Ali Movie Sparks Oscar Brawl

Tue., Jun. 3, 1997 1:35 PM PDT by Marcus Errico

Sure, When We Were Kings recounts the 1974 heavyweight slugfest between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle."

The actual fight was nothing, however, compared to the grappling that occurred behind the scenes of the Oscar-winning documentary.

In one corner is challenger Taylor Hackford. "I completely reorganized the material they'd had for over 20 years, created a substantial amount of new material, and contractually had final cut of the film," Hackford wrote in a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, excerpted in Tuesday's Los Angeles Times. "I am responsible for the film that received the Academy Award."

In the other corner are reigning Academy Award champs Leon Gast and David Sonenberg, the two Kings producers who triumphantly ascended the stage on Oscar night and claimed statuettes.

Now, Hackford wants to change the process that caused him to be counted out at the Oscars, while still taking jabs at Gast and Sonenberg.

Hackford was victimized by a quirky rule that states only two filmmakers can be honored in the best documentary feature. The Officer and a Gentleman director is pleading his case before the academy, asking the body to reconsider its rules to avoid a similar "travesty" from occurring.

For his part, Gast claimed he agonized over Hackford's Oscar omission. "The academy turned me down when I asked if we could list three...In the end, though, Taylor just didn't contribute as much as David did. David negotiated the original deal, put up $980,000 to complete the film...and he wasn't just the guy who wrote the check--he was actively involved."

But Hackford disputes that, saying Sonenberg, a music-industry manager who tends to the Fugees and Spin Doctors, didn't deserve the recognition. "He's a lawyer, not a filmmaker." Sonenberg retaliated by calling Hackford "mean-spirited."

Ultimately, though, Hackford's complaints will probably be KO'd by the academy. "Increasing the number of eligible producers isn't the answer. If we raised it to three, people would be crying out for four," executive director Bruce Davis told the Times.

Still, you get the feeling all this might have been avoided if Gast and Sonenberg had simply thanked Hackford in their acceptance speech. They didn't. "I didn't even mention my kids," said Gast, apologetically. "Hackford would be the last person on this planet I'd thank," Sonenberg grumped.