A few things. First, I don’t think I ever pointed out the Vancouver critics’ picks. The DGA announced nominees for documentary filmmaking and Tyler Perry owned the NAACP Image Award nominations.
Tag: guild awards
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‘King’s Speech,’ ‘Social Network’ among ASC nominees
Well, I was expecting this to drop tomorrow, but the ASC nominees have been announced (catch them at The Circuit), and there are a couple of surprises.Okay, well, Jeff Cronenweth getting in for “The Social Network” isn’t a complete surprise, as I mentioned this morning we should watch out for him here. But Danny Cohen making the cut for “The King’s Speech,” despite the fact that the film has an intriguing visual quality, is a bit unexpected.
The rest is as we would have thought, though Robert Richardson missing is less of a shock than Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle getting the shaft. I think Cohen gets bumped in favor of something else, though.
Though maybe Cronenweth is in a precarious position, seeing as the ASC is quicker to nominate digital work than the Academy. The rest, I should think, are solid.
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Predict the ASC nominees
Now that the DGA has spoken, something to pass the time. Tomorrow the crafts guilds continue to roll out the season as the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) offers its picks for the best work behind the camera in 2010. This is perhaps my favorite of the below-the-line categories, so I thought I’d offer up a lengthy preview.The Society is usually good for 80% when it comes to Academy crossover with its nominees. Sometimes you get a 5/5, sometimes a 3/5, but generally it’s 4/5. The trick is figuring out what the oddball selection will be. But let’s see what’s looking good for a nod, first.
Leading the way this time around, like most years, would have to be Roger Deakins. His work on “True Grit” will likely win him an Oscar and the road there could very well begin with a win from the Society. He seems to be papa bear these days. Chalk it up.
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Russell, Hooper make DGA slate
And it is as it should have been expected. The question now is, will it match Oscar’s five 100%?It’s worth noting that “True Grit” is a late bloomer and the DGA have had ballots since late November. If they went in early, and seeing as you can’t send screeners to the membership, it’s possible a number of voters didn’t see it before submitting. But these are a strong five and I don’t know who would drop out.
The instinct for some is Tom Hooper, but there’s no reason to think that would happen, honestly. It’s doing just fine. David O. Russell is the one a lot of people didn’t expect to see here, so that might be a decent call. But his nomination today should be enough to dispel the notion that a shaky industry rep would keep him out of the game this season. Or is it?
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Updates to The Circuit
Just a note, a few goings-on at The Circuit. First up, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists have gone with “The Social Network” as the year’s best. The North Texas Film Critics Association (Dallas-Fort Worth wasn’t good enough?) opted for “Inception.” Speaking of which, Christopher Nolan’s film predictably dominated the Visual Effects Society’s list of nominees.
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Predict the DGA nominees
Monday the guild circuit continues — at the start of what will be a very busy week — as the Directors Guild of America (DGA) unveils its list of nominees.The age-old rule of thumb has been that this is perhaps the most consistently foreshadowing precursor, as the five DGA nominees tend to have a good shot at Best Director recognition, and the Best Director nominees tend to line-up with the Best Picture nominees, give or take (though with the 10, I think it might be safe to say that the idea of a “lone director” has been lost to the realities of probability).
Last year the five DGA nominees represented the perceived top five films of the Oscar race: Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, Lee Daniels, Jason Reitman and Quentin Tarantino. The year before that, we all thought it did the same, but alas, Christopher Nolan and his film ultimately missed the mark with Oscar.
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OSCAR TALK: Ep. 47 — The guilds so far, Steinfeld as lead vs. supporting, Scripter finalists, goings-on on the circuit, looking ahead to 2011
Welcome to Oscar Talk.In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.
2010 is finally in the rear view mirror. But the season isn’t over yet — not by a long shot. As we enter the new year, and the busiest frame of the circuit (awards-wise), we have tons to chew on today. Let’s see what’s on the docket…
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Sean Penn to receive PGA’s Stanley Kramer Award
The press release, in part:The Producers Guild of America (PGA), announced today that Sean Penn will be honored with the 2011 Stanley Kramer Award. The award will be presented to Penn at the 22nd Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on Saturday, January 22nd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The Stanley Kramer Award was established in 2002 to honor a motion picture, producer or other individual, whose achievement or contribution illuminates provocative social issues in an accessible and elevating fashion. Kramer, considered within the film industry to have served as “Hollywood’s Conscience” during his career as a film producer and director, created some of the most respected and successful works in the annals of American motion pictures. He was the master behind such classics as The Caine Mutiny, High Noon, The Defiant Ones, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
Previous recipients of the Kramer award include such films as The Great Debaters, An Inconvenient Truth, Hotel Rwanda, Innocent Voices, In America, Antwone Fisher, and the 2010 winner was PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE. Sean Penn is the first individual to receive the Guild’s Stanley Kramer Award, and the first recipient of the award in 2002 was the film I AM SAM, which Penn starred in.
[Photo: 42 West]
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‘Shutter Island,’ ‘Social Network’ surprise with Cinema Audio Society, ‘TRON’ snubbed
The immediately striking thing about this year’s slate of nominees from the Cinema Audio Society (which honors sound mixing) is the appearance of “Shutter Island.” This is the film’s second below-the-line guild citation in as many days (following an Art Directors Guild nomination yesterday).If it had managed a PGA nomination earlier this week, I’d be saying, “Watch out.” But the crafts are what were going to help this film along, if anything. Just remember, there’s a 10th Best Picture slot somewhat up for grabs and there is always the “steak eaters” theory (however overstressed) to consider. People in the industry do like the film, though maybe for its parts more than their sum.
The second thing that’s striking is “The Social Network” making it in. Though that shouldn’t be too unexpected. It’s an amazing mix from veteran craftsmen. But could this be the “Finding Neverland” or “Babel” of this year’s slate? It’s possible. (Check back later this morning for more on that as today’s Tech Support interview includes sound mixers Ren Klyce and Michael Semanick.)
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Weekly predictions update
As you may have noticed, my long-delayed Best of 2010 feature went up earlier today, and I’ve been enjoying your generous response thus far. It does, however, come in lieu of this week’s Long Shot column: there are only so many hours in the day, and frankly, it’s getting increasingly difficult to find any fresh angle on a race that’s virtually congealing before our eyes.This week’s guild announcements thus far certainly haven’t moved the needle much one way or the other — but they might have closed a couple of remote avenues. Though I haven’t a column to accompany them today, I did do some minor tidying and rearranging of furniture on my predictions page.
I find myself drifting a little closer to the consensus each week, though I’m clinging to my long-held hunch that “Winter’s Bone” will endure, and even surprise, in a couple of major categories, while many of the technical categories remain intriguingly wobbly. (Where are the Best Costume Design fillers? You just know that field is going to turn up something weird.)
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Updates to The Circuit
We’re waiting the USC Scripter finalists announcement today, but for now, the Vancouver Film Critics Circle has announced a slate of nominees, while more importantly, the Art Directors Guild has spoken up with its picks in three categories.
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WGA gives leg up to ‘Please Give,’ ‘Phillip Morris’
Well, we all knew the WGA would have a unique slate of nominations, given the list of ineligibilities this year (which included “Another Year,” “Blue Valentine,” “Biutiful,” “The Ghost Writer,” “The King’s Speech,” “Love & Other Drugs,” “Made in Dagenham,” “Never Let Me Go,” “The Way Back” and “Winter’s Bone,” among others).I was expecting to see “The Fighter” slide onto the list in the wake of that purge, as well as “The Town” (which adds to SAG and PGA recognition with this nomination). But I didn’t think Nicole Holofcener’s “Please Give” would make the cut (though Anne mentioned it as a possibility in Friday’s Oscar Talk), and I definitely didn’t see “I Love You Phillip Morris” coming (which is one of my favorite adaptations of the year). Interesting that it was another Roadside Attractions released that filled in for “Winter’s Bone.”
We’ve still got the USC Scripter finalists on the way later today. (NOTE: I’ve just been notified that the Scripter finalists will be revealed tomorrow.) Tomorrow, the Art Directors Guild will announce nominees, followed by the Cinema Audio Society on Wednesday. Check out the full list of WGA screen nominees at The Circuit.
[Photo: Roadside Attractions]
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PGA nominates the expected
Look to your right, at Kris’s current Best Picture predictions. Now look at the list of 10 films just nominated for the Producers Guild of America’s top award. Ready for a quick game of Spot the Difference? It’ll be very quick — there are none. (Kris’s hopes yesterday for one wild-card nod were in vain.)The PGA could hardly have stuck any more closely to the script with this morning’s announcement, which points to a rapidly solidifying race three weeks ahead of the Oscar nominations. Still, questions remain, and I’d still bet against the Academy following this list precisely to the letter.
Among the titles left off the PGA’s list is “Winter’s Bone,” but the microbudget no-name indie was never likely to score with these guys. Will passion votes still propel it into the Oscar Ten — and if so, among the presumed stragglers, will “127 Hours” or “The Town” make way?
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Predict the WGA and Scripter nominees
Also speaking up tomorrow will be the WGA (Writers Guild of America). The recently revealed list of ineligibilities makes picking this group’s choices much more fun, though it still kinda stinks because you know some of the best scripts of the year will be spectators.Last year the beneficiaries of the purge (which ultimately missed with Oscar) were “Crazy Heart,” “Julie & Julia” and “Star Trek” in adapted, “(500) Days of Summer,” “Avatar” and “The Hangover” in original. From my vantage, there doesn’t appear to be as many options to choose from on the periphery of these races, but I’ll give it a stab.
Click on through the jump to see my picks in the adapted and original categories, as well as discussion of the USC Scripter Awards. (I’ll opt out of picking the documentary field from the WGA, which is likely to be a crap shoot, anyway.)
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Predict the PGA nominees
Tomorrow the guild circuit launches with the WGA (separate post coming) and PGA nominations. The critics’ circuit was well and good but this is where crossover memberships begin to give us a tangible view of how the race will fill out.Last year the PGA (Producers Guild of America) piggy-backed the Academy’s plan to expand the field of nominees from five to 10. It also copied the new voting scheme, which uses the preferential balloting system to determine nominees.
The two films that missed with the guild but made it into the Best Picture 10 were “The Blind Side” (odd that it missed, given its box office take) and the Coens’ “A Serious Man.” In their place: Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” (why?) and the blockbuster “Star Trek.” What can we expect this year? Continue after the jump to see what I’m thinking.
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OSCAR TALK: Ep. 46 — The “frontrunner,” guilds on the way, latter-year releases, Portman preggers and a Happy New Year!
Welcome to Oscar Talk.In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.
After a much-needed holiday week off, we’re back on the case to wrap things up on the final day of the year. There is plenty to chew on, though we kind of meander a bit, shaking off the holiday dust. Let’s see what’s on the docket today…
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Inevitable list of WGA ineligibilities surfaces
Steve Pond is on the news today that a number of this year’s screenplays will be ineligible for WGA consideration (and therefore should be kept in mind when nominations are revealed next week).First and foremost, we all know Pixar films never fall under WGA signatory regulations, so Michael Arndt’s work on “Toy Story 3” will not be in the mix for Best Adapted Screenplay. Nor will fellow animated contender “How to Train Your Dragon.” Also perennially ineligible is Mike Leigh, who works outside of the guild’s procedures, so “Another Year” won’t be showing up in the original field.
Joining Arndt on the adapted sidelines will be “Winter’s Bone,” while “Blue Valentine” and potential winner “The King’s Speech” won’t be eligible for original consideration.
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OSCAR TALK: Ep. 45 — Critics’ pick their frontrunner, HFPA speaks up with doosies, the guild circuit kicks off and the week of The Dude
Welcome to Oscar Talk.In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.
Going into the holidays and with the critics’ awards in full swing, we’ve brought In Contention’s own Guy Lodge on to discuss the goings-on of the season so far. After taking a break from the usual last week, the last 14 days have given us plenty to chew on. Let’s see what’s on the docket today…