BEST DIRECTOR

Who’s In:

Argo: Ben Affleck

Lincoln: Steven Spielberg

Zero Dark Thirty: Kathryn Bigelow

Who’s Probably Also In:

Life of Pi: Ang Lee

Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell

Who Could Be In Instead:

Les Miserables: Tom Hooper

Amour: Michael Haneke

Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino

The Master: Paul Thomas Anderson

Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson

            The DGA nods went to Affleck, Bigelow, Hooper, Lee, and Spielberg: Four previous winners in this category, and one screenplay winner.  As previously mentioned, Les Miserables could be passed over by the more discerning Directors’ branch, even if it is favored by the Academy-wide vote for Best Picture (which leans more towards populist spectacle.)  So I think the higher regard for Silver Linings... puts Russell ahead of Hooper.