Francis Ford Coppola Prefers Fewer Awards Shows: ‘I Liked It When It Was Just the Oscars’
How did things ever get so far, for there to be so many awards?
Francis Ford Coppola posed the question as to why awards season is getting bigger — and grander — by the year during the 50th anniversary celebration of “The Godfather.”
“There are too many awards shows now. I liked it when it was just the Oscars,” Coppola told Variety.
Yet even the Academy Awards have become too much: “I don’t like it so much as a big razzle-dazzle production,” Coppola added. “I like it more intimate, when they had a gentle quality that I think was nice.”
And the 2022 Oscars has strayed even further, by cutting nine categories including original score, makeup and hairstyling, documentary short, film editing, production design, animated short, live action short, and sound from the telecast. Instead, theses crafts and shorts categories will be presented during a pre-show segment and then edited into the live broadcast for the March 27 ceremony.
“All those [categories] are important,” Coppola said. “It seems odd, but I guess they have their reasons.”
Those reasons appear to include an attempt to boost ratings following the 2021 Oscars’ record low viewership.
Seth Rogen spoke out about the Academy’s push to appeal to mass audiences via the Oscars. The “Pam & Tommy” star told Insider that “maybe people just don’t care” about Hollywood industry awards.
“I don’t care who wins the automobile awards. No other industry expects everyone to care about what awards they shower upon themselves,” Rogen said. “I don’t get why movie people care so much if other people care what awards we give ourselves.”
Jimmy Fallon similarly slammed the Academy’s decision to cut out nine categories, calling it “insulting.”
As for Coppola’s insight on the awards, the auteur won his first Oscar in 1971 for Best Original Screenplay for “Patton.” “The Godfather” later landed 10 nominations and three wins, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola.
“There were so many negative thoughts about the picture at the time that I was very unsure and, quite honestly, astonished that it had this success,” Coppola said.
“The Godfather” currently has a limited theatrical release in Dolby Cinema at AMC theaters in the U.S. and international territories. All three “Godfather” films have been restored by Coppola and will be available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time March 22.
The behind-the-scenes story of “The Godfather” is also at the center of Paramount+’s limited series “The Offer,” starring Dan Fogler as writer-director Coppola. “The Offer” premieres April 28.
The 2022 Oscars airs March 27 on ABC.
