By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
The 53rd New York Film Festival will begin this Saturday (postponed from today due to Pope Francis‘ visit) with Robert Zemeckis‘ high-wire biopic The Walk opening the event.
The Joseph Gordon-Levitt-starring picture, in which he plays French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, is Zemeckis’ first film since 2012’s Flight which earned two Oscar nominations, but none for Zemeckis himself.
Premiering on opening night in New York has led to Oscar success for films in past years, and with a season that has so far not seen a frontrunner, The Walk is hoping to capitalize.
Here’s a look at films that have premiered on New York Film Festival’s opening night and gone on to receive recognition from the Academy:
Chariots of Fire (1981): The drama about two runners competing in the 1924 Olympic Games opened the 19th NYFF on its way to winning four Academy Awards, including best picture.
The Big Chill (1983): Tom Berenger and Glenn Close led an all-star cast in this story about a reunion of college friends. The film opened the 21st NYFF and earned three Oscar noms, including best supporting actress for Close and best picture.
Pulp Fiction (1994): Quentin Tarantino‘s iconic film of interconnected plots premiered on opening night at the 32nd NYFF. The film earned seven Oscar nominations, but only one won (best screenplay for Tarantino) in a year with a historically loaded roster. Though nominated for best picture the film it ultimately lost to Forrest Gump, as did The Shawshank Redemption.
About Schmidt (2002): Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates both earned Oscar nominations for this story about a retired man embarking on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding which opened the 40th NYFF.
Mystic River (2003): This murder mystery earned six nominations, including best picture and best director for Clint Eastwood, and stars Sean Penn (best actor) and Tim Robbins (best supporting actor) both took home statues.
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005): George Clooney directed and starred in this true story adaptation of journalist Edward R. Murrow‘s (David Strathairn) investigation into Senator Joseph McCarthy which earned six nominations, including best picture and best director, after opening the 43rd NYFF.
The Queen (2006): This biopic about Queen Elizabeth II earned six nominations, including best picture, and won star Helen Mirren an Oscar for best actress.
The Social Network (2010): Director David Fincher‘s biopic about Facebook CEO/Founder Mark Zuckerberg won three Oscars, including best screenplay for Aaron Sorkin, and earned eight overall nominations.
Life of Pi (2012): This adaptation of author Yann Martel‘s novel by director Ang Lee earned 11 Oscar nominations and won four awards, including best director for Lee.
Captain Phillips (2013): The true story adaptation of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) run-in with Somali pirates in 2009 scored six nominations, including best picture, but couldn’t take home any awards.
Gone Girl (2014): Fincher returned to open another NYFF with his adaptation of Gillian Flynn‘s novel. Unfortunately, he was unable to capture the same Oscar magic as he did in 2010 with The Social Network and the film only earned one nomination, best actress for star Rosamund Pike.
