You know it is a great year when everything begins to fall into place. The Directors Guild of America announces their nominees and I agree with every single director on the list. Linklater and Inarritu solidify their status as the frontrunners, while Anderson clinches his chance at his first ever Oscar Best Directing nomination. With the momentum behind “The Imitation Game,” it should come as a surprise to no one that director Morten Tyldum gets a nomination and will likely repeat for the Oscar noms. Lastly, I am so ecstatic about Clint Eastwood’s involvement for his work on “American Sniper” which has failed to make any real noise until the end of the Oscar season. Now with the nomination, he proves that voting bodies are getting behind it and the Academy could follow suit. Obviously, because of his inclusion, David Fincher (“Gone Girl”) and Ava Duvernay (“Selma”) are left out. But since these nominations have come out after the end of voting for the Academy, it could be a different landscape for the Oscars. Note, Ben Affleck was left off this list for his work on “Argo” and not only won Best Director but Best Picture as well.
- Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
- Clint Eastwood, “American Sniper”
- Alejandro Inarritu, “Birdman”
- Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
- Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
