Kim Basinger Went Off-Script at the 1990 Oscars to Support “Do the Right Thing” — and Spike Lee Found a Sneaky Way to Thank Her
Kim Basinger Went Off-Script at the 1990 Oscars to Support “Do the Right Thing” — and Spike Lee Found a Sneaky Way to Thank Her
Angela AndaloroSun, May 3, 2026 at 8:28 PM UTC
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Kim Basinger (left), Spike LeeCredit: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch via Getty; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty -
In 1990, Kim Basinger took a stand at the Academy Awards, recognizing a film she felt was deliberately overlooked
Spike Lee thanked Basinger that night and credited the moment with a shift in attitude toward Do the Right Thing
The Academy looked back at the special moment, with an archivist shedding light on how it happened
The Academy Museum is looking back on a moment of courage from Kim Basinger on Hollywood's biggest night.
In 1990, Basinger took the stage to present one of the Best Picture nominees for the night, but used the moment to recognize a film that she believed didn't get its due from the Academy.
"We've got five great films here, and they're great for one reason: because they tell the truth," she said. "But there is one film missing from this list that deserves to be on it, because, ironically, it might tell the biggest truth of all. And that's Do the Right Thing."
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Many were impressed that Basinger said her piece, all without disparaging Dead Poets Society, which she was there to present, or any of the night's other Best Picture nominees.
Recalling the story, an Academy archivist named Louise explained that Spike Lee was in the audience that night and was touched by Basinger's callout.
"He doesn't have anything to write on except his envelope with his tickets to the Governor's Ball and he writes, 'Thanks! That took a lot of courage. Love, Spike Lee,' and then it just says, 'Pass it down to Kim.' So they're like passing notes in class, but at the Oscars," she shared.
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The Lee-directed film explores racial tensions in Brooklyn, ending in tragedy when a Black community member is killed by police, and a riot ensues.
In a 2008 interview about the film with New York Magazine, Lee looked back on the Oscars moment.
"Remember what Kim Basinger did? On stage, she said, 'The best film of the year is not even nominated, and it's Do the Right Thing.' I didn't even know her," he said.
"But when Driving Miss motherf---ing Daisy won Best Picture, that hurt … No one's talking about Driving Miss Daisy now."
Kim Basinger with James CoburnCredit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty
That unforgettable moment wasn't Basinger's only standout incident on the Oscars stage. At the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, the now-72-year-old actress nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction onstage in her Randolph Duke strapless white dress.
Sharing a photo on Instagram in February 2023, the actress wrote, "I stood behind the 3-story spinning Oscar while a guy bent down, headset on, and counted down from 10 on his fingers, looking at me."
"At about 5, I heard something in the back of my white, floor-length Randolph Duke gown POP….. I was shaking and I was mortified but I took the stage and I clenched my arms to my sides as tight as they would go… PRAYING… that the dress would not fall off… and I held that sucker up all the way through presenting the award to James Coburn," Basinger added.
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