With two Oscar nominations under his belt (Best Original Screenplay for "Do The Right Thing" and Best Documentary Feature for "4 Little Girls"), plus a career that’s still moving at a steady clip, it seems a little strange that 58 year-old Spike Lee will be getting an Honorary Oscar. Usually reserved for cinematic artists whose spotlight has faded a bit or whom the Academy has previously overlooked, an award as such will be handed to Lee and a couple of other legends.
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Gena Rowlands (a two-time Best Actress nominee for "Gloria" and "A Woman Under The Influence") and Debbie Reynolds (a best Actress nominee for "The Unsinkable Molly Brown") will join Lee at the Governors Awards, where they will be toasted with their honorary Oscars, with the latter receiving Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic efforts.
There’s no doubt this trio are deserving of recognition. But in particular, I hope Lee will go for the Oscar gold with his future films. It feels a bit early for the filmmaker to be given what is essentially a career achievement honor, but then again, his legacy with respect to cinema, television, documentary and advertising have the reach that few filmmakers have ever achieved. The awards will be handed out on November 14th.