Ryan McNeil
Nominees for the final Oscar precursor were announced yesterday – the shortlist for the Director’s Guild of America awards. The Five directors nominated were:
So when it comes to the Oscars, two things are certain – these five listed films are locks for Best Picture nominations, and one of these five will ultimately take the prize. Sure, five more will be nominated but over the last twenty years no film has taken Best Picture at the Oscars without its director getting a DGA nomination too. (Hell, only three times in twenty years has the DGA winner not gone on to take the Oscar for Best Director).
Some thoughts with this last little bit of clarity…
The late charge of TRUE GRIT has officially ended. The film is a solid late-season offering, and could still go home with an award or two. But barring a wicked about-face by the Academy, and its directors forsaking David O. Russell for The Coens, it has taken its final ride.
Speaking of David O. Russell, welcome to the party! O. Ruseell was reportedly moved to tears at the news of his nomination. Given the fact that the man’s last project was yanked from under him, and that for THE FIGHTER this auteur was more of a hired gun, this had to be catharsis. Perhaps if an Oscar nomination does indeed follow, he’ll have that much more clout in securing his next film.
Under the category of “so much for that”, no love for two stellar bits of directing this year by women, with Debra Granik and Lisa Cholodenko both left at the kids’ table.
And finally for those who are fans of new blood in this tired old Oscar game, it should be noted that four of the five presumptive nominees for Best Director will be first timers (David Fincher you will recall scored a nod two years back for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON).
So there you have it, your presumptive Oscar nominees for Best Director, and the five films with the best odds-on chances of taking Best Picture.
Thoughts?