The Producers Guild of America announces its nominees Monday. Then the DGA wraps up the big three (after PGA and SAG) on Thursday. I expect “The Dark Knight” is a no-brainer nominee here and the likely winner. After that, I’d say “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Slumdog Millionaire” are likely, especially in the case of the former, what with producing powerhouses Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall (the former popping up here last year for “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” in something of a surprise).
After that it gets a bit tricky. I’d be tempted to think “WALL-E” will turn up here like “The Incredibles” in 2004. Box office + critical acclaim + major awards consideration, all that. But with the animated category being instituted a few years back, that scenario becomes less likely.
There isn’t much that screams PGA about “Doubt” or, to a lesser extent, “Revolutionary Road.” But Scott Rudin did well enough with two films last year. “Milk” and “Frost/Nixon” might be a decent bets, but surely something will pop up in the way of the unexpected. I just can’t put my finger on what that will be. Since the group began a nominations format, the eventual five Best Picture nominees have never been assembled in the PGA collective, and that includes 2002 and 2003, the two years that netted six nominees.
“Iron Man” popping up wouldn’t be a shock. “The Wrestler” could be a nice indie call, but I think it’s doubtful. Ah screw it, I’m going to go with the following, including a “Milk” snub that is most likely a mistake:
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall)
“The Dark Knight” (Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas)
“Frost/Nixon” (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard)
“Revolutionary Road” (Bobby Cohen, John Hart, Sam Mendes, Scott Rudin)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Christian Colson, Paul Ritchie)
What are your predictions?
Comments
14 responses to “PGA noms coming next week”
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
The Wrestler
Benjamin Button
Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
Frost/Nixon
… I guess I feel like they’ll finally match-up with Oscar this year. I’m pulling for Rev Road over Frost/Nixon tho
The Dark Knight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Revolutionary Road
Milk
I just can’t think which one to eliminate.
Slumdog Millionaire
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Wrestler
Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
The Dark Knight and Benjamin Button are the only ones I can say I’m positive they’ll include. After that, strong chances of Milk and Slumdog Millionaire — both very lush, colourful, well-shot and, for a lack of a less sleazy phrase, ‘expensive-looking’. Spot number five is a bit complicated, though: I’d say WALL·E, but only IF it’s eligible in this category, and I’m not fully certain it is? Both Doubt and Frost/Nixon have a sort of ‘actor’s film’ buzz going for them, so I’d say the fifth nomination goes to Revolutionary Road, which has a feeling af a very collaborative, technically well-executed film.
As for the other categories, I’d look for ‘Religulous’ making the documentary list, for the producers are one of the rare awards bodies ever to award Maher’s television efforts. Waltz with Bashir definitely hasn’t the strength to make the animated film list if a juggernaut like Persepolis failed to make it last year; Bolt it is, then, moving in steadily but surely for the kill on Bashir’s Oscar nomination chances.
Hence, my predictions —
Feature Film: The Dark Knight; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Slumdog Millionaire; Milk; Revolutionary Road (but not if WALL·E is eligible).
Animated Feature: WALL·E, Kung Fu Panda, Bolt,
Documentary Feature: Man on Wire; Trouble the Water; Standard Operating Procedure; I.O.USA; Religulous.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wall-E showing up here would just add to it’s BP chances immensely. It could even win.
I’ll say Button, Dark Knight, Wall-E, Slumdog and Milk.
curious case of benjamin button
dark knight
revolutionary road
slumdog millionaire
wall*e
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Wall-E
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
I guess:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Milk somehow seems not their cup of tea. I reckon Rev Road and The Wrestler might be potential upsets. I just wish they had a chance.
I’m never one to bet against Grazer or Rudin, but I’ll put MILK and WALL-E in over FROST and REVOLUTIONARY.
Others have posted this combination already, but I’ll go on the record with:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
[…] it seems I was off by one. Could this be the first year ever that the PGA matches with Oscar 5/5? We’ll soon find […]