Standing corrected by The Carpetbagger
In yesterday's Oscar column, I mentioned that "Little Miss Sunshine" directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Farris wouldn't have a shot at a nomination in the Best Director category due to both names being credited at the helm. This was an assumption on my part based in part on DGA strictures (recalling the hub-bu surrounding Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and "Sin City") and last year's disqualification of the "Batman Begins" score due to two credited composers.
Well it seems I was wrong in that assumption, and perhaps should have made a few quick and easy calls like New York Times columnist and blogger David Carr (a.k.a. "The Carpetbagger") did. It seems there is no rule that would keep both directors from grabbing a nomination, and, as quoted Academy spokesman Jon Pavlik points out, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins were both nominated in 1961 for "West Side Story," eventually winning the award.
A big "oops" on my part and a big thanks to Mr. Carr for clearing that one up. A good thing all around regardless. "Little Miss Sunshine" is one of the best films of the year, and Dayton and Farris deserve they're due.
Comments
Or The Academy could pull a City Of God and only nominate one of the two credited directors.
I would suspect that AMPAS may be a little freaked out by Polyauthorialism.I can't help but feel like American Splendor's BP and Director chances were hurt a little by the fact it had two directors. Back when Wise and Robbins won for West Side Story, "cahiers de cinema" hadn't permiated the study of film to the point it has now.
Unfortunatly, I can't see this happening in a Post Sarris film universe.
Posted by: Feelthefelt![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 28, 2006 06:13 PM
Two things
1. Jerone Robbins was the director of the musical sequences in West Side Story, so maybe the Academy is just iffy on director teams that share the entire movie director. WHO DID WHAT sort of thing
2. I always thought the rule was (and the rule was put inplace after WSS) that two directors could be nominated together if they were a recognised directoring team (like, say, the Wachowski bros) but just two randoms working together could not.
...but, yeah.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 28, 2006 09:17 PM
Warren Beatty and Buck Henry were also jointly nominated for Best Director for their work on Heaven Can Wait in 1978.
Posted by: RBurton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 28, 2006 09:30 PM
The reason Mereilles and Lund were not both nominated is because Lund was credited as a "co-director." She'd be no more eligible than than a "co-producer" for the Best Picture award. If the credits had been "Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund," it would have been different.
I am not sure if Dayton and Faris would be eligible for the DGA.
Posted by: Gerard Kennedy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 29, 2006 05:26 AM
Still, if the director's branch have the option of Scorsese, Frears, Condon, Innaritu, Almodovar, Eastwood or Dayton/Farris, who do you think they'd skip over? The first timers of the indie comedy or the others.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 29, 2006 08:04 AM
Interesting...
what an interesting thought...i still think the precendent of it makes directoral nod for Sunshine a longshot.
Posted by: RC of strangeculture![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 29, 2006 10:14 PM
Kris,
I honestly don't mean this to sound snide, but what are you and other bloggers basing your predictions about "Little Miss Sunshine" on? What exactly is the buzz here? I'm curious because I saw the film and I enjoyed it, actually. But whereas last year I detested "Crash," I at least understood how some people might admire it -- there are different tastes, after all. But this movie, which I kind of enjoyed, just does not strike me as exceptional in any way. And I'm especially curious about the predicted nomination for the little girl as supporting actress. She seems like a perfectly nice little girl, but considering how stunningly good some child actors have been lately, I'm puzzled by the assumption that she will get nominated. Now that she has not been nominated for the independent film awards, will her "buzz" meter go down?
Posted by: Frank Lee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.incontention.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| November 30, 2006 07:21 PM