Even after “The King’s Speech” surprised at the Producers’ Guild Awards and took a dozen Oscar nominations, I held on to the notion that critical favorite “The Social Network,” a film more in line with the Academy’s recent choices, would emerge victorious on Oscar night.
However, Kris called it right. When the former film’s comparatively inexperienced director can beat a heavyweight field of Darren Aronofsky, Christopher Nolan and the Davids Fincher and O. Russell to the Directors’ Guild prize — and for a film that’s widely been deemed, rightly or wrongly, an actors’ showcase more than a director’s one — it’s clear the tide has turned. It pains me to say it, folks, but the stammering-royal drama is your Best Picture winner.
That said, I’m not willing to hand Hooper an accompanying Best Director Oscar just yet. Although the Academy and the Guild have parted ways in this category just six times in 64 years, their last such disagreement strikes me as a pertinent one.
In 2002, freshman director Rob Marshall won at the DGA for runaway Best Picture frontrunner “Chicago,” leaving still-unawarded veterans Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski on the sidelines. The Academy, however, wasn’t quite so welcoming to the newcomer: his film still emerged triumphant in the big race, but Polanski pipped him to the post.
Will the Academy be similarly reluctant this year to let the Best Picture juggernaut sweep its helmer to the podium ahead of four more seasoned (and three more due) filmmakers? I imagine they might be, but perhaps my vision is just clouded by my own personal bewilderment at the turn the race has taken. I’m no “Social Network” die-hard, but I think it’d be a shame to deny a filmmaker as significant and substantial as Fincher a career-crowning Oscar for such a universally approved vehicle, least of all in favor of a directorial achievement as modest as Hooper’s. But that’s me. Clearly industry folks feel differently.
Is the year’s most acclaimed film really going to wind up with just a writing Oscar to its credit? Even “L.A. Confidential” managed more than that.
In other news, it was no surprise that Charles Ferguson took the Guild’s documentary award for “Inside Job” — though with only a two-film overlap between the DGA’s and the Academy’s nominees in this category, it’s not the most conclusive of Oscar bellwethers. (Fun fact: in 20 years, just two DGA-winning docs have gone on to take the Oscar. Last year’s “The Cove” was one of them.)
Meanwhile, here’s some cold comfort for “Shutter Island” fans: Martin Scorsese just won his second DGA gong… for “Boardwalk Empire.”
Comments
166 responses to “Tom Hooper wins DGA Award”
If Hooper wins, it’s all over.
I have my fingers crossed for Fincher, though. In my opinion, he made the best film nominated.
Yep, Tom Hooper won. It’s all over.
Yayyyy, I’m really shocked, but pretty happy about that!
I feel so bad for David Fincher.
My heart literally sank. Very, very unfortunate.
You and me both, Speaking English. At least he seems like a nice guy. Though I’m hoping this can still go all Chicago on us. I guess Best Picture is gone, but I’m not ready to hand that Director statue to Hooper.
TKS is slightly better than TSN, but still I’d vote for Fincher in a Director category. He deserves it for other movies he’s done in the past.
The Academy should start recruiting film critics.
So is Hooper now the favorite for the Oscar as well?
The Mr Hyde part of me wants to see Tom Hooper beat Fincher, Aronofsky, Coens and O’Russell so that twenty years from now kids getting into film and the oscars will look back and be like WTF.
Quite a shock, actually. The least deserving takes it. After 5 straight years of making the correct choice, the DGA is entitled to one blunder.
funny the last time fincher won he said he doesnt want to get used to it….
sad day, sad.
The girl with the Dragon Tatoo will be helped in the awards circuit by finchers loss. O well. Heres to next year
“Though I’m hoping this can still go all Chicago on us. ”
Here, here!
As much I love TKS and its success, the DGA win is shocking and perplexing to me. I still don’t believe that TKS will win the SAG tomorrow. One thing is certain: if it does take the Best Cast award (and/or HBS wins Best Supporting Actress), then the race for Best Picture really is over.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be a franchise movie, though – that may hurt. On the other hand, it’s a dark and rather violent thriller – much more “classic” Fincher – which may help.
sasha stone’s head just exploded
Paul is the race for best picture IS over. It’s over people!
I can’t complain for lack of variety now can I.
Its just shocking how overwhelmingly the race has taken an about turn.
I remember in November I think Anne had said “I can feel it in my bones that TKS is going to win Best Picture”. And Kris & Anne had both been saying that the Academy would eat up TKS (and got much flak from other pundits for not sticking up for the greatest film of all time). But now it all seems to be settling nicely. I still won’t rule out Fincher for the Oscars as others have said.
Yeah, I guess it’s obvious that The King’s Speech will very likely win Best Picture now, but I think Fincher’s got a solid shot at still getting Best Director. It’s only happened six times in the past where the DGA and Oscar awards for directing don’t line up, but this year could be one of ’em.
I still have faith that David Fincher will win on Oscar night. I still think TSN is a better directed and written film. TKS is good and nice and mildly inspiring but thats all. I was truly demoralized when Tom Hooper won.
Fish-eye lens sales increase 1000% overnight.
You heard it here first.
Exactly qwiggles.
Here come more films like The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love! Thank God Black Swan and True Grit did well at the box office.
I dont think the race is actually over. Fincher has career that has received more exposure than Tom Hooper’s and that may still give him the edge to win Best Director.
Another entire thing is Best Picture. The race there is very tight and all that has to happen for TKS to seal that deal is winning the SAG. I think that will say it all.
And to think i was rudely mocked here for pointing out the obvious: Those who could relate to The Social Network were hugely over represented by the target demograph within all the critic’s groups to declare their award results credible this Oscar season. Is this race over? Hell no!! It’s still anyone’s guess. I just hope the pundits and all of us who enjoy discussing the Oscar race online will stop using made up theories to justify their own opinion. In the end, my fav film will remain the same this year despite which regional film critic association stated or what “the” Academy says. I hope others can be adult enough to respect, appreciate and declare the same.
Same as it ever was…
…just saying.
wow, this win is just silly :)
I still feel like Fincher is the Oscar front-runner for this category, though. The man deserves his Oscar and academy members know that…
I predict 5 wins for The King’s Speech: Picture, Actor, Original Scr., Original Score & Art Direction.
I also hope Danny Cohen beats Deakins, Libatique, Pfister and Cronenweth on Oscar night.
Lots of mocking at the gall to think TKS was the one this year, sosgemini. Unfortunately.
Well, looks like my prediction about The King’s Speech sweeping the oscar’s might come true. Not that I feel it deserves it, but wha the hell, looks like the oscar’s are back to their old way of voting.
“Will the Academy be similarly reluctant this year to let the Best Picture juggernaut sweep its helmer to the podium ahead of four more seasoned (and far more due) filmmakers?”
Well, three. Coens have their Oscar.
Oh, Nolan…
Really, DGA? You had all those choices and you went with THAT? This will be a truly embarassing awards season to look back on. Thankfully, the films will speak for themselves, regardless of the winner.
How about a Hooper/Fincher split with Darren Aronofsky winning? Eh? Eh? ;-)
***Is the year’s most acclaimed film really going to wind up with just a writing Oscar to its credit?***
No. I say it does like “Traffic” and also wins Editing and Directing. Then add on a possible Score win.
***Here come more films like The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love!***
Don’t say that, please. “The English Patient” is worlds better than “The King’s Speech.”
Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
TSN really has become the Citizen Kane of our time. stupid voters.
Tapley,
Don’t add me to that list. Thus far, Animal Kingdom is , IMHO, the film that should be walking away with all the awards. Yet, I am not arrogant enough to find fake algorithms to justify my opinion. And that’s my problem with modern day Oscar punditry. With the exception of this site, most bloggers/pundits seem hell bent on justifying their opinion (while never pointing out the obvious—that it’s just an opinion)—all discussion (and the fun of discussing the Oscar season) is rendered moot.
Look at the reaction of Hooper”s victory for proof of my argument. Anyone who disagrees that Fincher is the Best Director appears to be destined for ridicule. Seriously? Is that what film criticism has evolved into?
How weird. Of the directors nominated this year, Fincher’s my favorite, but his film wasn’t my favorite. I loved TKS, but I liked Fincher’s direction of TSN more. But I thought both efforts were less impressive than those of Russsell, Nolan and Aronofsky. So all the Hooper hate and Fincher fanaticism I’m seeing (mostly elsewhere online right now) is silly to me.
And I still don’t think the race is over yet.
Good to see TKS, the best movie of the year getting its due from the people who know it best.
The only award going to TSN on Feb 27th is Adapted Screenplay.
Certainly not adding you, sosgemini. Fortunately you get it.
Wow, how sad hooper will probably win the oscar.
Poor nolan and fincher — academy better make up them in the future because when people reflect on the oscar in the future this will look like a travesty.
A travesty?
Really?
It’s also important to note that 3/6 DGA/Oscar splits happened fairly recently. I still think Fincher wins it.
And quite frankly even if he doesn’t, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is less than a year away from pushing Fincher back into the race yet again, this time with that magical December release. 3 Best Director noms in 4 years.
This is exciting. My favourite film of the year starting to show its presence and make the Oscar race so much more interesting.
The only travesty around here is that Gosling snub.
Tom Hooper just made it look easy. He fully deserved the win.
I’d love to know why people are so sure Fincher has any kind of Oscar shot for the “Dragon Tattoo” remake.
Everyone who still thinks Fincher wins it: Why? Honestly, what possible reasoning could you have?
The Chicago thing doesn’t fully wash. Nicholson was banging the drum for Polanski, who had not yet won an Oscar after decades in the business and helmed A HOLOCAUST DRAMA. And Fincher ain’t no Polanski yet.
Genuinely wasted for subpar, pedestrian filmmaking.
sorry i think it’s disappointed the oscar always goes for the obvious melodrama film. I wouldn’t minded it if tks won best picture but director over some deserving nominee. And now it seems like a done deal. Lool, i really need to calm down…
Travesty is the right word: though its proximity in letters to ‘tragedy’ has long resulted in dumbasses using the words interchangeably, it really does mean a cheap imitation posing as the real deal, which is par for the conversation (unlike, say, “Ryan Gosling not being nominated is a real burlesque.”) If you’re going to quibble with a term, you should at least know what it means.
@ Guy.
Just a prediction based on the available release schedule. Things will of course change but that’s what I have at 3am. Clooney, Fincher, Malick, Payne, Spielberg.
@ Kris
You’re probably right. I was feeling a split this year because I did buy into the critical acclaim hype. But the guilds are definitely telling a different story.
Personally, I think Hooper did a fantastic job. Sure it’s not the most innovative or flashy but there’s more to directing that dream layers and tilt-shifts. IF he wins, he earned it.
Anyway, weird stuff, but not TOO weird. Hooper and his one-trick off-centre compositions can proudly sit at the table with Ron ‘Medium Shot’ Howard, lest we forget that strong visual storytellers do not always win here.
@Guy
Scorsese also won for re-making a hit foreign language thriller. Might work for Fincher as well.
—
And Jesus guys, Fincher is a good enough director to be nominated soon enough and multiple times in the future. He is also in the academy club now, meaning he will keep getting nominated. And lest someone forget, Fincher did his best work BEFORE he started getting into the awards conversation that is before Benjamin Button.