J. Edgar is a biographical film depicting J. Edgar Hoover over half his life as he served eight presidents—from Calvin Coolidge until Richard Nixon—as the first Director of the FBI. The reputation of the movie was not quite favorable, but people talked about why Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Edgar did not get nominated for an Academy Award.
Each movie company chooses a theme suited to win an Academy Award and then based on this theme, the company carefully selects the director, screenplay writer, cast, and staff for the movie; the movie release date is selected to avoid blockbuster times such as summer break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and the movie is strategically entered into movie festivals such as Venice, Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto. Academy members—actors and producers—vote to determine the award winners, so basically Academy Award winners are selected from movies that are promoted by movie companies. Therefore, the key to winning an Academy Award is that a movie has to be supported by a movie company and get respect from fellow people in the movie industry.
Renowned Clint Eastwood directed this movie and Dustin Lance Black, who earned an Academy Award for Milk, was in charge of the script; above all, this movie was a biopic. Public expectation that Leonardo would take the Academy Award this time was high.
It is probably true that the probability of winning an Academy Award for a performance based on a real person is very high. If we look at recent winners for Best Actor and Actress: Meryl Streep (as Margaret Thatcher), Sandra Bullock (as Leigh Anne Tuohy), Marion Cotillard (as Edith Piaf), Helen Mirren (as Elizabeth II), Reese Witherspoon (as June Carter), Charlize Theron (as Aileen Wuornos), Nicole Kidman (as Virginia Woolf), Julia Roberts (as Erin Brockovich), Colin Firth (as King George VI), Sean Penn (as Harvey Milk), Forest Whitaker (as Idi Amin), Philip Seymour Hoffman (as Truman Capote), Jamie Foxx (as Ray Charles)… For Best Supporting Actor or Actress: Christian Bale (as Dicky Eklund), Melissa Leo (as Alice Ward), Cate Blanchett (as Katharine Hepburn)… I think the reason why playing a real person increases the chance of winning an Oscar is that the audience knows of the real person so the actors are not judged solely on their acting ability, but also their ability to imitate the real person; therefore, the audience and Oscar voters pay close attention, and the actors that pass this close examination are rewarded with a prize.
Leonardo DiCaprio who has matured into an actor representing the present era never hides the feeling that he wants to be given an Oscar. In an interview, he answered, “I’ve wanted to win an Oscar my whole life. If there’s an actor who says they don’t want an Oscar, I think that person is lying.” In fact, it is said that when he learned there was a plan to make J. Edgar, he was determined to get himself in that movie. He thought this movie would be another chance at getting an Oscar. His performance was praised highly. But why wasn’t he nominated?
To say it briefly, this movie’s performance in the box office was not good enough due to the poor screenplay, so the movie companies did not bother to push for an Oscar for it.
Moreover, the acting ability of Leonardo DiCaprio is not the problem, but rather the difference in temperaments between him and J. Edgar. J. Edgar is a man who is accustomed to doing bad things to protect his power. He would do anything to protect himself, serving in the time of the Red Scare and assassinations, and died at the height of his political power before the citizens’ revolution in the 70s. One could see his rottenness in his eyes, as if there was putrid gas bubbling out. Historically, he was an interesting person, but I don’t think he deserves a movie on him or that we can learn anything beautiful from his life.
In contrast, Leonardo DiCaprio is a very genuine man. Despite working as a top actor in Hollywood today, he doesn’t seem to be leading an extravagant lifestyle. He doesn’t frequent parties and he donates part of his own fortune to nature conservation agencies. He does not surround himself with subordinate Hollywood actors just to show off, and he’s a loyal man because he has kept his friends since his time as a childhood actor as his best friends today—Tobey McGuire and Lukas Haas. Many influential movie directors have a mutual respect with Leonardo and want to work with him. Despite being a superstar, his relationships with women are not showy. At any rate, he’s a big-shot, but we don’t hear bad stories about him at all.
I think he naturally fits a role where he works hard in a life filled with adversity and with an element of tragedy. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Titanic, Gangs of New York, Catch Me If You Can, Departed, Revolutionary Road, Blood Diamond, Shutter Island—all are sad, but the audience always feels sympathy for Leonardo DiCaprio as these protagonists. Leonardo tries too hard to play the vicious J. Edgar, and gradually his eyes fill with madness. J. Edgar can be bad with no effort, and that’s the big difference. Unfortunately, there are too many differences in the nature of the two as human beings that is beyond any acting ability.
No one is doubting Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting ability. If he is aiming for an Oscar, I think he should find a character to play that is more similar to his own temperament. Watching baby-faced Leo, Academy members may have been thinking, “Leonardo DiCaprio is still too young to win an Oscar. He must wait a little longer.” However, they may be a little surprised that Leo is already in his forties!