The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards

by Steve Pond

An unprecedented look at the machinations behind everyone's favorite Hollywood circus and what it reveals about the business of moviemaking.

Oscar parties. Oscar pools. Oscar style. Oscar predictions. The Oscars breed their own peculiar mania and a billion people worldwide are alleged to watch the broadcast every year. While that figure may be the Academy's big white lie, the Oscars draw a viewership well into the hundreds of millions--a tremendous audience for what is essentially a television program. But this is no ordinary show. Love it or loathe it, the Oscars are an irresistible a gloriously gaudy, glitzy, momentous, and foolish window into the unholy alliance of art and commerce that is the film industry. The Oscar statuette is a totem of such potency that millions are spent and careers laid on the line in the reckless pursuit of an eight-pound chunk of gold-plated britannium.

The Big Show is a chronicle of the past fifteen years of the Academy Awards, the most tumultuous decade in Oscar's seventy-six year history. Written by the only journalist ever given carte blanche access to the planning, production, and backstage intrigue of the Oscars, it offers an unguarded, behind-the-scenes glimpse of this singular event, along with remarkable insight into how the Oscars reflect the high-stakes politics of Hollywood, our obsession with celebrities (not to mention celebrities' obsession with themselves), and the cinematic state of the union.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, Pop Culture

Hardcover

First published January 12, 2005

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steve Pond must have been invisible to get all this gossip. Unless you know or remember much about the Oscars in the '90s, though, you may not care.

[Sisiggy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love old movies. I love new movies. I love the background and insider stories of the iconic stars of old movies, most of whom were at the peak of their careers before I was born. However, for some reason I've always been ambivalent to the back stories of current movies.

Having read The Big Show, I know why. Going by Steve Pond's observations, if you take the big screen away from these people, they're about as interesting as listening to my Aunt Angelina discuss the details of her gall bladder exam. Apparently Mr. Pond would find such a conversation riveting, just as he seems to think where the smoking area was and who didn't like it there and why the back door kept getting opened and shut at different times during different award shows during different years. Yeah, the book was just as exciting as that last sentence...

In fairness, this backstage glimpse into the decisions and events that lead up to the early spring broadcast of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awards shows in the 1980s and 1990s does answer some of the questions that, if not burning, are at least niggling for the duration of the show: how the host is chosen, how much input the host has on what he or she does, what the story is behind who is allowed to thank an exhaustive list of everyone they ever met (Julia Roberts) and whose list gets drowned out by the orchestra three names in (the guy who wins for makeup).

Beyond that, if you find it fascinating that, as so-n-so came off the stage after winning Best Actor/Actress, Steve Martin was coming out of the restroom. No context given -- yet, somehow, I just didn't care.

[Michael P.]

I would have quit this one on page 70, but was on a trip with nothing else to read. The book is a look at Academy Awards broadcasts from the early nineties into the 2000s. It is mostly a catalogue of bad behavior by film people, behavior that makes the eventual success of each broadcast a miracle. If you enjoy gossip about people being jerks, enjoy this book. If you tire of one vainglorious episode after another, skip this one. It is intended for a general readership, and so will be of real but limited use to scholars. I had to stick it out to page 146 or truly have nothing to do. I hope that you do not have that problem.

[Seth Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its title, this book is basically 400 pages of gossip; anyone looking for real insight won't find it here, but it's fun anyway, and fascinating to see the way the production of the Oscars ceremony is basically a bunch of chickens running around with their heads cut off for 4 months or whatever. The entire thing is worth it alone for a horrifying anecdote in which Madonna, rehearsing for a number from Evita, lifts a crew member up by the neck in a rage for tripping her up.

[Jacob Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want an inside look at the ins and outs of high-stress live television production alongside juicy celebrity gossip (Barbara Streisand is probably still furious), this is an extremely entertaining, extremely outdated read full of wild, sometimes hilarious stories and details.

[Studvet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely enjoyable and interesting and what goes on behind the scenes is fascinating. Removes a lot of the glamour by doing so but humanises Hollywood.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2005. Tell all book about the Academy Awards.

[Ann Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great - full of good stories

[A. Bowdoin Van Riper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Big Show is exactly the kind of book you’d expect from a leading movie-magazine journalist who’d been given an all-access backstage pass to the Academy Awards ceremony for eleven years. It’s an “inside look” at an event most of us only see the outside of, but a carefully managed one.

The backstage personnel come across as so uniformly competent, dedicated, and funny that they begin to feel like characters from Singin’ in the Rain or Argo. Anecdotes about the stars never cut too close to the bone or stray too far from their public images: Russell Crowe is grumpy, Judi Dench is classy, Tom Hanks is unfailingly nice, Robin Williams is unpredictable. The most emotionally revealing moments are invariably flattering: Kevin Spacey being courtly to a stunned Julia Roberts in the wings, or Michael Douglas earnestly thanking the show’s producers for the “respect and honor” they showed his aging father, Kirk. The high points of every show are lauded, and the misfires—like host David Letterman’s dead-on-arrival “Uma . . . Oprah” joke—handled briefly and gently. Pond is a sharp-eyed observer and a graceful writer, but he has no interest in biting—or even aggressively nibbling—the hand that feeds him.

The Big Show excels, however, in its depiction of the technical side of the story. Aware that he is, in effect, telling the same story fifteen times, Pond uses his first several chapters to introduce the reader to the rhythms of planning, rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and the show itself. The later chapters cover these structural elements more lightly, allowing room for sidebar discussions of topics like seat-fillers, stand-ins, acceptance speeches, gift baskets, and a dozen other subjects . . . all fascinating for the movie fans who are the book’s target audience. I found myself repeatedly, delightedly saying: “So that’s how they do it . . .”

[Adrian Robbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards by Steve Pond (2005) is an excellent treatise of the former 11 year period (1994-2004) of the Academy Awards. In his book, he gives the reader an informative, comprehensive introduction to the planning, production, and backstage intrigue of the Oscars. Not only giving a 'behind-the-scenes' look at this spectacular event, Pond delivers astonishing insight into how the Oscars portray the high-stake politics of Hollywood. He is very successful in providing a glimpse of the happenings backstage with individual chapters dedicated to the 66th through the 76th Academy Awards (for Oscar winning films produced between 1993 through 2004). This book is an interesting read for anyone who may be interested in knowing more about some of the lesser known 'behind-the-scene' happenings that occurred over a decade ago surrounding this unique Hollywood award event.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a salacious muckraker, thankfully - although that might've been more interesting for some. Rather, it deals with the behind-the-scenes production headaches and thrills of the biggest live televised stage show in the world. Touches on the star personalities involved - eg: Steve Martin low-maintenance, Russell Crowe a jerk - but more or less told from the producers' perspective of getting all the pieces together, directing the chaos on the night, and dealing with the post-mortem fall-out. Some bits are boring and redundant, but many anecdotes are cute, and reveal as much about the movie stars as an Vanity Fair puff piece. Add one star if you loved watching the Oscars throughout the 90s and early 00s, and another is you're into event management, and want some tips (probably on what NOT to do).

[Grindy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much better book than the reviews here indicate. There may be something frivolous to the Academy Awards, but Miramax in the mid-1990s figured a way to game the contest and has reaped countless millions by exploiting awards season. That's one of the recurring themes of the book, along with the producers' uneasy efforts at putting Best Song nominees' performances on when most viewers wish they could skip past them.


If criticism of the book is that it's a bit breathless and dishy, at least the dish was new to me. I learned that the Oscar hosts can be biting during rehearsal with the ad-libs (especially Chris Rock); and that in the year Eminem received a nomination for Best Song but didn't attend perform, Patrick Stewart did a reading of "Lose Yourself" that was judged "creditable." Where is that tape at?

[Rachel Heil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge Hollywood fan and I've been watching the Academy Awards since I was literally six years old. I love the fashion and seeing who takes home gold. So, it was only natural that I picked up this book, that tells behind the scene stories. I found the book extremely interesting and even laughed a few times. Steve Pond, the author, was actually working behind the scenes during the show and was able to overhear some interesting conversations between major stars. The only thing I disliked about the book is that it ended after the 76th Academy Awards. I find the most interesting award shows came after that year, so that was slightly disappointing. Overall, it's a really enjoyable book and I would strongly suggest it to anyone who's even remotely interested with Hollywood.

[Rebecca Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this recently (over the awards season). Every year I take on the massive task of watching every film nominated for an Oscar in all categories and I was interested in knowing a bit more about the politics behind nominations, the culture (or beginnings) of Oscar campaigning and what goes in to producing the show. This book finishes in the year that Lord of the Rings won everything (which was before I started my yearly challenge) so it was kind of good to get a bit of background. It was very episodic, each chapter following each year. It wasn't overly sentimental or anything but I did find it quite a nostalgic read. I would be interested in reading a follow up for the years that followed.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone that knows me knows I am obsessed with movies - particularly those generally nominated for Oscars. I like my movies dark, dramatic, and thought-provoking. That being said, I am also addicted to awards season - the Oscars being one of my favorite nights of the year. This book goes behind the scenes of The Big Show, and is a must-read for any movie lover.

[Kathy Tallent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pond, who was a writer at "Premier" magazine, was granted access to the production staff during the planning, rehearsals, and broadcast of 11 consecutive Academy Awards ceremonies beginning in 1994. This book is full of anecdotes about the famous. There are lots of high times, not so many dirty dealings.

[Quiltyknitwit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and interesting back story for the Academy Awards shows, as observed by journalist Steve Pond. Meticulous planning and details go into this annual multi-hour extravaganza. The best chapters were about the individual shows. Probably not news that the celebrities are rather egomaniacal, smoke like chimneys, and can be just as star-struck as the average Joe.

[Richard Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about the history of the Academy Awards, what goes into putting the show on each year, famous moments, etc. If you watch the Academy Awards like I do, you will find this book interesting.

[Juls · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who's worked on several of the Oscars mentioned in the book, I enjoyed reading someone else's take on the behind the scenes goings-ons, politics, and dramas that go on when producing the Oscars.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting play by play of the last decade or so of Oscar ceremonies. The book came out in 2005, so unfortunately we don't get to see the Hugh Jackman/James Franco shows. Dry in places, but Bruce Vilanch gets in a few good zingers.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at what goes on behind the Academy Awards each year. It gives some history of the show, but it mainly covers the past 15 years or so. Very interesting stuff.

[Will Bellais · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an utter waste of time. The backstage gossip is so inconsequential that by the time I got to the end of the book I was relieved.

[Book Concierge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Backstage at the Oscars can't really be this boring ... can it? I finished it, but I was really mostly skimming after the first three chapters.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful. This is a thick book, but it moves pretty quickly and there are quite a few pictures. If you're interested in celebrity culture, you'll enjoy this.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look behind the scenes of the Academy Awards. I don't watch them, but am intrigued by the process.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it very interesting to see what goes on behind the awards ceremony.

[Dan Fingerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like crack for entertainment/pop culture junkies.
I've read it twice.

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the show it covers, the book has some interesting and fun moments, but often takes itself more seriously than it should and is far too long.

[Jackie Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better book than I expected. Less gossip and more of the actual management of a complex event.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit repetitive but fun to read.