Anderson & Schnabel make the DGA list; Burton bounced
Watch out, Coen Brothers: you now have serious competition at the Oscars.
Fresh off the Coens' big wins at the Critics' Choice Awards last night for "No Country for Old Men" (best picture, director and supporting actor), their movie about a vicious killer ran into another critically hailed pic about a violent chap: "There Will Be Blood." Both films reaped bids from the Directors Guild of America. The inclusion of "Blood" is a bit surprising considering how late it debuted in the 2007 derby. Other late releases like "Atonement" and "Sweeney Todd" were shut out — just as they had been at SAG. So was "Juno," which came out in early December and is considered to be a strong best-picture contender — or at least had been up until now.
Meantime, relatively early release "Into the Wild" scored a bid for Sean Penn. See the full list at the DGA website — CLICK HERE
Movies nominated for the DGA tend to be the ones that make Oscar's best-picture list. The overlap is uncanny. Only one nominee of the past five years didn't get cited in the top Oscar race: DGA contender "Dreamgirls" got bumped by "Letters from Iwo Jima." There's far more agreement between those two categories than between the DGA list and Oscar's best-director lineup.
Sometimes directors of foreign-language art-house flicks like "City of God" (Fernando Meirelles) and "Talk to Her" (Pedro Almodovar) make it into Oscar's directors' race, but that phenom occurs less frequently at DGA. However, Julian Schnabel, the American helmer of French-lingo "Diving Bell and the Butterfly," was nommed today by the guild. Celebrated director Almodovar has never been cited by DGA.
Another big surprise: the inclusion of first-time helmer Tony Gilroy, who also wrote the legal thriller, "Michael Clayton," over never-nominated veteran Tim Burton, who brilliantly re-imagined the classic Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd."
Sweeney Who?
Posted by: Michael | January 09, 2008 at 11:54 AM
"So was "Juno," which came out in early December and is considered to be a strong best-picture contender — or at least had been up until now." Very well put, Mr. O'Neill, but I'd write WAS considered... from now ON. Well, well, well it seems that things begin to return to normalcy...
Posted by: Calirai Hayek | January 09, 2008 at 03:57 AM
1) Sweeney is pretty much dead and buried in terms of those "major" categories Tom vowed it would sweep a la LAMBS, CUCKOOS NEST and IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Costume, sound, makeup and art direction- that seem about all in terms of noms, let alone wins. But it has less "mo'" now than even Fred Thompson.
2) Tom, I also ask you to stop with the "late release" canard with guild awards as a way to cover your butt on rash predictions: THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Dec 26) was always gonna be here and in the best actor SAG race, pretty much flouting your rule. And the DGA and SAG have nommed other recent December releases BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, DREAMGIRLS, MUNICH, AVIATOR, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, etc.
SWEENEY and ATONEMENT just didn't wow the guild member enough - this does line up with the SAG's lack of affection for these pictures, so it's no blip needing "explaining away."
Posted by: spoonbill | January 08, 2008 at 02:58 PM
Thank you, Frankie, for reminding us all that it ain't over till the skinny lady gets up early and announces.
I agree that "Juno" is overhyped, that "Great Debaters" isn't going to get Mr. Washington a nomination, and the Anti-Penn aspect is a real factor, since directors nominate directors. However, there's a slew of dark movies in the race this year, and few of them have divided AMPAS members and viewers as wildly as "Sweeney." And then, there's box office numbers at the time the nomination ballots are outstanding (meaning now, at which time both "Juno" and "Charlie Wilson's War" have the edge).
You're right, "Sweeney's" not completely out of the running. But it's at best a longshot for picture and director. Will see what the GG outcome brings.
Posted by: dorothy | January 08, 2008 at 02:44 PM
I wouldn't rule out Sweeney so soon...it all depends on the Academy and if they have any real love for Sean Penn...sometimes he's lovable and most times he's not...Plus if Denzel does not make the director's cut also (which he will not for such a cliche film) then Penn will be snubbed as well. So that leaves Tim Burton, Ridley Scott or even Atonement to fill in a spot. Juno is truly mediocre and getting over-hyped...its noms for Ms. Page and Diablo (it's that trendy name) are a lock in their categories. If Sweeney gets a Best Pic nom then Burton certainly won't be overlooked for director...hold on to your orgasmic breaths please...
Posted by: Frankie R. | January 08, 2008 at 02:23 PM
Facing fact, must sadly agree that "Sweeney" is out of the Best Pic race, even if it miraculously snags a Mus/Com award at the Golden Globes press conference on Sunday (and that award is clearly "Juno's" to lose). Unless Burton's the semi-annual nominated director for un-nominated film in the Oscars, that's it for him. It's very doubtful that it will get a Cinematography nod (also ignored by BAFTA, and the AMPAS photogs don't cotton to desaturated movies). It's still in the race for Best Actor, Sound and Art Direction as well as Costume and Makeup.
Posted by: dorothy | January 08, 2008 at 01:39 PM
Seriously... no amount of wishful thinking is going to put Sweeney in the race. The sporadic BAFTA nominations, the nonexistent SAG ones and the lack of love from the Cinematographers should have told the tale on that one already. I think nominations for Costume / Cinematography / Makeup are the best it could hope for at this point.
Atonement is still slightly stronger, but it again seems to be pretty much out of the BP race. The SAG shutout was no fluke, obviously.
Juno met the same fate. It seems to be perceived (rightfully) as the Page / Cody show.
What is mildly surprising is that Clayton managed to get a nomination today. That too failed to get a SAG ensemble nomination (although it got 3 individual noms). It's a sign of weakness, but obviously it's not as weak as some other hopefuls.
Posted by: Unison | January 08, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I so wanted your "Sweeney Todd" predictions to come true for you Tom, but I think it will not be the case. I think the votes are all going to the really serious movies this year.
Posted by: junior | January 08, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Tom can you please give up on late release theory already. Lets face it, voters don't really care for Sweeney or Atonement. Opening these movies earlier wouln't have mattered.
Posted by: tp | January 08, 2008 at 12:29 PM