Producers Guild Nominations: Lots of Titles Still In Play For Oscar!
Monday, January 5, 2015 at 2:56PM Big awards day, huh? The PGA have announced their preferred excellence in production for 2014. No big surprises so the only thing to talk about is the chaos of what might be nominated for Best Picture in less than two weeks.
PRODUCERS GUILD NOMINATIONS
Feature Film
AMERICAN SNIPER
BIRDMAN
BOYHOOD
FOXCATCHER
GONE GIRL
GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
IMITATION GAME
NIGHTCRAWLER
THEORY OF EVERYTHING
WHIPLASH
... Only five of these made my top 30. Not a consensus year for TFE, then.
PGA's list is very similar to the BFCA top ten only they shoved American Sniper and Foxcatcher in the Unbroken and Selma slots. The AFI was also similar but that Institute also made room for Into the Woods and Interstellar and Selma. In short: the Best Picture race is still rather confounding when it comes to who might be nominated and how many pictures will be there beyond the frontrunners Boyhood and Birdman and, I guess, Imitation Game... though I had previously thought that Selma would have or had already supplanted it in third spoiler position. [More...]
Selma's absence from guild awards to date is disturbing. We continue to hope that that's merely a product of their very late screeners... and one of the last releases but who knows. It could just be one of those stuffy Oscar years when they decide to go with old giants rather than fresh voices. See: Clint Eastwood's American Sniper which still surprises me a bit as a viable contender and the ease with which traditional efforts like Imitation Game and Theory of Everything have gathered steam. Here's the latest Gurus of Gold chart.
We're all going to have to do a lot more thinking about the Best Picture category. Into the Woods & Unbroken's very warm public reception (even though they're ignored here) suggests they're still in the race, too.
Animated Feature
BIG HERO 6
BOOK OF LIFE
BOXTROLLS
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
THE LEGO MOVIE
Extremely American but then it THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA. I still think Oscar will toss The Book of Life out for either Princess Kaguya or Song of the Sea.
Longform Television
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAKSHOW
FARGO
THE NORMAL HEART
THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY
SHERLOCK
Documentary Feature
THE GREEN PRINCE
LIFE ITSELF
MERCHANTS OF DOUBT
PARTICLE FEVER
VIRUNGA
Episodic Television, Drama
BREAKING BAD
DOWNTON ABBEY
GAME OF THRONES
HOUSE OF CARDS
TRUE DETECTIVE
Was so happy that Downton Abbey returned last night. Love those stuffy rich people and their dining room dramas.
Episodic Television, Comedy
BIG BANG THEORY
LOUIE
MODERN FAMILY
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
VEEP
Non-Fiction Television
30 FOR 30
AMERICAN MASTERS
ANTHONY BOURDAINE: PARTS UNKNOWN
COSMOS: A SPACE TIME ODYSSEY
SHARK TANK
Competitive Television
AMAZING RACE
DANCING WITH THE STARS
PROJECT RUNWAY
TOP CHEF
THE VOICE
I have no use for any awards shows Competitive Television categories since they always ignore the most creative, addictive and hilarious one: RuPaul's Drag Race. I guess it skews way too urban and young and queer for showbiz professionals but you'd think they'd be a little more openminded given you know... showbiz
Live Entertainment or Talk TV
COLBERT REPORT
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER
TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON
Reader Comments (32)
Glad you're still stumping for Drag Race!
Kris Tapley reported Selma screeners weren't sent to the PGA, and Interstellar wasn't sent to them either.
eurocheese -- yeah, not sure what Paramount had in mind with that. I'm hoping they made sure AMPAS members at least got them.
Thought 1:
American Sniper may be better than J.Edgar, Invictus, Hereafter, Jersey Boys and Gran Torino, but it's not "outstanding" compared to any of the films on my personal best of the year list.
Thought 2:
Pardon my reductive cynicism, but this Selma guild situation feels like an unexpected delayed 12YAS backlash.
Oh honey no she (PGA) better didn't don't! (re: Drag Race)
Can't wait for season 7!
1. Keep pushing for Drag Race. ONE DAY.
2. I know everyone's feeling that Nightcrawler Best Picture nom. YOU CAN FEEL IT COMING IN YOUR BONES.
3. I almost don't want to believe people could be so racist that they would "punish" another film starring Black people from winning any awards.
1. Keep pushing for Drag Race. ONE DAY.
2. I know everyone's feeling that Nightcrawler Best Picture nom. YOU CAN FEEL IT COMING IN YOUR BONES.
3. I almost don't want to believe people could be so racist that they would "punish" another film starring Black people from winning any awards.
There has been an arrogance to Interstellar from the get go followed with the "bratty little rich kid" pique when it wasn't greeted by critics and public alike with declarations of "This is the greatest thing to happen to cinema. EVAH!!!.....and will cure cancer." upon opening.
Selma really should have waited until next year to open as well as A Most Violent Year which would have benefited greatly from a quieter time of year for release.
I'm not surprised by American Sniper. It could not be more timely and has a brilliant promotion campaign. If it had opened a month earlier, I think it would be almost as dominate as Boyhood or Birdman across the board. When it goes wide, it will open huge. I think Cooper could be a spoiler in BA.
I don't think Selma is being punished. It was too late out the gate and didn't send screeners. You can't nominate it if it isn't on the ballot and it really isn't on the ballot if you haven't seen it.
Much as I love BREAKING BAD, which I think is the greatest TV series ever, what's it doing in the 2014 list? It ended in 2013.
And what's the ridiculous DOWNTON ABBEY doing on any list at all?
I also think Andy Cohen's talkshow should've been on that list. Always the same!
As much as I'm loving the repeated Nightcrawler mentions, I can't shake the feeling that it doesn't really have as much of an inside track to a Best Picture nom as it would seem. People keep comparing Gone Girl to Dragon Tattoo in terms of it potentially missing Best Picture, but I think Nightcrawler makes the better comparison. It's admired widely for its craft and keeps hitting with the guilds, but I think is maybe ultimately too lurid (and seen too much as a comparatively less prestigious genre/thriller) to connect with Oscar voters to the necessary level.
I'd make a comment about Selma not being nominated because no one could see it, but American Sniper made it and no one between the coasts can see that one yet either. I agree with Nat that the race is crazy wide-open (honestly, part of me wishes this was a ten-wide year as it'd still be filled with tossups), though like I've been saying (and thankfully TFE has been trumpeting) I wish that these films were made more available to the public that doesn't live adjacent to Sunset or Broadway. At least Sniper and Selma premiere further this weekend (more than I can say for Two Days One Night and Cake!).
John T -- except that American Sniper did send screeners out so it was easy to see for voters. We're seeing the importance of screeners a lot this year.
The presence of the *deeply* mediocre Theory of Everything aside, this seems like a pretty good batch - not all that close to what I'd personally identify as the year's best, but a wide ranging group of mainstream friendly titles. That's really all I ever hope for from the Academy. Particularly happy to see American Sniper, Whiplash, Grand Budapest and Nightcrawler on there.
That Animated list is exactly what everyone should have predicted it to be-- they always go with the five most obvious picks. In the last ten years, by my quick review of the nominees, they've never nominated a non-US or UK film.
Nightcrawler has hit almost everything, but still... I dunno that that's going to register. Also a surprise- Foxcatcher has held on much longer than I ever thought it would or could.
Has Paramount always been this shitty a campaigner? Damn. "Selma" doesn't deserve all of this "controversy," next.
Isn't it strange that the PGA omitted the two films directed by women? Selma and Unbroken still have a chance at a Best Picture nom.
But I am betting on smear campaigns against both films.
Nathaniel,, Ken Rudolph (an AMPAS voter since the 1970s) posts a list of screeners he gets every year and he did get Selma
Link: http://kenru.net/movies/2014-15_academy_screeners.html
Arkaan, AMPAS got Selma screeners, the guilds apparently didn't.
This selective sending of screeners has to be financial at heart. Which is understandable from an indie like Cake, but unforgivable from a studio with the resources of Paramount and Disney. Also hard to understand considering the tons of money Paramount is pouring into promoting Interstellar with FYC ads (post lack of SAG or HFPA noms) but why skip PGA? Did someone drop the ball or was it deliberate?
Silly question, perhaps. But what happens to all these screeners after awards season? Do they self-destruct? Are they donated to libraries? That's a whole lot of plastic going into landfills, no? Are they recyclable?
We are asked to destroy them. Which is fine because (at least the SAG screeners) are just the disc, none of the extras, no real packaging and water marked with the annoying (but necessary) "for awards consideration" printed across the bottom. Nat can tell you more about what the important people get. If I liked the film enough to have it in my library, I'll buy a copy as the quality of the screeners can be a little off.
It is a lot of plastic to waste, but it is still the best way to get your film in front of voters. More and more people are choosing to watch everything at home rather than theaters (Especially Hollywood where almost everyone has a home screening room. Hell, I have a home screening room and I'm just a lowly SAG member.). And while directors always want you to see their product on the big screen, the only film I can recall from this year that people who had seen it have said "You have to see this on a big screen" was Interstellar.
Thanks, Henry. The system must work, as I have only seen one screener in a used DVD shop.
"Arkaan, AMPAS got Selma screeners, the guilds apparently didn't.'
Correct. Nathaniel stated he hoped Paramount got screeners to AMPAS voters, which I was confirming. Plus I think any oscar watcher should check out Rudolph's website - it's interesting to see which studios got screeners out first/early.
That is a fascinating list, also because holding off on sending out your AMPAS screeners is probably a strategy as well, if you want the movie fresh in members' minds as they're actually voting. People are fickle that way.
On the other hand, being the first to arrive gives you a better chance of being seen rather than being lost in the pile. Timing is everything.
So Selma and Unbroken didn't get nominated because the PGA members didn't get the screeners?
It is widely known that AMPAS members sometimes vote without having seen the films. I've read that some members give the ballot sheet to their partners, their kids or even their receptionists to fill in.
Bette: Not being sent a screener reads that the film isn't interested in the award the group is handing out. Why would a guild (which is looking to reward the specialty of the members) want to reward a film that doesn't want the honor? I mean, you don't vote for the homecoming queen who looks down her nose and pretends you don't exist, you vote for the one that smiled at you once in the bathroom.
As Nat mentioned earlier, this year screeners have been more important than ever in garnering nominations. It will be interesting to see how that translates to winning.
Really excited to see The Theory of Everything make the list :)
Henry, did you receive a Boyhood screener yet? According to awards info, screeners for that film, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, The Judge and Birdman are being sent out to SAG-AFTRA members. I've received the other four, but no sign of Boyhood...although I doubt its lateness (if it's not just me) will have much effect on its chances.
Paul, I got the 4 you did but not Boyhood. I'm a little surprised as it is already on shelves. I also sort of expect some late screeners to be added a la Lincoln. Gone Girl is the obvious one.