'Brokeback's' Lee wins DGA Award
Helmer Lee wins DGA nod
Jan 30, 2006
Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" was named 2005's best feature at the 58th annual DGA Awards dinner, adding to the film's momentum with another key awards-season honor.
"This is just lovely, thank you," Lee said Saturday to the audience of 1,100 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. "This is the only award I put on my desk. Thank you, it means so much to me."
Lee might need more space for trophies because his love story about two ranch hands already has racked up awards for best picture and director from the Golden Globes and many critics' associations, as well as being named feature of the year by the Producers Guild of America a week ago.
All indications are that it will be a major contender when the Academy Awards nominees are announced Tuesday. Thanks largely to overlapping voting membership, the winner of the DGA feature film award has won the best director Oscar in 51 of the past 57 years.
Lee praised his competitors, saying he wished they could all go home winners: "We're winners because we're blessed. We're filmmakers. We make movies together, we celebrate together. What a life!"
Lee beat out nominees Steven Spielberg for "Munich," George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck," Paul Haggis for "Crash" and Bennett Miller for "Capote."
Lee thanked E. Annie Proulx for writing the short story on which "Brokeback Mountain" is based, as well as screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Focus Features and his crew. Some of the latter also shared in the DGA award: unit production managers Scott Ferguson and Tom Benz, first assistant directors Michael Hausman and Pierre Tremblay and second assistant director Brad Moerke.
Lee has been nominated three times by the DGA and won twice, the last in 2000 for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
The night's other winners included two unexpected ties.
The movies-for-television prize was shared by Joseph Sargent for "Warm Springs" (HBO) and George Wolfe for "Lackawanna Blues" (HBO). It was Sargent's fourth DGA Award, his most recent coming in 2004 for "Something the Lord Made." It was a first win for Wolfe.
Another tie occurred in the newly created category of reality television director, with "Three Wishes" (NBC) director Tony Croll sharing the award with J. Rupert Thompson for his work on "Fear Factor" (NBC).
"This is pretty sublime being up here in front of some of my heroes for directing bugs," Thompson said.
DGA president Michael Apted took a break from his official duties to collect the trophy for best direction in dramatic series night for "The Stolen Eagle" episode of "Rome" (HBO). Apted had been nominated twice before but never had won.
Marc Buckland won in the category of comedy series for the pilot for "My Name Is Earl" (NBC).
For musical variety, Matthew Diamond won for a performance of Swan Lake on "Great Performances: Dance in America" (PBS). It was Diamond's third DGA Award.
Owen Renfroe took home the prize for daytime serial for "General Hospital" (ABC).
Werner Herzog won the documentary award for "Grizzly Man," saying he felt the award should be shared with the subjects of the film, grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed three years ago while living among the bears in Alaska.
In children's programming, Chris Eyre won for "Edge of America" (Showtime).
Craig Gillespie was named best commercial director, marking his first win after two previous nominations.
Aside from Lee's victory, the highlight of the night for most was Clint Eastwood's reception of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Eastwood, who was last year's big winner both at the DGA Awards and the Oscars for "Million Dollar Baby," said he was deeply honored to be included among the other DGA luminaries.
"Maybe we can call this a mid-Lifetime Achievement Award -- I have no immediate plans to hang things up," said Eastwood, 75, who's in the midst of back-to-back features about Iwo Jima. "It's a very humbling experience to be on that list. It's so awesome for me to look back on those fellows who inspired me."
Joseph Aceti also got a Lifetime Achievement Award, for sports direction.
Honorary awards were handed out for career achievement and guild service: Jerry Ziesmer took home the Frank Capra Achievement Award and Donald Jacob received the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.
A complete list of winners follows.
Feature film: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain."
Documentary: Werner Herzog, "Grizzly Man."
Movies for television: (tie) Joseph Sargent, "Warm Springs," HBO; George C. Wolfe, "Lackawanna Blues," HBO.
Reality television: (tie) Tony Croll, "Three Wishes," ABC; J. Rupert Thompson, "Fear Factor," NBC.
Daytime serials: Owen Renfroe, "General Hospital," ABC.
Dramatic series night: Michael Apted, "Rome," HBO.
Children's programs: Chris Eyre, "Edge of America," Showtime.
Musical variety: Matthew Diamond, "Swan Lake with American Ballet Theater," PBS.
Comedy series: Marc Buckland, "My Name is Earl," NBC.
Commercials: Craig Gillespie, MJZ.
Lifetime achievement award: Clint Eastwood.
"This is just lovely, thank you," Lee said Saturday to the audience of 1,100 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. "This is the only award I put on my desk. Thank you, it means so much to me."
Lee might need more space for trophies because his love story about two ranch hands already has racked up awards for best picture and director from the Golden Globes and many critics' associations, as well as being named feature of the year by the Producers Guild of America a week ago.
All indications are that it will be a major contender when the Academy Awards nominees are announced Tuesday. Thanks largely to overlapping voting membership, the winner of the DGA feature film award has won the best director Oscar in 51 of the past 57 years.
Lee praised his competitors, saying he wished they could all go home winners: "We're winners because we're blessed. We're filmmakers. We make movies together, we celebrate together. What a life!"
Lee beat out nominees Steven Spielberg for "Munich," George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck," Paul Haggis for "Crash" and Bennett Miller for "Capote."
Lee thanked E. Annie Proulx for writing the short story on which "Brokeback Mountain" is based, as well as screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Focus Features and his crew. Some of the latter also shared in the DGA award: unit production managers Scott Ferguson and Tom Benz, first assistant directors Michael Hausman and Pierre Tremblay and second assistant director Brad Moerke.
Lee has been nominated three times by the DGA and won twice, the last in 2000 for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
The night's other winners included two unexpected ties.
The movies-for-television prize was shared by Joseph Sargent for "Warm Springs" (HBO) and George Wolfe for "Lackawanna Blues" (HBO). It was Sargent's fourth DGA Award, his most recent coming in 2004 for "Something the Lord Made." It was a first win for Wolfe.
Another tie occurred in the newly created category of reality television director, with "Three Wishes" (NBC) director Tony Croll sharing the award with J. Rupert Thompson for his work on "Fear Factor" (NBC).
"This is pretty sublime being up here in front of some of my heroes for directing bugs," Thompson said.
DGA president Michael Apted took a break from his official duties to collect the trophy for best direction in dramatic series night for "The Stolen Eagle" episode of "Rome" (HBO). Apted had been nominated twice before but never had won.
Marc Buckland won in the category of comedy series for the pilot for "My Name Is Earl" (NBC).
For musical variety, Matthew Diamond won for a performance of Swan Lake on "Great Performances: Dance in America" (PBS). It was Diamond's third DGA Award.
Owen Renfroe took home the prize for daytime serial for "General Hospital" (ABC).
Werner Herzog won the documentary award for "Grizzly Man," saying he felt the award should be shared with the subjects of the film, grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed three years ago while living among the bears in Alaska.
In children's programming, Chris Eyre won for "Edge of America" (Showtime).
Craig Gillespie was named best commercial director, marking his first win after two previous nominations.
Aside from Lee's victory, the highlight of the night for most was Clint Eastwood's reception of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Eastwood, who was last year's big winner both at the DGA Awards and the Oscars for "Million Dollar Baby," said he was deeply honored to be included among the other DGA luminaries.
"Maybe we can call this a mid-Lifetime Achievement Award -- I have no immediate plans to hang things up," said Eastwood, 75, who's in the midst of back-to-back features about Iwo Jima. "It's a very humbling experience to be on that list. It's so awesome for me to look back on those fellows who inspired me."
Joseph Aceti also got a Lifetime Achievement Award, for sports direction.
Honorary awards were handed out for career achievement and guild service: Jerry Ziesmer took home the Frank Capra Achievement Award and Donald Jacob received the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.
A complete list of winners follows.
Feature film: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain."
Documentary: Werner Herzog, "Grizzly Man."
Movies for television: (tie) Joseph Sargent, "Warm Springs," HBO; George C. Wolfe, "Lackawanna Blues," HBO.
Reality television: (tie) Tony Croll, "Three Wishes," ABC; J. Rupert Thompson, "Fear Factor," NBC.
Daytime serials: Owen Renfroe, "General Hospital," ABC.
Dramatic series night: Michael Apted, "Rome," HBO.
Children's programs: Chris Eyre, "Edge of America," Showtime.
Musical variety: Matthew Diamond, "Swan Lake with American Ballet Theater," PBS.
Comedy series: Marc Buckland, "My Name is Earl," NBC.
Commercials: Craig Gillespie, MJZ.
Lifetime achievement award: Clint Eastwood.
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