Eastwood Wins at DGAs
The director defeated Martin Scorsese at the Directors' Guild of America Awards, strenghtening his case for Oscar victory.
Jan 31 2005
Clint Eastwood has been named best director by the Directors' Guild of America for 'Million Dollar Baby', beating strong competition from the likes of Alexander Payne, Marc Forster, Taylor Hackford and Martin Scorsese.
It was also a good weekend for the boxing drama at the American box office, where it expanded to 2,010 screens, and no doubt boosted by Oscar nominations and Golden Globe wins, grossed a very respectable $11.8 million (making a running total of $21.1 million thus far).
The Directors' Guild win will also strengthen Eastwood’s chances of Academy Award glory next month, as 50 of the last 56 DGA winners have gone onto win the same prize at the Oscars.
He last won a DGA in 1993 for 'Unforgiven', a film that also won him an Oscar later that same year.
Accepting the prize from Steven Spielberg, Eastwood said: 'I'm pleased as punch', and of his co-stars Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, he added 'This is a real pleasure, working with Hilary and Morgan – they're just fabulous people. All I have to do is sort of stand there and guide it.'
Elsewhere at the ceremony, Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni won the best director of a documentary award for 'The Story of Weeping Camel', defeating early favourite Michael Moore for 'Fahrenheit 9/11'.
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
A Bond a day: No.5 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'
Join Time Out as we revisit the 21 official James Bond movies to celebrate the release of 'Quantum of Solace'
Steve McQueen on 'Hunger'
Dave Calhoun meets artist Steve McQueen’s whose debut feature film, ‘Hunger’, is the story of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands
Producer Stephen Woolley on ‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’
Stephen Woolley, recalls the near catastrophes he had to contend with in bringing Toby Young’s memoir to the screen
Paul Newman: 1925 – 2008
Paul Newman died at his Connecticut home this weekend, at the age of 83. We look back at one of the great movie careers of the twentieth century
Richard Attenborough: interview
‘Entirely Up to You, Darling’ is the long-awaited autobiography from Sir Richard Attenborough. David Jenkins meets him in his Richmond home
Hard hacks to follow
To celebrate the release of 'How To Lose Friends and Alienate People', Time Out pick some of the toughest journalistic gigs in cinema








What do you think?
Post your comment now