2007 DGA Nominees Announced – surprises!

by Eric Melin on January 8, 2008

in Blogs

Paul Thomas Anderson and Tony Gilroy, who were both ignored by the Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice Awards are both among the five nominees for the Director’s Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2007. This is a big step forward for PTA’s “There Will Be Blood” and Gilroy’s “Michael Clayton” and a big blow to “Atonement” and “Sweeney Todd.”  This is also a big boost for Julian Schnabel, who is one step closer to getting a Best Picture nomination for his French “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”

Also ignored by the Globes was DGA-nominated Sean Penn, who also received a nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics’ Critic’s Choice Awards, but lost last night to Joel and Ethan Coen for “No Country for Old Men.”

This award is usually a big predictor of the Oscars’ Director and Picture categories. My picks at this point? I think the Academy will nominate:

The Coens and “Country,” PTA and “Blood,” Schnabel and “Butterfly.”

“Michael Clayton,” but no Tony Gilroy.

Sean Penn, but no “Into the Wild.”

And finally, “Atonement” and its director Joe Wright.

this is the end of the line for “American Gangster” and Ridley Scott

and “Sweeney Todd” and Tim Burton.

What I would like to see is David Fincher sneak in with a “Zodiac” nomination, but I know it ain’t happening. We’ll find out on the morning of Tuesday, January 22 when the Oscar nominations are announced, writer’s strike or not.

From the DGA’s website:

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON - click here for IMDB Filmography

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON

There Will Be Blood

(Paramount Vantage
and Miramax Films)

Mr. Anderson’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Daniel Lupi
  • First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
  • Second Assistant Directors: Eric Lasko, Ian Stone, Richard Oswald
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Jenny Nolan

This is Mr. Anderson’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

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 ETHAN COEN - click here for IMDB Filmography

JOEL COEN - click here for IMDB Filmography

JOEL COEN
& ETHAN COEN

No Country For Old Men

(Miramax Films and
Paramount Vantage)

The Coens’ Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Robert J. Graf
  • First Assistant Director: Betsy Magruder
  • Second Assistant Director: Bac DeLorme
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Jai James

This is Mr. Joel Coen’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for Fargo (1996). This is Mr. Ethan Coen’s first DGA Award nomination.

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TONY GILROY - Photo by: Myles Aronowitz - click here for IMDB Filmography

TONY GILROY

Michael Clayton

(Warner Bros.)

Mr. Gilroy’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Christopher Goode
  • First Assistant Director: Steve Apicella
  • Second Assistant Director: Michael Pitt     
  • Second Second Assistant Directors: Matt Power, Jason Ivey

This is Mr. Gilroy’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

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SEAN PENN -Photo by: Chuck Zlotnick  - click here for IMDB Filmography

SEAN PENN

Into The Wild

(Paramount Vantage)

Mr. Penn’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: John J. Kelly
  • First Assistant Director: David Webb
  • Second Assistant Director: Dylan Hopkins
  • Second Second Assistant Directors: John R. Saunders, Ian Calip

This is Mr. Penn’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

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JULIAN SCHNABEL- click here for IMDB Filmography

JULIAN SCHNABEL

The Diving Bell
and the Butterfly

(Miramax Films)

Mr. Schnabel’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Managers: Stéphan Guillemet, A.F.R., Jon Kilik
  • First Assistant Director: Stéphane Gluck, A.F.A.R.
  • Second Assistant Director: Mathilde Cavillan

This is Mr. Schnabel’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of Scene-Stealers.com, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and contributor for The Pitch. He’s former President of the KCFCC, and drummer for The Dead Girls, Ultimate Fakebook, and Truck Stop Love . He is also the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion Mean Melin, ranked 4th best of all-time. Eric goes to 11. Follow him at:

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{ 10 comments }

1 ChrisKnudsen January 8, 2008 at 11:38 pm

I don’t think we will see much of Michael Clayton or at least I hope not. I just viewed it as a popcorn movie. Into the Wild’s biggest flaw was the directing. In there somewhere is this haunting masterpiece that I can’t stop thinking about but somehow the director fucked it up with some of his crazy “I am crying and look at my ankle” bullshit montages and “I am so wild I am eating an apple in front of the camera” shots. What the hell Sean Penn? I wish I could edit that movie to make it better. I think Diving Bell has a shot but I haven’t seen it yet but I am just following the hype on it. Does it come to KC this weekend? I think me and Ryan will see it if it does. I am watching Atonement tomorrow but I am not sure where that stands yet for I had Pride and Prejudice as a dark horse a couple of years ago and didn’t do anything. I think No Country and There Will Be Blood are the only 2 shoe-ins. I don’t see Sweeny Todd get much more than Art Direction (hur hur, it looks like every other fucking Tim Burton movie, give it a rest) and other technical acheivements and maybe original song if it had one even though I thought the music was sort of stale especially compared to music from Into the Wild (Eddie Vedder is going to win this), Hairspray (again, if they added a new song to the movie), and of course Once (I think this is close to Into the Wild). Oh I watched the Hunting Party last night and it was awful. I mean really really awful like Smoking Aces and 300 awful. Oh dear god, I hope 300 doesn’t get nominated for anything. Shit.

2 ChrisKnudsen January 8, 2008 at 11:38 pm

I don’t think we will see much of Michael Clayton or at least I hope not. I just viewed it as a popcorn movie. Into the Wild’s biggest flaw was the directing. In there somewhere is this haunting masterpiece that I can’t stop thinking about but somehow the director fucked it up with some of his crazy “I am crying and look at my ankle” bullshit montages and “I am so wild I am eating an apple in front of the camera” shots. What the hell Sean Penn? I wish I could edit that movie to make it better. I think Diving Bell has a shot but I haven’t seen it yet but I am just following the hype on it. Does it come to KC this weekend? I think me and Ryan will see it if it does. I am watching Atonement tomorrow but I am not sure where that stands yet for I had Pride and Prejudice as a dark horse a couple of years ago and didn’t do anything. I think No Country and There Will Be Blood are the only 2 shoe-ins. I don’t see Sweeny Todd get much more than Art Direction (hur hur, it looks like every other fucking Tim Burton movie, give it a rest) and other technical acheivements and maybe original song if it had one even though I thought the music was sort of stale especially compared to music from Into the Wild (Eddie Vedder is going to win this), Hairspray (again, if they added a new song to the movie), and of course Once (I think this is close to Into the Wild). Oh I watched the Hunting Party last night and it was awful. I mean really really awful like Smoking Aces and 300 awful. Oh dear god, I hope 300 doesn’t get nominated for anything. Shit.

3 ChrisKnudsen January 8, 2008 at 11:40 pm

Despite Into the Wild being one of the worst-directed good movies of the year, I think Charlie Wilson’s War had a lot more problems, and sure, I liked the film, but I think that would win for the worst-directed good movie award.

4 ChrisKnudsen January 8, 2008 at 11:40 pm

Despite Into the Wild being one of the worst-directed good movies of the year, I think Charlie Wilson’s War had a lot more problems, and sure, I liked the film, but I think that would win for the worst-directed good movie award.

5 Eric Melin January 9, 2008 at 1:14 am

I think we will see more of “Michael Clayton.” It’s better than you give it credit for. The crazy-or-not mystery of Wilkinson, the moments alone with Swinton making an evil corporate ice queen almost sympathetic, the unforgettable last shot, the fact that (like most court cases) we never saw a courtroom in a legal thriller– all things things make it a breath of fresh air.
“Into the Wild” really stumbled with the hippie trailer park romance/sing-along subplot. Also, for a guy who wanted to be alone so much, he sure made a lot of friends…
Eddie Vedder should lose to “Falling Slowly” by Glen and Marketa from “Once.”
“300” will get nominated for VFX only.
“Charlie Wilson’s War” was a mess, but a fun and strange mess!

6 Eric Melin January 9, 2008 at 1:14 am

I think we will see more of “Michael Clayton.” It’s better than you give it credit for. The crazy-or-not mystery of Wilkinson, the moments alone with Swinton making an evil corporate ice queen almost sympathetic, the unforgettable last shot, the fact that (like most court cases) we never saw a courtroom in a legal thriller– all things things make it a breath of fresh air.
“Into the Wild” really stumbled with the hippie trailer park romance/sing-along subplot. Also, for a guy who wanted to be alone so much, he sure made a lot of friends…
Eddie Vedder should lose to “Falling Slowly” by Glen and Marketa from “Once.”
“300” will get nominated for VFX only.
“Charlie Wilson’s War” was a mess, but a fun and strange mess!

7 ChrisKnudsen January 9, 2008 at 10:33 am

I totally agree about that hippie trailer park mess too. I think the whole point of the film was that he was out there trying to be alone but then he realized that people are the most important things in life. Imagine that last sentence but a lot smaller. “Falling Slowly” is truly a great song and I wouldn’t care if either that or Eddie Veddar’s “Guaranteed” wins it. I still don’t want 300 to get nominated for effects even. I am sure some summer blockbusters might fluster it out. Do you get a chance to screen Be Kind Rewind soon?

8 ChrisKnudsen January 9, 2008 at 10:33 am

I totally agree about that hippie trailer park mess too. I think the whole point of the film was that he was out there trying to be alone but then he realized that people are the most important things in life. Imagine that last sentence but a lot smaller. “Falling Slowly” is truly a great song and I wouldn’t care if either that or Eddie Veddar’s “Guaranteed” wins it. I still don’t want 300 to get nominated for effects even. I am sure some summer blockbusters might fluster it out. Do you get a chance to screen Be Kind Rewind soon?

9 Eric Melin January 9, 2008 at 11:31 am

yes.

10 Eric Melin January 9, 2008 at 11:31 am

yes.

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