pacino also had an Oscar contender in The Irishman, Robbie with Bombshell, and Pitt with Ad Astra, there was plenty of reason to buy into the buzz around the actors. Even DiCaprio was coming off of his Oscar-winning turn in The Revenant. It was as star-studded as it came, and many saw it as Tarantino's big moment.

As has been the case for every film since Pulp Fiction, Tarantino has suggested that he wanted to only make 10 movies. With Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, he was at his ninth. Many wondered what it said about his career and how it was summarizing his love and contribution to its history. It was rewriting history to give actors a happy ending, punishing evil in the process. It was arguably his most mature film since Jackie Brown and one of his most warm and inviting. Given that Pitt was also getting attention for playing an aging actor, it seemed like the film would dominate at the Oscars. After all, The Artist and Birdman won Best Picture for embracing the therapeutic nature of art.

With an impressive box office draw, the film became an immediate hot-button film that summer. Many loved the story and its hangdog nature. However, it quickly became clear that Tarantino wasn't made to cancel culture. His personal politics differed from what people expected in film. While some complained that Tate talked too little, others said it was to keep her mystique. Others suggested that Pitt's character (who murders his wife) shouldn't be redeemed. Then there was a subplot involving an arrogant depiction of Bruce Lee that caused the Asian community to argue that it was offensive to a cultural icon, to which Tarantino suggested that it was how he was. Finally, there were a few who didn't know The Manson Family and thought that the film's finale mistreated them with a hyperviolent ending.

Whatever the case, it was the one film from 2019 that had legs. Most titles had an inability to last in the conversation. As time went on, there was a rerelease with added footage, and it was preparing for an impressive awards run. Pitt was a Best Supporting Actor favorite and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood would win Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) at The Golden Globes. Along with many other end of the year accolades, it was a reminder of the power of cinema both as an art form, but also as a discussion point. 

During this time, Tarantino talked about his future, suggesting that everything was coming to an end. He wanted to make one more film but was not committed to any plans. Was it going to be that rumored Star Trek film or even a horror title? Along with several moments producing memes (most notably DiCaprio pointing at a TV), it was evident that he still knew how to tap into pop culture and leave his own mark. What it lacked in accuracy it more than made up for in terms of emotional resonance. For the first time in his career, it looked like Tarantino would do something he'd never been able to pull off: win Best Picture and/or Best Director. As one of the most revered artists of his generation, it felt inevitable, and rarely had there been a topic more suited to put him over the top.

- The Payoff -

For the most part, things worked out for Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. With 10 nominations, it became one of the most recognized films of that year. Everything had worked out with Pitt and DiCaprio receiving acting nominations while Tarantino received a Best Picture/Best Director/Best Original Screenplay trio of nominations. Meanwhile, Robbie received a nomination for Bombshell while Pacino for The Irishman. Many of the For Your Consideration ads highlighted the power of movies, using Pacino's "What a picture!" scene as a reference point. It was meant to show how in love with cinema it was, and thus had an easy in with Academy Award voters.

At the time of the ceremony, it would win two awards. First was Pitt for Best Supporting Actor. There was also a win for Best Production Design. However, when it came to the major wins, The Oscars decided to take things in a different direction. This was the year that Parasite would win said categories, marking the first time that a Non-English language film won Best Picture. Even with this in mind, director Bong Joon-ho made sure to pay tribute to The Irishman's Martin Scorsese and Tarantino, believing that they had influenced him to make films in the first place.

One can argue that alongside Joker, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood remains the most recognized film from that year's nominees. It's in large part because of the memes, and the various discussion points that people continually return to. Even the fact that the Charles Manson in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood and Mindhunters was the same guy allowed for some longevity. There's still wonder as to what Tarantino will do next and that alone makes some appreciate the film more. Still, as the first Best Picture nominee from the director in seven years (Django Unchained), it proved to be the success story that he needed.

There's also a chance that the story will only continue to grow in 2021. There is currently talk that Tarantino is planning a Bounty Law show with DiCaprio. There's also news that he will be publishing a novelized version of the film sometime next year. As someone who seems infatuated with the period, it looks like things are only heating up. He wants to revel in the history and understand it as more than a time and place. It's an attempt to create a better ending, to rewrite for the sentimentalist who wants the underdog to win. Despite his violent streaks, Tarantino ultimately wants justice to be served, and that's what makes his work since Inglourious Basterds so affecting.

Will Mank inspire the same love? There's already talk that it will be one of the year's biggest hits for Netflix. With a juicy story behind it, the chance to dive into film history has never felt more encouraged. A new generation is discovering Citizen Kane, and that alone makes 2020 a valuable time to be alive. Only time will tell if Mank succeeds where Tarantino failed in terms of Oscar wins. Otherwise, feel free to jump in the time machine and joy a look through history, commenting on its highs and lows with people who not only dream it but have the resources to make it come to life. If nothing else, Tarantino will keep it alive for a little longer. There's currently a four-hour cut rumored for Netflix in 2021, so hopefully, that only makes things a richer, fuller experience.