DGA Nominees

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The five DGA Best Director nominees, announced just a few minutes ago, are Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), Stephen Frears (The Queen), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel) and, naturally, Martin Scorsese (The Departed).

In their wisdom, the Directors Guild members blew off two of the Three Amigos -- Pan's Labyrinth's Guillermo del Toro and Children of Men's Alfonso Cuaron. Rather xenophobic of them, no? Seems that way from this corner.

I have to say I'm particularly shocked that the DGA-ers did this to Cuaron as well as United 93's Paul Greengrass'. These are stunning, historic, legendary films, and the voting DGA rank-and-filers have now shown themselves to be a bunch of Academy mainstream go-alongers...people with no particular conviction beyond the safety of received party-chatter wisdom.

Five, ten, fifty years from now, people who truly care about films will be occasionally watching and talking about United 93 and Children of Men with great feeling. The DGA members drinking orange juice and walking their dogs and driving their SUVs to work this morning know this...and it didn't matter to them. If I were one of them, I would be having mixed feelings, at best, and indigestion, at worst.

But congratulations to the nominees....really. Everyone on this list should feel proud. And safe. The five films directed by the five nominees will almost certainly be the Best Picture Oscar nominees that'll be announced in a couple of weeks.

Clint Eastwood was passed over because the guild members didn't agree with the critics, and (maybe) because their wives wouldn't watch Letters From Iwo Jima, or perhaps because they felt it was somehow out of the realm because of the Japanese language factor. (More xenophobia!) Clint may get a nomination fom the Academy despite this. The people who vote in the craft guilds tend to skew a bit younger -- only about 400 of them are movie directors, most of them work in commercials and on TV shows and whatnot. They may not relate to Eastwood's language as much as the older Academy crowd...we'll see.

I guess I was the only one on Sasha Stone's Oscarwatch prediction chart to go for Dayton and Faris, Well, they're certainly on the map now.

Say Blogosphere<< previous | next >>Ashamed of DGA

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 9, 2007 at 10:02 AM

comment #1

BNick says ...

Nice call on LMS, Jeff. I think you were the only one on Sasha's list to get them all, if I remember correctly.

Posted by BNick at January 9, 2007 10:07 AM

comment #2

BNick says ...

Whoa, I take that back. I don't think anyone got them all, with Eastwood missing out.

Posted by BNick at January 9, 2007 10:09 AM

comment #3

kmoore says ...

The Directors Guild has selected Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for "Babel," Bill Condon for "Dreamgirls," Martin Scorsese for "The Departed," Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for "Litte Miss Sunshine" and Steven Frears for "The Queen" as nominees for its top feature directing award.

Posted by kmoore at January 9, 2007 10:13 AM

comment #4

ZacharyTF says ...

The big shocker isn't that LMS got a nomination, but that Eastwood wasn't. Harbinger of AA noms or just a oversight?

Posted by ZacharyTF at January 9, 2007 10:15 AM

comment #5

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

Maybe Eastwood just isn't the lock everyone said he was, and never has been. He's got two Oscars, that might make everyone a little more discriminating about his movies, not less, when it comes to judging whether the new movie really measures up to Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

Also, I just want to say, when Eastwood was at his height as an action star, circa The Gauntlet and Magnum Force and Every Which Way But Loose, who would have ever guessed that we'd be discussing whether his latest art film spoken entirely in Japanese would win him a third Best Director Oscar? (Charles Bronson, sure, but Eastwood?)

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at January 9, 2007 10:22 AM

comment #6

BNick says ...

With Babel's strength in the GG and SAG Noms, as well as the PGA, it has to be considered a near-lock at this point, no? And the fact that the PGA and DGA came up with the same list probably means that this is the Oscar Five.

Posted by BNick at January 9, 2007 10:23 AM

comment #7

berg says ...

LMS walks away with the gold at the end of the night

Posted by berg at January 9, 2007 10:43 AM

comment #8

Scott Feinberg says ...

Hats off to you, Jeff... great call on LMS. It's crazy, but I think these guys just predicted the 5 Best Picture nominees again, although I think Eastwood boots Dayton/Faris come Oscar time.

Posted by Scott Feinberg at January 9, 2007 10:47 AM

comment #9

actionman says ...

inexcusable that Cuaron wasn't nominated...LMS didn't deserve to be nominated for best directing...the acting is what made that movie (for me at least)...the script was fun but indie-cliche the whole way...the directing was solid but not spectacular in any way. Children of Men was ALL ABOUT THE DIRECTING. this is a fuckin' joke if you ask me. I would have nominated DeNiro over those two as well. And Gibson. And Greengrass. And Stone. And Del Toro. And Field. Hell Tom Tykwer directed the piss out of Perfume and he's not on ANYBODY's radar. utterly criminal.

Posted by actionman at January 9, 2007 10:48 AM

comment #10

RoyBatty says ...

With that being the list, it would seem that the odds-on favorite would be Scorsese and the circle is now complete.

I wonder if 2 or 3 days after the awards, when he is in his hotel room and looks over at his little golden idol, if a certain historical realization will finally dawn on him: up until that point he had be among the company of Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Sergio Leone, Stanley Kubrick, John Cassavetes, Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Altman and Howard Hawks as directors who never won the Best Director award.

And when he thinks about that and thinks about his films he is far prouder of as an artist than this B-movie piffle, you have to think if he is that brutally honest with himself if he will weep...

Posted by RoyBatty at January 9, 2007 10:59 AM

comment #11

MarkVH says ...

Oh lord, here he goes playing the xenophobia card - especially when Innaritu and Brit Frears were nominated over that most foreign of directors, Clint Eastwood. Not saying that the choices were all correct - I would've loved to see either Cuaron or Del Toro get in there over Dayton/Farris, Condon (or, hell, Innaritu even). But to cry racism here is just kind of sad.

And incidentally, if he wasn't a lock before, it's pretty much over now. Scorsese wins the Oscar. End of story.

Posted by MarkVH at January 9, 2007 11:00 AM

comment #12

RoyBatty says ...

Forgot Lynch is another one without a win.

Posted by RoyBatty at January 9, 2007 11:01 AM

comment #13

RoyBatty says ...

Forgot David Lynch is another one without a win.

Posted by RoyBatty at January 9, 2007 11:01 AM

comment #14

Hallick says ...

I love "Little Miss Sunshine", but I'm a little shocked that Dayton and Faris got a nomination over CuarÃƒÂ³n, Eastwood, and Del Toro (but to be fair, so did Condon, Frears and IÃƒÂ±ÃƒÂ¡rritu). Then again, comedies always get fucked over in these races, so good for LMS. If the actors "made" the movie, the directors cast, prepared, directed and edited them. They also chose some great music.

Posted by Hallick at January 9, 2007 11:02 AM

comment #15

cobhome says ...

Unbelieveable that both Cuaron and Del Toro were overlooked - not sure if it is xenophobia or just american ethnocentricity - I think some of the critical responses to all three films by the three amigos have displayed a failure to understand those films from the perspective of the film maker - men who are from the third world and whose understanding of the world includes growing up in a country where generations of children live in garbage dumps - where people constantly flee that country to come to an not very welcoming US - etc etc - I think these three men will have an influence on film making for years - long after we have forgotten entertaining but not very substantial films like LMS,Dreamgirls etc

Posted by cobhome at January 9, 2007 11:04 AM

comment #16

Josh Massey says ...

So "Little Miss Sunshine" is a better directed film than "Children of Men."

I just threw up in my mouth.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 9, 2007 11:09 AM

comment #17

milestogo says ...

You have to get passed over before you get your first nomination. Taxi Driver, 21 Grams, Gods and Monsters, and Dangerous Liaisons all failed to receive directing recognition but secured nominations elsewhere.

But you're right. In a perfect world, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short would all receive nominations. Not just Martin Short.

Posted by milestogo at January 9, 2007 11:10 AM

comment #18

Dixon Steele says ...

The truth is, the Eastwood films were overrated, although LETTERS is still very good.

Posted by Dixon Steele at January 9, 2007 11:13 AM

comment #19

Craig Kennedy says ...

I was sort of looking forward to crowing over what a fool Jeff was for picking Dayton/Faris. Oh well.

I'd remind Actionman that one of the functions of a director is directing actors so if you liked the performances, it's reasonable to say the directors had something to do with it.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at January 9, 2007 11:22 AM

comment #20

Colin says ...

milestogo, how does that explain the nom for Dayton and Faris? And I would say that their nomination is the biggest bone of contention most people have, and I would agree. While I liked the movie a bunch, the directing in it isn't even on the same planet as the directing in COM or U93 (I'm seeing Pan's this week).

Posted by Colin at January 9, 2007 11:25 AM

comment #21

bipedalist says ...

Wells got it, which goes to show you that it's not how many you get right (he got 3/5) but if you nail the upset that counts. Many others got 4/5 but they don't really count. There were two winners in the comments section on my site who predicted all five nominees corrently. That was pretty cool.

Posted by bipedalist at January 9, 2007 11:28 AM

comment #22

nola says ...

I don't even know what to say. I just saw COM and I'm still trying figure out what I thought about it. LMS was cute, yet another movie about a dysfunction white suburban family. I don't now if it needed to be selected above PAN' S or COM for a DIRECTING award. WTF?

Posted by nola at January 9, 2007 11:28 AM

comment #23

dre says ...

Little Miss Sunshine was better directed than Pan's Lab, United 93 and Children of Men. sure it was.

Posted by dre at January 9, 2007 11:34 AM

comment #24

Larry says ...

What's all this hating of LMS? The two who shouldn't be on the list are Dreamgirls and Departed--flashy direction, to be sure, but ultimately empty experiences.

Posted by Larry at January 9, 2007 11:41 AM

comment #25

sardine says ...

Eastwood has NEVER DIRECTED A GOOD MOVIE.

Posted by sardine at January 9, 2007 11:44 AM

comment #26

Craig Kennedy says ...

Not that anyone was, but please don't take my devil's advocacy as an endorsement of the directing nomination for LMS. Off the top of my head I can think of 4 directors I'd rather have seen get recognized: Cuaron, Almodovar, Lynch and Greengrass.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at January 9, 2007 11:45 AM

comment #27

EveHarrington says ...

I got everything right except Eastwood not getting a nom, I'm sad to say (Frears got his, but I understand that Frears has shamefully never been nommed for any of his great work by the DGA so it makes sense).

Great that Dreamgirls and The Departed are up there. And Li'l Miss Sunshine has been gathering steam, as has Babel. I didn't want to verbalize but mainstream voters just don't seem to cotton to sci fi or fantasy, and no matter how absurdly amazing a movie like Pan's or Children is, it just doesn't connect with them. But you know what? These are timeless, superlative movies that stand on their own and will be remembered and reappreciated for decades, assuming the human race makes it that long. That knowledge is better than any award.

Posted by EveHarrington at January 9, 2007 11:48 AM

comment #28

gatsby1040 says ...

As much as I enjoyed the movie, there really wasn't much "directing" going on in "Little Miss Sunshine."

Scorsese's a lock for the Oscar, which is fitting -- he will have won it "his way" without having to cater to the academy (as people suggested he did with Aviator, which I actually prefer to Departed).

The big story here is, again, that Universal fucked Cuaron and Children of Men. They didn't know how to market it, and they released it in a very crowded time instead of giving it a long lead time to build momentum. The movie needs time to absorb. Instead it'll scrape together a couple technical Oscars at best.

Best picture will be the charming if very, very slight Little Miss Sunshine, by a nose. It's the only one with across-the-board appeal, and it's got a "message."

Oh well, wouldn't be the first time Oscar dropped the ball.

Posted by gatsby1040 at January 9, 2007 12:14 PM

comment #29

The Movie Man says ...

Everything comes in cycles, Scorsese used to be the visionary young talent getting passed over so older fat cats could congratulate themselves. Now, of course, Scorsese is the fat cat and he's the one being honored at the expense of new visionary directors. Note to Academy, why not just give the award to the best director occasionally and you won't have to keep track of who you need to pay back three decades down the line?

Posted by The Movie Man at January 9, 2007 12:30 PM

comment #30

Doug says ...

As I mentioned last night, I don't think the majority of DGA members have seen Pan's or COM. DGA members don't receive any screeners (which I guess is supposed to change next year) and these films were released in the height of the holiday season when there are a million other things requiring people's attention. Pan's even had its membership screening on a holiday - January 1st.
Usually there's one variation between the Academy and DGA directors nominees. I'm hoping Paul Greengrass is that director.
Also, will Hollywood ever give Martin Scorsese an Oscar? I'm not so sure they will.

Posted by Doug at January 9, 2007 1:00 PM

comment #31

dobbsy says ...

Has anyone noted that the dga voted for the amigo with brad pitt and cate blanchett in his film?

of course del toro is the huge oversight here. can't agree at all about com. has its fans, ain't one. but we've beaten that dead horse into dog food.

of course the indie filmmaker who makes a film about the travails of a loveable dysfunctional white american family gets in.

no place for the indie visionary portrait of civilization in collapse five hundred years ago.

no place for groundbreaking verite portrait from 911 (with no stars).

or the masterful both sides now of wwII courtesy of clint.

instead:

musical. gangster movie. indie comedy. pretentious "statement" movie w stars. solid brit tv pic.

time to lift the dga screener ban?????

Posted by dobbsy at January 9, 2007 1:00 PM

comment #32

dixiedugan says ...

Well, I was totally off. I guess I need to rent LMS this weekend. At any rate, I think I would have replaced Condon with Del Toro.

I've got the dumb question of the day to ask - with the amount of people that I know, either here or on my other movie type discussion places, that saw Children of Men way way way before us commoners were able to see it - why wouldn't members of the DGA be able to have it made available to them also?

Posted by dixiedugan at January 9, 2007 3:36 PM

comment #33

NYCBusybody says ...

Allow me to revel in the fact that liberals like Brit Socialist Stephen Frears, gay Bill Condon, and the ultimate granola-libs Ferris and Dayton are all being attacked out of kneejerk, sub-intellectual "xenophobia" claims.

When a Bill Condon movie that gay and black urbanites are eating up is being broadly attacked for xenophobic ethnocentrism, you can see the ultimate idiocy of liberal thought.

Posted by NYCBusybody at January 10, 2007 8:31 AM

comment #34