When "The Godfather: Part III" hit the theaters in 1990, reception to the final installment of Francis Coppola's beloved crime drama was mixed as it failed to live up to the bar set by its two predecessors. While it still received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, "The Godfather: Part III" was the only chapter in the famed trilogy to not be selected for preservation as culturally significant in the United States National Film Registry.
Failing to garner a single Oscar and winning two Razzies at the same time, the bulk of the criticism was directed at Sofia Coppola, the daughter of Francis Coppola, who made her cinematic debut as Mary Corleone. But along with the acting flaws of the younger Coppola, which critics did not hesitate to point out, pundits also questioned Francis Coppola's decision to cast his own daughter. With a long list of experienced actresses to choose from due to the franchise's status as a cultural classic, and as "The Gangster Film," it wasn't long before the Coppola name became synonymous with nepotism.
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For those of you who are looking to break into the glamorous world of show business, the first thing a motion picture executive will tell you is that it's all about who you know. And trust me, they are not lying. While a polished cover letter and resume, combined with a stellar academic record, may land you a decent associate position at say, Goldman Sachs, the one industry that continues to circumvent the merit system in favor of patronage is entertainment.
Over the years, the Coppolas have established themselves as a household name in Hollywood. In 2004, they become only the second three-generation, Oscar-winning family when Sofia Coppola, redeeming herself from 1990, walked out of the then Kodak Theatre holding the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for her efforts in "Lost In Translation." And to cement their venerable position in the world of red carpets and flashing cameras, the Coppolas haven't been afraid to draw from their own ranks. In "Lost In Translation," Gia Coppola, Sofia Coppola's niece who would later go on to direct "Palo Alto" (2013), worked in the costume department for her aunt. But the use of the Coppola name to get a gig goes far back beyond 2004 and 1990, where critics first made note of such hiring practices. In 1972 and 1974, Francis Coppola, while making "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II," cast an actress by the name of Talia Shire, otherwise known as Talia Rose Coppola. The sister of the famed movie director would play an instrumental role in "The Godfather's"success. Reprising the role of Connie Corleone throughout the series, Shire helped her brother secure one of the 11 Oscar nominations for her work in "The Godfather: Part II."
While it's easy to look back at the shortcomings of "The Godfather: Part III" and say that patronage is flawed, against the overall critical and financial success the Coppolas have accrued for themselves in show business is a testament to how this system of approach works. Call it nepotism or any derogatory term you want, from the perspective of any studio executive the Coppolas are just another plausible reason to keep an already deep-rooted practice in play, for now.
