Directors Guild Nominations

The DGA nominations are in. This is crucial, as DGA, best director, and best picture are intrinsically linked. Here are the noms:

• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Since 2009 represents probably the most diverse field of worthy director nominations, I'm happy with this list, even if it doesn't really offer any sort of surprise-- all 5 of these films seemed poised for Best Picture nominations from the start, but I'm especially happy for the Lee Daniels mention; so much fresher than a Clint Eastwood shout-out. Since 2009 was so diverse it's also refreshing that there is really only one nomination that feels the norm (Cameron has the older white guy vote.)

2009's offerings:

• 3 women (Bigelow; Jane Campion for Bright Star; Lone Scherfig for An Education)
• 4 gay men (Tom Ford for A Single Man; Lee Daniels for Precious; Pedro Almodovar for Broken Embraces; Rob Marshall for Nine)
• South African (Neill Blomkamp for District 9)
• black guy (Lee Daniels for Precious)
• Austrian (Michael Hanake for The White Ribbon)
• 4 white guys under 50 (Reitman; Tarantino; Ford for A Single Man; The Coens for A Serious Man)