The Edge of the Frame

I just came upon a really interesting piece by Tom O’Neil over at Gold Derby. It discusses Tom Hooper, the director of “The King’s Speech,” and his previous awards track record. “The King’s Speech is still stationed as the frontrunner to win Best Picture, despite all of the accolades that “The Social Network” is beginning to reign in. Yet, having such an inexperienced and unrecognized director at the helm is really holding it back.

O’Neil writes:

If Hooper surmounts this and wins at the Directors’ Guild of America, then “King’s Speech” is an Oscar shoo-in, natch, but beware: he’s got a lousy track record at showbiz awards, including a shocking past defeat at the DGA.

It very much does remind me of the 1998 race for Best Picture, when “Shakespeare in Love” overtook “Saving Private Ryan” (a similar travesty, such as what might happen this year if “The Social Network” is taken down), even with a relatively unknown stage director at the helm. We’ll wait and see, but as of now, it’s all about the Fincher.