Oscarsare the single most recognizable trophy that a film can earn, with nearly a century of cinema history intertwined with the prestigious award. Making sure to accommodate all the different aspects of a film’s production, there’s an Oscar for everything from acting, directing, writing, costume design, editing, and further, all giving recognition to the many talented performers and crew that come together to make a movie work. Perhaps the most sought-after award in the whole ceremony, the Best Picture award is one of the highest accomplishments that a movie can attain. Typically, theBest Picture winnersalso have a plethora of other nominations in other categories, as it often takes incredible acting, directing, writing, and further, to create a final product worthy of such recognition.
However, the Best Picture award isn’t simply given to the movie with the most wins in other categories. Receiving multiple nominations in all the different categories isn’t even a guarantee for a nomination for Best Picture. A 1969 movie based on a Great Depression-era novel takes home the less-than-favorable record of receiving the most Oscar nominations— except for Best Picture. Despite being recognized for impeccable work in many of the biggest categories in the awards ceremony,They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?holds the record as themovie with the most Academy Award nominations, except for the biggest award of the night.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
The lives of a disparate group of contestants intertwine in an inhumanely grueling dance marathon.
What Is ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ About?
Decades beforeSquid Gamesbecame a global phenomenon,They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?was one of the foremost explorations into the harrowing reality of human desperation, exploring how far people were willing to sacrifice their sanity for financial stability in distinctly unstable times.They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?is apsychological dramareleased in 1969, directed bySydney Pollack, that followed a compelling set of people competing for a cash prize in a dance marathon during the Great Depression. Robert Syverton (Michael Sarrazin) is a homeless man who finds himself partnered with Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda), a young woman with a bleak outlook on the world, but a deep inner commitment to winning the prize. Joining them in the competition are other characters of varying backgrounds and motivations, but are all interconnected by the desperation rising out of them due to the unforgiving economic landscape of the Great Depression.
The competitors included aspiring actors, retired sailors, and impoverished farmers all yearning for the $1,500 cash prize offered to them. The dance marathon was hosted by a charismatic and opportunistic emcee, Rocky Gravo (Gig Young), who not only spurred the competitors to push themselves beyond their physical limitations but heightened the spectacle by forcing the participants to race around a track after grueling hours of dancing with minimal medical and psychological attention given to them throughout the several weeks of the competition.They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?is full of drama, intrigue, and complex explorations into the motivations that drive people to sacrifice dignity, either through their self-sacrifice or through the opportunistic manipulation of those in less fortunate situations, making for a thought-provoking and deeply poignant cinema experience.
How Many Oscars Was ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ Nominated For?
The film was a resounding success, both commercially and critically, as it was nominated for nine total Academy Awards.For the on-screen roles, three performers were nominated for an Oscar: Jane Fonda forBest Actress, Gig Young for Best Supporting Actor, andSusannah Yorkfor Best Supporting Actress. Since the film mostly takes place in a single location, audiences are given intimate looks into the portrayal of deep, complex emotions shared by these talented performers. Sydney Pollack also received anomination for Best Director, whileJames PoeandRobert E. Thompsongarnered nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, as the film was adapted from a 1930s novel of the same name.
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The visual design and aesthetic direction taken by the film was a major highlight of the production, creating a setting that was simultaneously colorful and eccentric, while still maintaining an overarching aura of grime and depression. This saw the film earn nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing. The film’s final nomination was for Best Score of a Musical Picture. However, despite accumulating nominations in nine different categories,They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?was not nominated for Best Picture, making it a record holder for the movie with the most Oscar nominations, without receiving recognition for Best Picture.Interestingly enough, there’s another film in Oscars history that has the reverse record, winning the award forBest Picture without nominations in any other categories.
Which Oscar Did ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ Win?
Though the film received Academy Award nominations in the near double digits, only one of the nominees took home the actual golden statue.For his eye-catching and charismatic performance as the contest promoter, Gig Young was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.This was Young’s third nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but only his first victory, having been nominated in 1952 and 1959 as well. But though Young was the only one to receive an Oscar for this movie, thecast and crew were still star-studded and award-winning, solidifying their legacies by going on to win multiple awards for future projects.
Director Sydney Pollack would win Best DirectorandBest Picture in 1985 forOut of Africa, as well as a later pair of Emmys. Jane Fonda went on to become one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, earning two Best Actress Awards in the 1970s, as well as an Emmy Award, several Golden Globe Awards, and even a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Susannah York won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1972. Ultimately, thoughThey Shoot Horses, Don’t They?didn’t bring home nearly as many golden statues as it could have, the movie continues to be a poignant and visceral allegory about human willpower and the overwhelming weight of societal inequality.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?is available to stream on Mubi in the U.S.
