Tom Hooper wins top honors from the Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America on Saturday evening named Tom Hooper best director of 2010 for "The King's Speech," the film based on the real-life story of King George VI's battle to overcome a debilitating stammer. It is the first guild win in the feature category for the 38-year-old filmmaker.
"Oh my God," said a surprised Hooper. "I am so grateful to my wonderful cast. I am overwhelmed. This is the highest honor of my life."
Hooper was nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Movie Award. He's also in contention for a BAFTA and an Academy Award.
"The King's Speech" was the surprise winner last week at the Producers Guild of America Awards -- the Facebook drama "The Social Network" had been favored to win the prize -- and leads the list of most-nominated films heading into the Academy Awards with 12.
The DGA Awards are one of the most dependable bellwethers of the Academy Awards. In fact, in the last 62 years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the DGA have disagreed in their choices only six times.
The 63rd annual DGA ceremony was held at the Renaissance Hotel at Hollywood and Highland with Carl Reiner hosting.
The guild awarded its prize for directing a TV drama series to Martin Scorsese for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," though Scorsese, who was said to be ill, did not attend the ceremony. Charles Ferguson won in the documentary category for his feature "Inside Job." Mick Jackson won for directorial achievement in movies for television and miniseries for HBO's "Temple Grandin," while Michael Spiller won for the ABC hit "Modern Family" in the TV comedy series category.
Glenn Weiss won in the musical/variety race for his direction of the 64th annual Tony Awards (CBS), and Larry Carpenter won for his work on "One Life to Live" in the daytime serials category.
The DGA also kicked off its 75th anniversary at the ceremony with DGA winners including Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, John Rich and Steven Spielberg introducing special film-clip presentations on "game-changing" moments in the guild's history.
Among the other awards handed out, Eytan Keller won for outstanding achievement in reality programs for "The Next Iron Chef" (Food Network); Eric Bross won top honors in the children's programs category for "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" (Nickelodeon); and Stacy Wall was recognized for his achievement in commercials directing.
-- Susan King
Photo: Tom Hooper at the James Hotel in Chicago. Credit: Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune
Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! You would think that directors would know something about their craft. I liked The King's Speech but only those completely ignorant about film and directing could possibly think David Fincher was NOT, hands down, the director of the year. Prestigious awards are supposed to award the best of the year and David Fincher's direction of The Social Network was undeniably the best of the year. Only the ignorant would disagree.
Posted by: Mark | January 30, 2011 at 08:18 PM
N.A. says: "A Man For All Seasons it isn't."
I say, thank God! A Man for All Seasons is Oscar boring.
Posted by: MartinP. | January 30, 2011 at 12:24 PM
Haggar wrote: "I mean, when the King’s Speech ends, you realize that it was just about a speech and king – nothing larger."
=========================================================
Actually, this person missed the whole point of the film. What TKS is really about is a wonderful relationship (which continued for many years afterward) between a teacher/motivator and a king struggling with a difficult issue. Anyone who has had a great teacher, professor or therapist in their life can understand and appreciate this fine film.
Posted by: David B. | January 30, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Wow. That isn't good news for The Social Network and David Fincher. I loved The KIngs Speech, but David Fincher is an amazing director - would like to see him get the Oscar.
Posted by: steve herrera | January 30, 2011 at 10:08 AM
Actually when TSN os over, you realize it was nothing more than a trumped up documentary of some punk kids starting a website.
When TKS is over, you realize a director, writers, and actors were able to make the seemingly simple act of giving a speech keep audiences on the edge of their seat for almost two hours, and learn something along the way about the history of a nation.
No comparison whatsoever.
Posted by: Baker | January 30, 2011 at 09:02 AM
The King's Speech was interesting but shallow melodrama. That's about all. But non-upsetting middle-of-the-road melodrama is what wins Oscars.
Posted by: w1n5t0n | January 30, 2011 at 08:59 AM
Well-done, DGA.
Posted by: Diane | January 30, 2011 at 08:53 AM
Someone has got to explain to me what was so great about the direction of this uplifting little trifle, this confection, which frustratingly brushes but the surface of the skin of the personalities of its two leads, beyond its 117 close-ups of Colin Firth stammering.
A Man For All Seasons it isn't.
Posted by: Native Angeleno | January 30, 2011 at 06:12 AM
Congrats to Hooper (and the King's Speech). He deserves it. I'm happy to see people are coming to their senses about The Social Network and David Fincher who was favored to win. Social Network and Fincher are extremely over-rated. Hooper, Aronofsky, Russell, Nolan, and the Coen Brothers all turned in better directing jobs this year.
Haggar... there are alot of problems with Social Network. As a movie it really missed with me. I felt the movie didn't truly examine the real motivations behind Zuckerberg and Facebook. And... there are some truly badly directed scenes in that film.
The Directors Guild is made up of directors. They know a well directed movie when they see it. They chose the most worthy film. Social Network was a decent enough movie but nothing special... not when compared to The King's Speech, Black Swan, The Fighter, and Inception (all of them better movies).
Posted by: Tom Robertson | January 30, 2011 at 01:40 AM
Sad the best one isn't winning the best picture at the Oscars this year. The race is over, The King's Speech is taking it. A movie I will forget in a year.
Posted by: dee | January 30, 2011 at 01:17 AM
Not surprised. Hooper, Aronofsky and Nolan both showed more style than Fincher (haven’t watched the Fighter). Hoopers style, while excessive in certain parts (some of the eye-line mismatches were just plain irritating) especially enhanced the emotion of the film as well as bring out the psyche of the characters (frustration, fear, self-doubt, etc). But he didn’t know where to hold back, which is my only problem with his approach. Nonetheless, I really think TSN is a better and more polished film (and likely Fincher's straightforward approach is to credit for this) and therefore more deserving of the Best Picture. I mean, when the King’s Speech ends, you realize that it was just about a speech and king – nothing larger. You can’t say the same of TSN. When it ends, you realize that it was much larger than what it discussed and presented.
Posted by: Haggar | January 30, 2011 at 12:27 AM
So the race is over ;(
Posted by: Paul | January 29, 2011 at 11:50 PM
King's Speech is winning Best Picture now.
Posted by: Hugh | January 29, 2011 at 11:42 PM