The Director’s Guild has announced its Best Director nominations, which are usually a harbinger of the Oscar nominations in the same category. Reason: Members of the Directors Branch of the Academy are a subset of Guild members. (The DGA also includes below-the-line personnel like First AD’s as well as numerous directors who are not in the Academy).
Clint Eastwood (”Million Dollar Baby”), Martin Scorsese (”Aviator”), Alexander Payne (”Sideways”), Taylor Hackford (”Ray”) and Marc Forster (”Finding Neverland”) are nominated. Eastwood should win relatively easily, not just because he is the sentimental favorite but because he also did the best work — a happy symmetry for once. I might have considered voting for Brad Bird, director of “The Incredibles,” almost certain to be the most remembered movie of 2004 ten years from now. [How can you be sure of that?--ed. Trust me.] But the Academy and the DGA famously do not smile on animated movies for Best Picture or Director. Given the way technology is evolving, in the future that will seem quaint.
My capsule NRO reviews of “Million Dollar Baby” and “Finding Neverland” are here, of “Sideways” here.
UPDATE: For those who don’t know, future filmmakers display their work at milkandcookies. Much is animated for budgetary reasons, but there is some live action.
PJM Home
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
12 Comments
1. scaramouoche:My prediction: while Eastwood may deserve the award, Scorcese will get it in recognition of his body of work. It’s been a long haul from Mean Streets to Aviator, with several directing nominations along the way. I don’t see how the Academy can pass him over yet again and I think they’ll probably find Aviator a more appealing film to vote for than his last flick–the one where Daniel Day Lewis wore the funny hat.
Jan 7, 2005 - 6:37 pm 2. DennisThePeasant:Sorry, but Napolean Dynamite will be the film of 2004 they will remember 10 years from now. If the world was fair, Dynamite would win Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay.
There really is nothing like being middle-aged, fat and clueless but still being able to wow the college kids with your dead-on perfect “Vote For Pedro” t-shirt.
Jan 7, 2005 - 7:14 pm 3. ambisinistral:WHAT!?!?!
How did they overlook the brilliant work of Michael “I’ve never met a ham sandwhich I could resist” Moore?
Jan 7, 2005 - 7:21 pm 4. DennisThePeasant:Napoleon Dynamite was even better than Napolean Dynamite, come to think of it.
Jan 7, 2005 - 7:38 pm 5. richard mcenroe:Well, sorry, Roger, but if you’re not gonna put your clout as an Academy member behind getting Zapped! 3 ó The College Years made, you’re just gonna have to settle for Sideways…
Jan 7, 2005 - 8:15 pm 6. Rick Z:Ever since they passed on “Biker Chicks in Bondage” in ‘75, the DGA’s been a sick joke.
Jan 7, 2005 - 10:30 pm 7. Michael J. Totten:While we’re on the subject of movies, see Hotel Rwanda. I left the theater shaking.
Jan 7, 2005 - 11:20 pm 8. tsol:“While I admired the acting ó Paul Giamatti (American Splendor) and the unknown to me Thomas Haden Church…”
Thomas Haden Church played Lowell Mather on the 90’s sitcom “Wings”, the most underrated comedy since the first two seaons of “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”!!!
http://www.jumptheshark.com/w/wings.htm
Jan 7, 2005 - 11:27 pm 9. Kyda Sylvester:Finally saw Mystic River. Agree with Roger that Kevin Bacon stole the show (in fact, I think Penn’s and Robbins’ Oscars were gimmes). Clint Eastwood is a superb director, but there are times when I find his movies strangely uninvolving (eg.The Unforgiven and the aforementioned Mystic River). Perhaps those require multiple viewings–I find that’s sometimes the case.
Sorry to read that Johnny Depp was out of this depth. From what I’ve seen of his work, I thought he had great “depth” potential.
Doing the insomniac thing tonight.
Jan 8, 2005 - 3:03 am 10. Patrick Tyson:Ten years from now the most remembered movie of 2004 is going to be…
My guess is that it will be The Polar Express.
I haven’t seen The Aviator yet. Otherwise, I agree regarding Eastwood though I wouldn’t be surprised if either Scorcese or Payne won.
Jan 8, 2005 - 8:56 am 11. Terrye:As long as Moore doesn’t get an Oscar I will be happy.
But Charles Krauthammer loves Sideways. I have heard him mention it twice.
Jan 8, 2005 - 1:22 pm 12. ed:Hmmm.
The most remembered movie of 2004 is The Passion of the Christ.
Jan 8, 2005 - 7:09 pm