50 Years After 'Jaws', Spielberg Admits: 'I Was Disappointed'
That snub still stings despite changing cinema forever.
It’s been 50 years since Jaws terrified beachgoers and forever changed the way we watch movies. The 1975 thriller didn’t just create the summer blockbuster — it redefined Hollywood itself. But while Steven Spielberg’s shark saga made waves at the box office, there was one place it didn’t quite land: the Oscars.
Now, as People reveals, in a rare moment of reflection for National Geographic’s new documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, Spielberg is speaking out — and getting personal about the sting of being overlooked.
"When a film is on the cusp of being considered for awards, it's not so much what you want for yourself — it's what everyone else says is going to happen for you," Spielberg said. "So I just understood, 'I guess I'm getting nominated.'"
The world was sure the 28-year-old prodigy would score a Best Director nod. But the Academy had other plans.
"So when I wasn't, I was surprised. And I was disappointed. Because I was believing the noise, and you have to not believe that stuff," he added.
Jaws wasn’t entirely snubbed — it earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and took home three: Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. But Spielberg’s name was glaringly absent. Half a century later, even legends admit that some wounds still bite.
