Column: Stunt workers are unsung heroes of the movies. Give them an Oscar category
It’s especially noteworthy that there’s still no Oscar category for stunt coordinator because at the first Academy Awards, the movie that earned best picture did so by showcasing breathtaking stunt work. The 1927 film “Wings” was nominated in only one other category — engineering effects — when it took home the trophy for what was then called “Outstanding Picture.”
Since then the academy has selected 15 more war movies as the year’s best, with “Oppenheimer” expected to make it 17 this weekend. Most of them were undergirded by the brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to make the cinematic experience as lifelike as possible.
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LZ Granderson
LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports and navigating life in America.
That’s how “Wings,” a film about a love triangle set during World War I, could win the night’s biggest prize without its actors, director or screenwriters receiving a nomination. That’s not to say they weren’t snubbed (if you believe in such a thing). But clearly voters were in awe of the coordination of a dozen tanks, hundreds of planes and 5,000 extras — soldiers, actually. The film was shot in San Antonio — affectionately known as Military City — where the War Department was eager to support movies featuring patriotism. In today’s numbers, it is estimated the government supplied the “Wings” filmmakers with more than $250 million in manpower and equipment. Directed by William Wellman, a wartime pilot who had been shot down by Germans in 1918, the film is preserved by the Library of Congress.
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Over the decades, technology has enabled creatives to bring fictional galaxies to Earth and extinct dinosaurs back to life. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has come to recognize the storytelling contributions of the special effects industry. Same goes for sound, hair and makeup, and costume design. And yet stunt coordinators are still not honored with a category. The academy clearly loves war movies, and yet the people most responsible for making those films feel real are not celebrated.
Not to mention there wouldn’t be summer blockbusters or slapstick comedies without stuntmen, because not everyone is made for that Tom Cruise life. The actor is famous for not only doing his own stunts but also breaking his own bones. And not just him. Daniel Craig has done a number of interviews talking mostly about the scores of injuries that came with James Bond stunt work — and keep in mind, he didn’t do all of the stunts in the films.
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Many members of the crew and cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” first had to learn to swim before shooting began because half of the film is underwater. Incredibly, that film’s aquatic stunt team worked with novices and helped turn a comic book film into an Oscar winner. And disappointingly, there wasn’t a way to celebrate their critical work at the movie industry’s biggest night.
After seven films and 30 years of Cruise running on rooftops and jumping out of planes, his “Mission Impossible” series finally received two Oscar nominations: for best sound and best visual effects. Wouldn’t it be nice if by the time the eighth installment is released in 2025, there’s a stunt coordinator category waiting for it?
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There could not have been a “Braveheart” as we know it (which won best picture in 1996) without a stunt coordinator. Same with “Platoon” (in 1987), “Deerhunter” (in 1979) and “Patton” (in 1971).
What is “Lawrence of Arabia” (which won in 1963) without the stunts performed on camelback? In fact Peter O’Toole, who received an honorary Oscar in 2002, almost died making the film after a gun meant to signal the start of a scene fired prematurely. O’Toole’s camel was startled, and he fell off as a stampede of horses approached. Fortunately, the camel was trained to shield him from harm.
The tragedy surrounding the making of “Rust” and the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is a painful reminder that filmmaking isn’t without its dangers. And the people responsible for coordinating the exciting stunts are also the ones minimizing danger.
Not only that. They’re also often the ones guaranteeing the laughs.
Earlier this year Conrad Palmisano passed away. Be sure to look for him in the “In Memoriam” segment of the broadcast. He was the stunt coordinator for “Weekend at Bernie’s,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and sequels of “Rush Hour,” among other classics. The man was an icon, whose stunt work goes all the way back to “The A-Team.”
“Richard Burton once complained to me,” Palmisano recalled in an interview. “He said: ‘I do a soliloquy of Shakespeare and I don’t get anything out of the crew. You fall down a flight of stairs, everyone applauds.’ I said: ‘What are you complaining about? You’re married to Elizabeth Taylor.’ ”
It’s a great quip about the chasm between Hollywood’s stars and the stunt doubles responsible for some of our most visceral responses in the theater. As a member of the academy, Palmisano lobbied for years to have the Oscars formally recognize his field’s contribution to the industry.
Going all the way back to the very first award show, in 1929, it’s been clear that stunts are essential to great filmmaking. That’s why when it comes to the topic of Oscar snubs, this feels like the biggest one every year.
It’s also one the academy could easily remedy.
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