Last year, Steven Spielberg may have missed out for "War Horse," but this year his colleagues are making sure he's honored for his much better-received "Lincoln." The Director's Guild Award nominations have arrived this afternoon, two days before the Academy unveils their Oscar nominations, and generally speaking, they tend to be a good indicator of who will be honored next month at the Dolby Theater.
Joining Spielberg is a roster of names that are no big surprises. While still courting controversy, Kathryn Bigelow has been tipped for "Zero Dark Thirty," and though still a bit of an underdog in the conversation, Ang Lee has been honored for "Life Of Pi." Meanwhile, directors who both had big box office hits also get some love, with Ben Affleck honored for "Argo," and Tom Hooper (fisheye lens and all) rewarded for his adaptation of "Les Miserables." But perhaps just as notable are the names that are missing.
Perhaps the one many will be talking about is Quentin Tarantino, who was shut out for "Django Unchained." The film has done well both critically and commerically, but could the subject matter be scaring away his colleagues from voting? Also sitting out is David O. Russell for his hugely enjoyable "Silver Linings Playbook." Perhaps the ease with which he whipped together this oddball romantic comedy hid the skill in which he put it all together?
Thoughts? Opinions? Anyone the DGA missed? Let us know below. The winner will be announced sometime between the salad and creme bruleé on Saturday, February 2nd at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. [IndieWire]
BEN AFFLECK
Argo
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Affleck’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
· First Assistant Director: David Webb
· Second Assistant Director: Ian Calip
· Second Second Assistant Directors: Clark Credle, Gavin Kleintop
· First Assistant Director (Turkey Unit): Belkis Turan
This is Mr. Affleck’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
KATHRYN BIGELOW
Zero Dark Thirty
(Columbia Pictures)
Ms. Bigelow’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Colin Wilson
· First Assistant Director: David A. Ticotin
· Second Assistant Directors: Ben Lanning, Sarah Hood
· First Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Scott Robertson
· Second Assistant Directors (Jordan Unit): Jonas Spaccarotelli, Yanal Kassay
· Second Second Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Tarek Afifi
· Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Rajeev Mehra
This is Ms. Bigelow’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Hurt Locker in 2009.
TOM HOOPER
Les Misérables
(Universal Pictures)
Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Patrick Schweitzer
· First Assistant Director: Ben Howarth
· Second Assistant Director: Harriet Worth
· Second Second Assistant Director: Dan Channing Williams
This is Mr. Hooper’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The King’s Speech (2010) and was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television/Mini-Series for John Adams in 2008.
ANG LEE
Life of Pi
(Twentieth Century Fox)
Mr. Lee’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Michael J. Malone
· Unit Production Manager (Taiwan): Leo Chen
· First Assistant Directors: William M. Connor, Cliff Lanning
· Second Assistant Directors: Robert Burgess, Ben Lanning
· Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Sanjay Kumar
· First Assistant Director (India Unit): Nitya Mehra
· Second Assistant Director (India Unit): Ananya Rane
· Second Second Assistant Directors (India Unit): Namra Parikh, Freya Parekh
· Second Assistant Directors (Montreal Unit): Derek Wimble, Renato De Cotiis
This is Mr. Lee’s fourth DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and was nominated for Sense and Sensibility in 1995.
STEVEN SPIELBERG
Lincoln
(DreamWorks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox)
Mr. Spielberg’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Susan McNamara
· First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
· Second Assistant Director: Ian Stone
· Second Second Assistant Directors: Eric Lasko, Trevor Tavares
This is Mr. Spielberg’s eleventh DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film three times for Saving Private Ryan (1998), Schindler’s List (1993) and The Color Purple (1985). He was also nominated in this category for Munich (2005), Amistad (1997), Empire of the Sun (1987), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Jaws (1975). Mr. Spielberg was honored with the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.