'Don's Plum': The Film Leonardo DiCaprio & Tobey Maguire Don't Want You To Ever See

There's at least one person in Hollywood who probably isn't rooting for Leonardo DiCaprio to win that Oscar: writer and producer Dale Wheatley. Wheatley worked on the film Don's Plum, which stars a young DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. Wheatley recently streamed the film (which is listed as for "mature audiences") on his website, but DiCaprio reportedly made him take it down out of concern for his reputation.

This is not the first time the film has caused a ruckus. In 1999, Maguire and DiCaprio were involved in a legal battle with the makers of the film, claiming they never intended to make a film for audiences to see; it was more of an exercise in improv and the equivalent to an acting class, they claimed. The Guardian reports that the actors were afraid the film would damage their soon-to-be big reputations.

A settlement ruled that the film could not be shown or sold in North America, although interestingly enough it was released at the Berlin Film Festival in 2001. The film, which received decent reviews, captures the mostly improvised antics of a group of young up-and-coming actors.

Fast forward to last month, when Wheatley released the film for free on his website. DiCaprio and Maguire found out about it, and immediately filed a copyright complaint to Vimeo. A notice on Vimeo states, "Vimeo has removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire claiming that this material is infringing: Don's Plum."

Wheatley is extremely displeased with the news, and has some very choice words for DiCaprio, in particular. In a post on the film's website, Wheatley says:

"It breaks my heart to inform you that Leonardo DiCaprio has once again blocked only American and Canadian audiences from enjoying Don's Plum. It's a sad commentary that in 2016 we witness the suppression of film and art by one of America's most beloved actors. If only Leonardo DiCaprio would follow in the footsteps of the director who he admires and works with more than any other, Martin Scorsese, and preserve American cinema rather than suppress it."

He also says he plans to appeal the Vimeo decision and urges anyone who is interested in seeing the film to email him.