Fact Finder - Movies

In Oscar history, the Best Picture and Best Director awards usually go hand-in-hand, or at least the director of the winning film is usually nominated. However, Ben Affleck’s 'Argo' (2012) became only the fourth film in history to win Best Picture without its director even being nominated. This 'snub' of Affleck actually created a surge of sympathy and momentum for the film during awards season, helping it sweep the other categories. The last film to do this before 'Argo' was 'Driving Miss Daisy' (1989). The most famous instance occurred at the very first Oscars, where 'Wings' won Best Picture but its director, William A. Wellman, was not nominated. This phenomenon highlights the unpredictable nature of the different Academy branches, as directors nominate directors, but the entire Academy votes for Best Picture.