With the Academy Awards right around the corner, we take a look back at some previous Best Picture winners. When these winning films were about race, they often highlighted a feel-good racial reconciliation fantasy. But about 30 years ago, there was one movie that was snubbed at the Oscars — “Do the Right Thing” — that is anything but a feel-good racial reconciliation fantasy. We revisit how “Do the Right Thing” showcased realities about race in America in ways that none of the current Oscar nominees — including Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” — do, and why it matters.
Discussed this week:
“Green Book” (directed by Peter Farrelly, 2018)“Forrest Gump” (directed by Robert Zemeckis, 1994)“Crash” (directed by Paul Haggis, 2004)“Driving Miss Daisy” (directed by Bruce Beresford, 1989)“BlacKkKlansman” (directed by Spike Lee, 2018)Kim Basinger going off-script at the 1990 Academy Awards“Do the Right Thing” (directed by Spike Lee, 1989)We're Going Black(er) AKA Dear Woke People
We Watch Trump TV with Emily Nussbaum
We Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
We Feud About “Feud”
We Relive the Oscars with Barry Jenkins
We Listen to Kendrick Lamar & Talk to Valerie Jarrett
We Go To S-Town
Season Finale with Jordan Peele | Episode 26
Oscars Preview with A.O. Scott | Episode 25
Beyoncé to Baldwin and Back Again | Episode 24
The Women of “Girls” | Episode 23
‘You Only Leave Home When Home Won’t Let You Stay’ | Episode 22
Wesley and Jenna’s Existential Fears | Episode 21
Show Me the (Read) Receipts! | Episode 20
Batman vs. Joker | Episode 19
‘The Perfect Movie for Our Time’ | Episode 18
The Kanye-thon | Episode 17
The Lives They Lived | Episode 16
Best of 2016 with Bill Simmons, Heben Nigatu, Tracy Clayton and Ezra Edelman | Episode 15
Beyoncé vs. Adele? No Contest | Episode 14
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