2011 Best Director Oscar Contenders
Fincher, Nolan, Russell, Boyle, Aronofsky, Hooper, Coens, Weir, Leigh, Coppola, Scorsese - who gets left out?
The year of the auteur
Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Sofia Coppola, David O. Russell, Danny Boyle, Darren Aronofsky, Joel and Ethan Coen, Peter Weir and Mike Leigh. On Jan. 25, when the nominations for best director are announced, it's hard to believe that half of those contenders won't make the cut. Every year is competitive in the best director race, but 2011 is turning into one of the most impressive ever. It's rare when you can say the nomination is legitimately the win, but for five lucky nominees this time it really will be.
With that in mind, let's review 18 potential nominees for best director at the 83rd Academy Awards.
[Left, Mark Wahlberg with potential nominee David O. Russell on the set of "The Fighter."]
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupLemuelG
November 16, 2010 at 7:27AM EST Reply to CommentIf "The Ghost Whisperer" wins any Oscar, we will see the walls of heaven crash down to earth. Happily, unlike "The Ghost Writer", it is not eligible.
carrie LOL i like this blog but there always are some errors in their articles
November 16, 2010 at 10:39AM ESTemanuel
November 16, 2010 at 2:47PM EST Reply to CommentI have the feeling that inception will get shut out of the race completley. And then fanboys will bitch and moan about how the oscars have no taste. Despite the fact that it really isn't that good of a film.
Jenny I 100% agree with you: Inception really wasn't that great. I can see it getting in the 10 slots for best picture (are there going to be 10 again this year?), but I really hope it doesn't get one for direction :/
November 16, 2010 at 7:11PM ESTHobbsguy
November 16, 2010 at 2:48PM EST Reply to CommentAnd the nominees are:
Peter Weir, Chris Nolan, David Fincher, Tom Hooper, Darren Aronofsky
And the winner is.......David Fincher
carrie Fincher/Boyle/Hooper and probabky Aronofsky and Coen s'brothers
November 16, 2010 at 3:02PM ESTJonnybon 100% agree with Carrie
November 16, 2010 at 7:30PM ESTSarah Hopefully Cholodenko recieves a nom for TKAAR.
November 16, 2010 at 7:50PM EST
November 16, 2010 at 3:03PM EST Reply to CommentIf Tim Burton is nominated for Alice in Wonderland, I swear I will fucking kill someone.
Jonnybon There is absolutely no chance that it will happen.
November 16, 2010 at 7:31PM ESTJCS
November 16, 2010 at 3:05PM EST Reply to CommentIf only my daddy were famous...then I could win an Oscar for one of the most boring films EVER and then win a Golden Lion for a film that's the same as my other boring film. Ugh...
Figgy You know what's even more boring that? People who consistently bitch about Sofia Coppola's films being boring and the fact that Francis Ford Coppola is Sofia's father.
November 16, 2010 at 3:14PM ESTJCS Perhaps. Doesn't change the fact that (a)It was boring and (b)Francis is her daddy.
November 16, 2010 at 3:17PM ESTJohn W
November 16, 2010 at 3:47PM EST Reply to CommentWow talk about a "murderer's row" list of candidates.
Josh p Peterses
November 16, 2010 at 5:25PM EST Reply to CommentI'd add Debra Granik for WINTER'S BONE and Derek Cianfrance for BLUE VALANTINE
Joe
November 16, 2010 at 5:32PM EST Reply to CommentChistopher Nolan's film starring Guy Pearce is "Memento" , not "Momento.
JohnDoe
November 16, 2010 at 5:49PM EST Reply to CommentInception probably has no chance at the Fuddy Duddy awards, i.e. The Academy Awards. Also, True Grit is NOT a remake. It's a faithful adaptation to the Charles Portis novel, unlike the very overrated Wayne film.
November 16, 2010 at 7:16PM EST Reply to CommentThe glaring typos kept me from finishing this article. "Momento?" I know it sounds douche-y, but it really is distracting.
That being said, as much as I loved Inception, there are definitely others I'd prefer to see nominated. Oh, and Alice in Wonderland? I'll officially boycott the Oscars if that even gets nominated
November 16, 2010 at 7:28PM ESTJohn H.
November 16, 2010 at 7:49PM EST Reply to CommentDon't forget the indie directors, especially The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko.
Jim
November 16, 2010 at 7:52PM EST Reply to CommentUh, Lee Unkrich? For "Toy Story 3"? Or does the Academy have that big of a golden stick up their a*s? (Sidenote: They do, and so much more)
Domdster
November 16, 2010 at 8:05PM EST Reply to CommentIt's a gutsy move in The Fighter to film the boxing like they're being broadcast on TV? I already saw that with the climax fight in Rocky Balboa (2006). It's inspired stuff alright, inspired by a previous boxing movie (and how it looks from the trailer, many other boxing movies, too).
Kramden Well said. Putting David O. Russell on this list is a joke.
November 17, 2010 at 5:15AM ESTSam
November 16, 2010 at 8:08PM EST Reply to CommentI hate to sound nit-picky, but the Coen brothers actually have eight Academy Awards between them. They have each won four per-brother; Best Picture and Best Director for "No Country for Old Men", and two screenplay wins for "No Country for Old Men" and "Fargo." That means that they have a total of eight Oscars, not four.
DAG
November 16, 2010 at 8:28PM EST Reply to CommentNominations:
Boyle/Fincher/Aronofsky/Hooper/Nolan
The winner will be Boyle for 127 Hours.
Anybody who has seen the film will know that it throws you for a loop, and is ultimately the most satisfying film of the year thus far.
November 17, 2010 at 5:15AM ESTAusten
November 17, 2010 at 12:39AM EST Reply to CommentIf Avatar can get nominations, so can Inception, which was a better movie by undeniable leaps and bounds.