Winning an Academy Award is an incredible honor. It proves to persons in the film industry that they are a cut above the rest and their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. For some, this takes time and many highs and lows including some mediocre performances. After walking off that stage with the golden statue in hand, some winners reflect and regret some of their earlier work. For a minute they forget that practice made them perfect or near perfect. Here are some of the early films of Oscar winners that they wish we could all forget.

1. James Cameron

James Cameron is a Canadian-American screenwriter, director, producer and editor who has won numerous awards throughout his career. He is the man responsible for some of our favorites such as The Abyss, Avatar and Terminator. He has been nominated for ninety-seven awards and has won fifty-four of them. Cameron won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing at the 1998 Academy Awards for the epic romance film, Titanic. However, he and critics agree that his directorial debut, “Piranha II: The Spawning” is the worst film he’s worked on. In his defense he only worked on it for the initial few weeks during which time there was constant interference from the executive producer. Nonetheless, Cameron wishes this film could remain at the bottom of the ocean.   

2. Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman 

Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman are known for creating movie magic and for this they have numerous accolades including an Academy award. The success of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Adaptation have all seemed to mask the epic failure of Human Nature. This film is about a writer with hypertrichosis, a man who is raised as an ape and a psychologist who tries to socialize the ape-man to be a civilized member of society. This film seems forced and unappealing, making it quite forgettable.

3. Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellwegger 

Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellwegger are now both big names in the movie industry. In 2014, McConaughey won an Oscar for Best Actor in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. Renee Zellwegger, in 2004, received an award for Best Supporting Actress for “Cold Mountain,” and in 2020, the Best Actress award for her outstanding performance in “Judy.” These accolades came way after the horrendous 1995 horror film, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation” in which they starred. This film got a rating of 3.3 out of 10 on IMDb and critics certainly didn’t spare them the harsh reality of the failed film.     

4. Hilary Swank

Today, Hilary Swank is best known as a two-time Academy Award winner for her roles in “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby.” These came years after the movie that upon reflection, Swank definitely wants to forget. While trying to rise to stardom, Swank acted in The Next Karate Kid. This movie was highly criticized for being cheesy and laughably bad. The Karate Kid franchise should have called it quits after Karate Kid III. 

5. Paul Haggis

Paul Haggis is a brilliant screenwriter who is credited for writing not one but two movies that won Best Pictures in 2004 and 2005. He also wrote several popular films such as Casino Royale and Flags of our Fathers. Well, all this recognition came way after the 1992 movie, Red Hot, which Haggis wrote. Many say this is his least liked and least memorable work. As a matter of fact, not many people know of this film. Do you?