Redford's Rejected Debut Film Swept the Oscars Against All Odds

The passing of Robert Redford at age 89 marked the end of an era for Hollywood. His six-decade career left an indelible mark on the film industry, earning him virtually every major honor as both performer and filmmaker. Yet beyond his on-screen achievements and directorial success, Redford's most lasting contribution may be his role in nurturing new talent through the institutions he helped create.

Redford co-founded both the Sundance Institute and its flagship film festival, which debuted in 1978. He named the event after property he owned in Utah, which itself was named for his iconic role in the 1969 classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," where he starred alongside Paul Newman. Today, Sundance stands as America's premier independent film festival, having launched countless careers over the decades.

A Platform for Future Legends

The festival became a launching pad for some of cinema's most celebrated directors, including Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Steven Soderbergh. It also showcased smaller productions that would achieve worldwide recognition, such as "Little Miss Sunshine," the intense drumming drama "Whiplash," and the cult psychological thriller "Donnie Darko" from 2001.

Creating this platform proved transformative for Redford personally. After taking a two-year break from acting and appearing in only one film in 1979 - the rodeo romance "The Electric Horseman" - he decided to expand his creative horizons by stepping behind the camera.

The Film Nobody Wanted

For his directorial debut, Redford chose "Ordinary People," a 1980 drama exploring the devastating collapse of an affluent family. Based on a novel and featuring Donald Sutherland, the project initially met with universal rejection from studios. Reflecting on his decision years later, Redford explained his motivation: "(It was) for a couple of reasons: One was that I'd acted and produced, but I wanted to have complete control. I wanted to do a small film about the society I was living in and take full responsibility for it. Ordinary People was turned down everywhere. To my good fortune, Barry Diller at Paramount let me do it."

Despite being a first-time director, Redford was granted remarkable creative freedom, likely due to his established reputation after two decades in the business since his 1960 debut in "Tall Story." As he recalled, "Nobody bothered me, nobody came around." He added another reason for his directorial ambitions: "I had been an artist and shifted to acting and wondered if I should have left art. By directing, I realized I could put the two together: I could 'design' the film. Suddenly, I got very excited."

Vindication and Awards Glory

Redford's excitement proved well-founded. "Ordinary People" became both a commercial and critical triumph, earning $90 million worldwide against a modest budget of just over $6 million. The film garnered six Oscar nominations, with Redford taking home the Best Director award on his first attempt. It also claimed five Golden Globe awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, validating his bold leap into filmmaking and setting the stage for a distinguished career behind the camera.