The Director's Guild has spoken

[CMJ]

Ron Howard for ABM took the win. This is a monumental win for Howard(and the film). Only 5 times in 54 years has the winner of the DGA been different than the Academy's Best Director(and since Picutre and Director USUALLY match this is huge), so "A Beautiful Mind" looks like it may not be dead afterall.

In recent days it had looked as if "Moulin Rouge" and "Fellowship of the Ring" had benefited from a mini'scandal involving ABM. They still may have...but this once again firmly puts Howard's picture back as the frontrunner IMHO(of course...and upset is VERY possible).

[JonathanLB]

That is really retarded given what Jackson did to bring LOTR: FOTR to the big screen.

I still think LOTR is the front-runner. Although, that would make two years in a row where the actual BEST PICTURE of the year won the BEST PICTURE award, and that would just be, wow, too amazing to believe.

I mean, it has probably only happened like 5 times in the history of the Academy! So to have it happen 2 times in a row would be amazing, hehe. Before Gladiator, the last time it happened was in 1995 with Braveheart. Or 1996 I guess when the award was presented, whatever.

[CMJ]

Actually..my favorite picture of the year has won 3 out of the last 4 years..I think the Academy is on a winning streak. :P Since IMHO ABM is the best of the nominee's(my #3 overall film of 2001) I would be very happy with a win for it. :)

[JonathanLB]

A Beautiful Mind failed to make my top 50, LOL, and I only saw like 65 movies probably.

What are these 3 films CMJ?

Mostly, my favorite movie each year is critically acclaimed, but not always obviously. The Phantom Menace was not, but it was actually a well-reviewed film. Mostly 2.5 to 3 star ratings is good...

In 1998, if I am remembering the year right, my favorite film was The Truman Show but I was pulling for SPR. In 1997, again if I remember right, it was The Game, not an acclaimed film. In 2000, going back to recent, it was Gladiator. In 2001, it was LOTR. So mostly my top film is fairly well reviewed, it's just that it never wins the Oscar, well at least except in the cases of Gladiator and Braveheart.

Also, Shawshank Redemption was the best of 1993, damnit.

[CMJ]

Hold on a second...LOL....the news that reported has been declared false. The DGA winner has yet to be announced...sorry for the mistake. I hate when people report stuff when they aren't sure(and now I look like a DUMBASS!). I'll post the winner when I get REAL confirmation....

[JonathanLB]

You dumbass! Haha, just kidding. I have made myself look like a fool more times than there are stars in the sky, so you are forgiven ;)

[CMJ]

At least I don't look as bad as the site I got it from. ;)

[Champion of the Force]

I was wondering why you already had this info, considering the official DGA website didn't even have it listed. :)

[CMJ]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "A Beautiful Mind" director Ron Howard claimed the top filmmaking honor Saturday night from the Directors Guild of America, considered one of the most accurate barometers of Oscar success.

Howard also won the DGA award in 1996 for his direction of "Apollo 13" and was nominated in 1985 for "Cocoon."

"A Beautiful Mind" tells the story of Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr., a Princeton mathematics professor who struggled to overcome schizophrenia. It has a total of eight Oscar nominations, including best actor for Russell Crowe and supporting actress for Jennifer Connelly.

In the 54 years since the guild began distributing its prize, the winner has gone on to win the best director Academy Award all but five times. But Howard wasn't even nominated for an Oscar the last time he won the DGA honor; it went to Mel Gibson for "Braveheart" instead.

Backstage on Saturday night, he discounted its reliability.

"I don't know if that connection holds any more," he said. "It's been so erratic the past few years that I just don't know if it holds up."

[JonathanLB]

Cocoon, that was a pretty good film, I had forgotten he did that.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I really think it could go either way for Best picture and best director at this point, Altman could still get it too so who knows I really think it is up for grabs.

[JonathanLB]

Please not Altman! He is like the worst director in history. Jesus, he's nearly as bad as David Lynch, lol. The two of them couldn't make a film as good as Snow Dogs. Just kidding, but my first impression of each is horrid.

Howard is a good director, but I guess I'm not into him quite as much as some other people. I have yet to see Grinch, but jesus that movie looked horrible! I don't care how much money it made, it looked attrocious.

I loved Apollo 13, though, that's just an awesome masterpiece. Great suspence and yet it's a real life story! :)

Howard is a cool guy...

[CMJ]

I remember it was a mini-scandal during the '95 awards season that Howard WASN'T nominated by the Academy. "Apollo 13" was considered the film to beat...but without the Director nomination it just proved too difficult to overcome.

For the record out of the films nominated that year I would have voted for "Apollo 13" over "Braveheart"(and I'm sure I'm gonna crucified for that), though Gibson's film was a good choice. :)

[ReaperFett]

I didnt enjoy Apollo 13 at all, but I have to agree it was directed well

[Champion of the Force]

I loved Apollo 13, even though they did skew the story in some areas for more effect (dumbing down Jack Swigert's (Kevin Bacon) role and upping Ken Mattingly's (Gary Sinise) being one of the biggest and most controversial).

[JonathanLB]

Apollo 13 was a great movie, definitely one of my favorites that year, but it wasn't even close to Braveheart. That is like saying Star Trek: Insurrection is almost as good as Star Wars: A New Hope, lol.

[CMJ]

In your opinion Jon. :P In mine "Apollo" was a much superior film(and this is not saying "Braveheart wasn't good..I own it for God's sake!). Aren't opinions great things? ;)

If we all agreed film discussions would be boring.