Once you’re one of many biggest administrators in movie historical past, letting go of a venture turns into a typical prevalence. This was one of many challenges that Steven Spielberg confronted when, after a lot deliberation, he needed to put aside “Rain Man” in favor of one other main venture within the works. The 1988 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise is considered one of many best movies in each of their careers — one to which Spielberg devoted a substantial period of time earlier than passing it on to a different filmmaker. Whereas Barry Levinson was telling the story of Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) reuniting together with his estranged and autistic brother, Raymond (Hoffman), Steven Spielberg was off on one other whirlwind journey with one among cinema’s most beloved heroes, who this time was bringing his dad.
Chronicled in Brent Notbohm and Lester D. Friedman’s “Steven Spielberg: Interviews, Revised and Up to date,” the Oscar-winning director defined why he needed to half methods with the movie that may finally earn Hoffman and Levinson shiny gold statues for his or her contributions. “With ‘Rain Man,’ I spent nearly half a 12 months creating it with Dustin, Tom Cruise, and [writer] Ron Bass,” Spielberg defined. “I saved attempting to get the screenplay to be higher and higher whereas having a cease date of the twelfth of January, at which era I must begin capturing ‘Indy 3,’ or we could not make our Memorial Day 1989 launch date.” Sadly, as time dwindled, selections needed to be made, and commitments needed to be honored, which took precedence over Spielberg’s collaboration with two of Hollywood’s largest stars.
A promise to George Lucas and Indiana Jones stopped Spielberg from directing Rain Man
After constructing some of the iconic franchises ever, it made sense for Steven Spielberg to control issues when the third installment got here round. Since 1977, the director had adopted George Lucas at each step in fleshing out the world of Indiana Jones, so abandoning it earlier than “Indiana Jones and the Final Campaign” was not an choice, even within the case of “Rain Man,” to which he had contributed a lot.
“Once I noticed that I used to be going to go previous January twelfth and that I must step down from ‘Indy 3,’ the promise I made to George was extra essential than making ‘Rain Man,'” Spielberg revealed. “So, with nice remorse, as a result of I actually needed to work with Dustin and Tom, I stepped down from the film.” It wasn’t an enormous loss for the director. On the time, it was the second most profitable movie within the franchise after “Raiders of the Misplaced Ark” and what even /Movie considers the second-best movie within the collection. However, it nonetheless did not cease Spielberg from questioning, “What if?” when awards season rolled round, and “Rain Man” obtained a powerful quantity of reward that the director missed out on. The reality is, nevertheless, Spielberg believed that had he been a part of the venture, “Rain Man” may not have even gotten a point out.
Steven Spielberg believes Rain Man would not have succeeded together with his title on it
Many initiatives crossed Steven Spielberg’s desk, however he appeared nearly relieved that “Rain Man” was one which slipped away. In a 1990 interview for “Movie ’90,” he confessed that whereas he felt a bit envious of Sonnenfield’s Oscar win, he thought it may not have been thought of if his title had been on the poster as a substitute.
“I’ve a really unusual relationship with Hollywood, and virtually talking if my title had been on ‘Rain Man’ shot for shot, what Barry had performed, merely my title had been substituted for his, I in all probability in my coronary heart of hearts, do not even assume I would have been nominated as director on that movie,” the director theorized. “And I am unsure that may’ve received that many awards.”
It could be one other eight years earlier than Spielberg walked residence with not only one, however two awards from the Academy for “Schindler’s Checklist,” after being nominated 5 instances as much as that time. Who can say if he would have obtained it any sooner? In any case, let’s not break up toothpicks over this and be thankful for the model of “Rain Man” we did not get and the beloved Indy threequel that we did.
