If Saturday’s DGA Awards are any indication, we might have to hold off on just gift-wrapping the Oscars for Avatar and director James Cameron. In a Director’s Guild first, Kathryn Bigelow took home the prize for directing for her gripping Iraq War film, The Hurt Locker. Bigelow is the first woman in the Guild’s history to take the honor, winning it over Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds), Jason Retiman (Up In the Air), Lee Daniels (Precious) and the aforementioned King of the World, who also happens to be her ex-husband.
Bigelow said that, “This is the most incredible moment of my life.” And that “This is amazing. I am so deeply stunned and honored and proud.” She accepted the “unimaginable honor” on behalf of the “men and
women in the field” in the Iraq military zone. The DGA is one of the more accurate indicators for its counterpart award at the Academy Awards. The Best Director Oscar has only gone to a different director than the DGA winner six times since 1948. The Hurt Locker also took the DGA Best Picture award.
Kudos to Ms. Bigelow on an award well-earned. The Oscar nominations will be announced Tuesday morning.