DGA & ASC Winners: La La Land and Lion
Sunday, February 5, 2017 at 10:47AM Last night was a huge night in Hollywood with three award events: The Directors Guild of America, American Society of Cinematographers, and the Annie Awards (which we'll get to later today). Which would you have attended if you had to choose? La La Land continued its seasonal dominance but Lion unexpectedly roared, too.
Some of the winners last night are names you'll recognize from different contexts. The list and comments are after the jump...
DGA AWARDS
Feature Film Director: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
First Time Director: Garth Davis, Lion
If you had any doubt left about Chazelle winning the Oscar, this should clear it up. There won't be a split this year between Picture and Director (which has become increasingly more common) which I know is hard for Barry Jenkins devotees. Garth Davis, who was nominated in both movie categories at the DGAs was unfortunately booted from the Oscar Directing lineup (which matched otherwise) by Mel Gibson.
TV Comedy: Becky Martin, Veep "Inauguration"
TV Drama: Miguel Sapochnik, Game of Thrones "Battle of the Bastards"
Even against the formidable competition of very popular new series like The People vs OJ Simpson and Stranger Things, Game of Thrones is still wracking up prizes. We are officially delighted that it has to sit one year out at the Emmys due to scheduling.
TV Miniseries of Movie: Steven Zaillian, The Night Of "The Beach"
Those who've been following the Oscar race since the 1990s will recognize this name. Steven Zaillian is an Oscar winning screenwriter (Schindler's List). He's only directed three features. His first was the critical darling Searching For Bobby Fischer (excellent - 1 Oscar nomination) and though I can't speak to the quality of the other two they were met with less critical enthusiasm (A Civil Action - 2 Oscar nominations) or entirely rebuffed (the remake of All the King's Men)
Documentary: Ezra Edelman, OJ Made in America
Variety/Talk/News Regular: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live "Host: Dave Chappelle"
Reality: Rupert Thompson, American Grit "The Finale - Over the Falls"
Children's Program: Tina Mabry, An American Girl Story "Melody 1963: Love Has to Win"
Variety/Talk/News Special: Glenn Weiss, The 70th Annual Tony Awards
This is a new category and Glenn Weiss has won it three out of its four years, all for the Tony Awards.
squarespace / manifesto from jordan kramer on Vimeo.
Commercials: Derek Cianfrance, Chase Nike Golf / Doubts, Powerade / Expectactions, Powerade, Manifesto, Squarespace
Yes, that's that Derek Cianfrance of Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines and The Light Between Oceans fame. He may specialize in tragic indie romantic or crime drama with great performances but he also directs commercials. This is his first major showbiz award. His next film is an experimental movie he shot on the side featuring a musician couple playing fictional versions of themselves as the husband, a heavy metal drummer, goes deaf. It's called Metalhead. Notice that his Squarespace commercial also features intense drumming.
Lifetime Achievement: Sir Ridley Scott
ASC AWARDS
Feature Film: Greig Fraser, Lion
TV Movie, Miniseries or Pilot: Igor Martinovic, The Night Of "Subtle Beast"
Regular Series Non-Commercial TV: Fabian Wagner, Game of Thrones "Battle of the Bastards"
The feature prize for Fraser has to be considered a surprise given La La Land's seasonal dominance. On the other hand Fraser is a more established more overdue DP than Linus Sandgren so that could have played into it.
Regular Series Commercial TV: Tod Campbell, Mr Robot "eps2.0_unma4sk-pt1.tc"
Spotlight: Gorka Gomez Andreu, House of Others
The "Spotlight" prize is a new award highlighting up and coming DPs from little seen films. House of Others was Georgia's submission to the Oscars this season
Lifetime Achievement: Edward Lachmann
Board of Governors Award: Denzel Washington
Obviously Lachmann is a favorite (Far From Heaven and Carol, anyone?)... but this random prize for Denzel, hot off a recent Santa Barbara Film Festival tribute as well as the SAG win could mean that Denzel overtakes Casey Affleck for the Best Actor Oscar. Honestly it feels like an increasingly 50/50 situation.
Career in TV Award: Ron Garcia
Garcia's most famous job might be the original Twin Peaks pilot -- he also shot Fire Walk With Me for David Lynch. But he's had a long career. Other highlights include One From the Heart for Francis Ford Coppola and TV series like EZ Streets, Gilmore Girls, Providence, Hawaii Five-0 (the new version) and Rizzoli & Isles.
Philippe Rousselot, one of the greats
International Award: Philippe Rousselot
Rousselot shot The Nice Guys and Fantasic Beasts this year but he was most popular in the early 90s when he won the Oscar for A River Runs Through It (1992). He was also Oscar nominated for Hope and Glory (1987) and his erotic divine lensing of Henry & June (1990)
Presidents Award: Nancy Schreiber
ASC Vilmos Zsigmond Heritage Award Undegraduate: Emmett Sutherland, Closer
ASC Vilmos Zsigmond Heritage Award Graduate: Andrew Jeric, Prisoner
ASC Haskell Wexler Student Documentary Award: Colin F Shepherd, Into the Microscope
Reader Comments (21)
I don't think Casey/Denzel is 50/50....I think Denzel is winning. The only thing Casey had going for him was winning every award. Once SAG gave it to Denzel, and the world didn't spin off it's axis, Affleck was basically over. Even if he wins the BAFTA (where Denzel isn't nominated), I think Denzel is winning. All voters needed was a legit alternative, and SAG delivered them Denzel.
Critics gave Casey every award, but his performance didn't feel so undeniable or strong, that no one else deserved to be acknowledged. Removing Denzel from the equation, why weren't Viggo in Captain Fantastic or Joel Edgerton in Loving winning some of those critics awards? These guys were on par with Casey, if not better. If Casey towered above all these performances I'd understand, but it was such a muted performance that I cannot understand how Casey swept the season. Maybe Casey was the anti-Denzel choice for critocs, as Denzel was such an obvious Academy choice. Maybe the wanted to turn Casey from an underdog into THE frontrunner. Who knows. The wealth should have been spread this year with the critics awards.
Critics foolishly backed a horse that couldn't go all the way in Casey, and the result will be Denzel winning.
I agree the Denzel Washington/Casey Affleck race is tightening. Could go either way now.
@Robbie
Thank u!!!!!! U said everything I want to say!
I saw Manchester last night and I don't understand why the critics prefer Casey over Viggo and Edgerton (this two, the best male performances of the year)
Don't understand! Really!
Thinking now that if Denzel happens in the Oscar, we will have three black actors with Oscars in one night!
Denzel
Mahershala
Viola
Sad that Viola prefer to category fraud this year. Will be a dream to have her, Denzel, Mahershala and Naomie as winners.
Denzel + Mahershala + Viola + Gladstone will be heaven.
Nicole told that little kid that he needs to do his part to Make America Great Again.
Robbie: "The only thing Casey had going for him was winning every award."
That's a pretty BIG thing!
"Robbie: "The only thing Casey had going for him was winning every award."
It is, but not when you don't win SAG, which is the most important award. Then it becomes trivia. Casey literally had to win everything to be undeniable. The critics awards mean nothing now. Ask Chiwetel Ejiofor or Michael Keaton or any number of actors whom won the majority of critics awards. But didn't win SAG.
Every actor that's won SAG in the last 13 years, has won the Best Actor Oscar. It's the most accurate predictor in these races. Denzel is going to take it.
I haven't yet seen Fences, as it doesn't open in the UK for a couple more weeks, but I have seen Manchester by the Sea and I thought that Casey Affleck was outstanding. He projected depths of pain, self-loathing and torment that I seldom see in performances and which very much helped convey what the character was experiencing. If he doesn't win the Oscar, it won't be because the performance isn't good enough to win.
Robbie: I don't think that critics, in awarding Affleck, backed the wrong horse necessarily. Perhaps they thought that he was the best, that he was their horse and went all the way for them. I do hope that not every critics' group is just trying to predict what will win the Oscars.
I always like to keep positive. Casey and Denzel are both outstanding in the their films whoever wins the Oscar is deserving
Looking forward to the BAFTAs... what if Casey doesn't win and it goes to Gosling or even Garfield?
@ Ryan T
If goes to Gosling I think we will see someone take THE BIG FIVE to home again! *-*
Dammit, if Barry Jenkins goes home empty-handed ... -_-
Like, the fact that Richard Linklater won not a single Oscar for Boyhood. Not picture, not director, not screenplay. I still can't get over that.
And yeah, if Viola had gone lead, I think supporting actress would be between Naomie and Michelle and we'd have a good chance of all black winners in the acting categories. It's cool that it's technically still possible, but Ruth Negga has almost no chance. That would be interesting tho. lol
I hope Denzel wins.
All these interesting comments about directing and cinematography... oh, never mind. Back to acting!
Maybe Affleck n Washington will x ea other out n Gosling will b the surprise winner!!!
N the La La Land sweep will b complete! Its been 25 yrs since we hav a clean sweep at the Oscars
@Claran
U mean clean sweep = take home the big five?
Because Return of the King clean sweep in 2004 in ALL
The eleven categories he was nominated.
La La Land can't have a clean sweep, unless there is a tie in the Original Song category, which has never happened.
There's still a tiny chance that it can tie Ben-Hur, Titanic, and Return of the King, although it's more likely to tie West Side Story or Gigi/The Last Emperor/The English Patient.
@Jon, yes the big five, althot i will prefer Manchester won original screenplay.
Perfect scenario: LLL sweeps best pic, dir, actor, actress, costumes, cinematography, editing, sounds, song, while Machester n Moonlight take the screenplays.
I tink LLL, Chazelle, Stone, Viola n Ali r locks now, so the upsets if thr r any will b at Best Actor n Org Screenplay.
The perfect scenario for me would be surprises in every category...
LOL indeed that prize for Denzel is so random. But I still think that the Oscar is Casey's.
The race for cinematography is getting hot tho.
Had Viola gone lead she would have won. Oh well. She played it safe by remembering The Help situation in 2011 where some people thought Abilene was a supporting role.
I agree with Paul that surprises would be a refreshing scenario.
I'd like to see a disconnect between the inexorable wave of "locks" to professionals choosing what they actually think is best. The "predictive" style of awards dulls the awards.