DGA (semi) surprises with a Taika Waititi nomination
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 1:41PM by Nathaniel R
Taika is a previous Oscar nominee for Live Action Short. He could become an Oscar nominee in additional categories this year (Best Director and Best Screenplay)
Making a clean sweep of the major guild nominations, Jojo Rabbit is also in with the Directors Guild of America. This was not totally expected but neither is it much of a surprise since his "anti-hate satire"has performed well all season with awards bodies, despite very vocal detractors and a modest box office performance. Yes, it grossed just a little less than Parasite but since it has Hollywood stars and is in English it wasn't half the breakout word-of-mouth smash that the former was. Where the DGA is always more interesting is in their less Oscar-buzzed "first time feature" category. The nominees are after the jump...
Directors
- Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
- Sam Mendes, “1917”
- Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
- Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
- Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”
In ye olden times the DGA was a more accurate predicter of the eventual Best Picture lineup than the eventual Best Director lineup but things changed a lot once preferential balloting and expanded BP lineups began. Still, the DGA lineup rarely matches Oscar 5/5 (the last time was in The Hurt Locker/Avatar season) so any of these men might be vulnerable to either an unexpected player with passion votes (Sciamma, Almodovar, Gerwig?) or an expected one (Todd Philips for Joker?).
Alma Ha'rel directing Noah Jupe in "Honey Boy"
First Time Feature Director
- Mati Diop, “Atlantics”
- Alma Har’el, “Honey Boy”
- Melina Matsoukas, “Queen & Slim”
- Joe Talbot, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
- Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, “The Peanut Butter Falcon”
It's a 50/50 gender balanced category with 3 male nominee and 3 female nominees. How about that? Both Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers) and Lulu Wang (The Farewell) are on their second features so they weren't eligible for this prize despite feeling like newbies since their debut features were less heralded.
The major omission in the list above is obviously Olivia Wilde for Booksmart. Other buzzy new filmmakers they could have honored included the Spirit nominees for "first feature" Phililp Youmans (Burning Cane), Kent Jones (Diane), and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre (The Mustang).
Reader Comments (32)
Yep, I've long suspected JOJO was in the 5th slot for Best Picture followed by MARRIAGE STORY (so overrated) and JOKER. The 5th slot for director is still a mystery but if we only had five films up for Best Pic I'd say these would be them.
I feel like this more or less locks in 4 out of the 5 Oscar nominees for this Monday.
Tarantino, Joon-Ho, Mendes, and Scorsese seem essentially guaranteed for a nomination, and the degree to which they're locked seems about in that order too. It seems weird to say that Scorsese seems the most vulnerable, but The Irishman doesn’t seem to be performing all that well as of late so that may mean that there’s not as much industry support as we suspected. But still, he’s in. At this point, I’d be stunned if any of those four were snubbed.
I also think that that fifth slot is WIDE open. I’d be very surprised if Waititi gets nominated for the Oscar and I would suspect that either Gerwig, Almodovar, or Phillips will get it.
Also Nathaniel, I would like to point out that Lorene Scafaria has actually directed two films before this: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and The Meddler. Although hardly anyone knows about the second one so you’re totally forgiven for overlooking it :P
Hard to be excited about a director race in which no one shows any resistance to honoring Tarantino's massive ego trip. STOP enabling this man!!
I'd say don't underestimate the prognosticating powers of the Toronto Audience Awards. I thought there was no way GREEN BOOK could win, even with that precursor award, but that's what we got. JOJO could end up as the default winner.
Interesting. Joker surprisingly leads the BAFTA nominations but now misses at DGA. I like getting all these announcements in one day. I think I like this shortened season.
Could it be any of these James Mangold,Greta Gerwig,Noah Baumback,The Safdies or Pedro.
JoJo Rabbit is the film that I just didn't connect to this year,the humour just didn't appeal,I stopped watching after Scarlett was no longer in it.
LOVED this movie.
Films that win TIFF's People's Choice Award always do well at the Oscar's. Even Imitation Game and Room, despite not being best pic contenders, snagged directing nominations.
It's rare for the DGA to perfectly lineup with the academy but I don't think it'll be Taka that misses.
If the DGA's lineup is the Oscar's lineup, then I will be happy.
If the Golden Globes Best Director lineup is the Oscar lineup, I'll riot.
I can live with Taika being nominated instead of Gerwig, but please no Todd Phillips for his "more, more, more" directing style
Hope Oscar change Waititi for Almodóvar or Sciamma. I mean, obviously Todd Philips is a posibility, but are they really going to nominate him? Nolan was snubbed for a critically acclaimed / box-office smash movie, at the time he had proved himself with Memento, The Prestige, etc.
I know it's a "new" Academy, but still, it's a divisive movie directed by The Hangover guy. My perception is they are onboard now with genre films only if the reviews are spectacular and the movie is an undeniable cultural phenomenon, like Black Panther, Joker is neither of those things.
I follow Sean Baker on Letterboxd, and I noticed how impressed he was with Taika Waititi's skill with child actors. After seeing the movie, I can understand why. I like reading Sean Baker's reviews because it's interesting to see a director's point of view on certain things, and he often helps me understand why directors might support something during awards season that doesn't seem easily supportable.
I did actually enjoy Jojo Rabbit and it did feel like an Oscar film to me, despite its controversial approach to already-controversial subject matter. It was uplifting, and it had great pacing, great acting, great emotional highs and lows in between laughs... could totally see it appealing to AMPAS.
Marriage Story is a lock regardless. At times frustrating but possibly the year's best film.
The Mustang is one of the best films of the year and the leading Belgian is very deserving of a nomination.
Also, Baumbach is still in the running. I think he's likelier than Philips. Let Joker get a Best Picture nomination but not get either a direction or writing nom.
Being a comedy, Jojo Rabbit is always a likelier screenplay nominee. But it's a quirky little film and the director has the showiest role in the film, which itself is the film's quirkiness.
Comparing Waititi with Phillips masterful JOKER??
Only CLUELESS Amercans, lol. My compatriot Lucrecia mMrtel was spot on when she dave Phillips the Golden Lion. But you prfeer to rely on the antiquities that vote at Toronto?
The level of stupidity here is astounding.
I also follow Sean Baker in Letterboxd and he never has something horrible to say about a film. He's too nice.
I would die of excitement if JoJo's little friend got nominated in SUpporting Actor out of nowhere.. He was so lovably adorable and hysterical!!!
Chofer, why don't you shut the fuck up?
You've no idea where anyone is from.
I loved Once upon... But, my heart demands that Tarantino should replaced for Taika and Almodóvar being the fifth nominee.
Breaks my heart not seeing a girl, but, the boys really elevates the thing this year.
The only two that I think are lock are Bong and Scorsese. All the other three will be a hell of battle, but Almodóvar Will win.
Almodovar should be on the list .
YAY TAIKA!!!!!
Nervous he will show up in Supporting Actor. 😶 Desperately hope Pedro takes the fifth spot!!
If I had my way, the category would be Céline Sciamma, Claire Denis, Mati Diop, Lorene Scafaria, and Pedro.
Where is Baumbach?
There is no damn need to give Gerwig a second directing nom for only her second feature.
That First Time Feature Director category could be the Oscar Best Director nominees and I'd be a happy person.
The 5th spot is really up in the air, but sadly i tink Greta n Noah r gonna miss, I can feel the resistance in the industry agst the couple. Their respective nods in the screenplay cat + their films in best pic will b their recognition.
I dun tink Almodovar is happening, as it is, P&G is struggling n Banderas fails to get a nod at both SAG n Bafta. SAG i can still ustand (their inherent resistance to foreign lang performers) but Bafta?? I alws thot they r friendlier to fellow European films n actors?
It'll be a boy's club again for the directors at the Oscars. Last spot is probably a fight between Waititi, Phillips n Mangold. Maybe Johnson will surprise if they really luv Knives Out.
That's a good question. "Marriage Story" didn't just make itself. You can't praise that film and not extol Baumbach's direction.
I am thinking... Taika is in for Oscar, and we are going to get the shock snub of Marty, in favor of Phillips or Almodovar
Remember when people thought Marriage Story would become the new Kramer vs Kramer? Lol.
Also, it's nuts that the fifth slot is theoretically between Jojo Rabbit and Joker. Reviews really don't matter, huh?
Bit cunty with the Jojo spoiler markgordonuk.
I'm happy with this. Waititi is a great director and Jojo is one of my favorites of the year.
I wish I could block Mr. Alonso. Solid amount of bullshit constantly emanating.
I don't get what you're saying, Andy. And not just you..Marriage Story is not the new Kramer Vs. Kramer? As in lol? Is it because it's unlikely to win 5 Oscars?
Driver can win, Dern is the firm favorite. Scarlett can even win (no second lead in Kramer Vs. Kramer) and tho it's very hard to imagine Baumbach winning, he has a genuine shot at a nomination. And the screenplay CAN win. Tarantino already has two and if he people are pushing him it's for Best Director..4 Oscars is a lot.
Looks like comment moderation hasn’t fixed much. Lol.
DDl -- comment moderation was not to fix people arguing. Everyone here is human and thus they will argue and disagree. It was to prevent the constant extremely immature habit of certain commenters to pretend that they were other commenters. Believe me it's not something I wanted to do. It cuts down on conversation flow and anything that takes us more time in house is time we can't spend writing and providing more content for all of you but sometimes people can't be reasoned with and they will go on being assholes to each other.
looking forward to the day when the people who keep trying to sabotage the comments and other people's reputations get bored with the site and move on...