Peter Viertel Black Heart", which was made into a film starring Clint Eastwood in 1990. It is a thinly-disguised account of Viertel's experiences working with film director John Huston while they were making "The African Queen". The central character is scriptwriter Pete Verrill while the Huston character is called John Wilson. Film critic Pauline Kael wrote in 1999 that "White Hunter" was “still the best Hollywood novel I’ve ever come across — and it isn’t even set in Hollywood.” Viertel's opinion of the finished film was tempered by his idea that Huston himself would have preferred a portrayal with more sarcasm. Viertel's
Clint Eastwood in the 2000s boxing drama won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Hilary Swank), and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman). Eastwood received a nomination for Best Actor, and the trio was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Eastwood also received a Grammy nomination for composing the film's score. After four years away from acting, Eastwood ended his "self-imposed acting hiatus" with "Gran Torino". Eastwood directed, starred, held a producer role, and co-wrote the theme song for the film. The film grossed close to $30 million during its wide release