Steven Spielberg still has the life rights to Martin Luther King Jr.'s story. That could be a problem.

The governing body that awards the Academy Awards has a long history of bestowing honors on projects that, looking back, inspire head-scratching.Think Denzel Washington winning the Best Actor Oscar for "Training Day," but not even receiving a nomination for "Malcom X." Or Whoopi Goldberg winning an Oscar for "Ghost" after being passed over for her performance in "The Color Purple." Oddly, the members of rap group Three 6 Mafia were able to claim the title of Oscar winner before Martin Scorcese, ...