Martin Scorsese is probably pretty happy right now.
The director’s upcoming crime drama, “The Irishman,” could be up for an Oscar thanks to a rule the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences upheld this week. Scorsese’s film hasn’t even come out yet, but it and other movies distributed by Netflix just scored a huge win.
The Academy Awards will not prevent films produced by streaming services such as Netflix from competing for awards, frustrating some film buffs, including legendary director Steven Spielberg.
Last month, the “Jaws” director made headlines for reportedly plotting to get Netflix films kicked out of the running at the Academy Awards. Spielberg, who is a member of the Academy’s Board of Governors, appeared to think movies need to stay in theaters for much longer to qualify for an Oscar.
“Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” a spokesperson for Spielberg’s film and production company told IndieWire in February. “He’ll be happy if the others will join [his campaign] when that comes up [at the Academy Board of Governors meeting]. He will see what happens.”
Now Netflix can keep winning Oscars, and Spielberg can keep his obsolete opinion to himself. At a meeting of the Academy Board of Governors on Tuesday, which Spielberg opted not to attend, the board decided not to change its current rules regarding streaming services, which allow films to get an Oscar nod after spending just a week in theaters.
The board made the right call, and not just because the Justice Department threatened to slap the Academy with an antitrust complaint. Filmmakers love to talk about the “theatrical experience,” but sitting in a dark theater isn’t always an integral part of experiencing a film.
For movies such as “Avatar” and “Interstellar,” you certainly miss a lot by watching from a laptop screen. But for films such as Netflix’s “Roma,” which took home an Oscar for best foreign language film this year, the drama comes from the film’s characters.
“I want people to find their entertainment in any form or fashion that suits them,” Spielberg said in an email after the New York Times asked him about his beef with Netflix. He added:
It’s great that Spielberg wants to encourage moviegoers to enjoy their entertainment as a social activity, but that doesn’t mean films backed by streaming services — many of which are unique, low-budget enterprises — shouldn’t win awards.
Movie theaters’ popularity hit a 25-year low a couple of years ago, but people still flock to the big screens. In 2018, movie ticket revenue rose 8%. We have our laptops and living room TVs, but we still go to Regal Cinemas.
To draw from Rick in “Casablanca,” we’ll always have the theatrical experience. Now, the Academy will continue to let us have Netflix, too.
