Mon Sep 08 07:20:00 UTC 2025: **NEWS ARTICLE:**
**Spike Lee Forgets Name of Film That Beat ‘BlacKkKlansman’ at Oscars, Years After Shading Win**
In a moment of ironic amnesia, filmmaker Spike Lee seemingly couldn’t recall the name of “Green Book,” the film that controversially beat his critically acclaimed “BlacKkKlansman” for Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards. The forgetfulness occurred during a recent interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, where the topic of Lee’s Best Adapted Screenplay win for “BlacKkKlansman” arose.
When asked about finally winning an Oscar after previous snubs, Lee referenced his 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” which lost out to “Driving Miss Daisy.” He then struggled to name the film that defeated “BlacKkKlansman,” saying, “BlacKkKlansman lost out to, uh — what was the name of the film?” He jokingly added, “Someone was being driven in that film too.”
“Green Book,” directed by Peter Farrelly, tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a Black pianist and his white driver in the segregated South. The film’s win was met with criticism, with many accusing it of perpetuating the “white savior” trope and simplifying the complexities of racism. Lee himself publicly expressed his displeasure at the time, calling the win a “bad call.”
The director’s initial sentiments and reference to films about people being driven around, calls back to Lee’s previous snarky comments made in 2019 after the awards show when he told BBC reporters, “Offend? Are you British? Let me give you a British answer: It wasn’t my cup of tea!” when asked if “Green Book” offended him.
Despite his past frustration with awards, Lee told Maron that he is no longer driven by such accolades. “I’ll not let that deter me from what I’m doing,” he said. “I understand now that Oscars don’t necessarily mean that’s the best thing. Just keep it moving. I’m mad for a day, then it’s just keep it moving. On to the next. Keep it going.”
First Piper 