The DGA is the last industry group to speak up before tomorrow's Oscar ballot deadline, so it may be too late for it wield any influence, but its timing is possibly a very strong indicator of what our top tier Best Picture contenders are.
To nobody's surprise,
Damien Chazelle (La La Land),
Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and
Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) all assumed their preordained spots in the DGA lineup.
Joining them are
Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) and -- in what I'd only characterize as a slight surprise --
Garth Davis for his first feature
Lion. Davis might not have the name recognition of Gibson, Scorsese or any of the other contenders who failed to earn a nomination today, but he does have the pull of a damn good movie; One which may have been underestimated until this past week of guild success. Logic and stats suggest that one of these two gents will be replaced on the Oscar ballot for Best Director, but which one, and by whom?
Over in the documentary category, the DGA went with
O.J.: Made in America,
Weiner,
I Am Not Your Negro,
The Eagle Huntress and
Life, Animated. All five are still in the running for Oscar.
