Fact Finder - Movies

Fact
The 'Big Five' Sweep
Category
Movies
Subcategory
Oscar Winners
Country
USA
Description
In Oscar terminology, the 'Big Five' refers to winning the five most prestigious awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. In nearly a century of Academy history, only three films have ever accomplished this 'clean sweep.' The first was the romantic comedy 'It Happened One Night' (1934). It took another 41 years for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975) to repeat the feat. The most recent film to join this exclusive club was 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991). This achievement is considered the 'Triple Crown' of filmmaking because it requires excellence in every major creative pillar simultaneously. Many legendary films, from 'The Godfather' to 'Titanic,' failed to join this list because they missed out on either the lead actor or lead actress award.