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‘Hurt Locker’ Takes Top Producers Guild Award

Published by Jeff Leins on January 25, 2010

The Hurt LockerIn an upset, The Hurt Locker topped Avatar at the Producers Guild Awards last night.

After taking home the Golden Globe, awards experts predicted James Cameron’s sci-fi epic to roll through the PGAs on its way to an easy Oscar, but his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow had something to say about that.  Instead Summit Entertainment’s Iraq war drama took home the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award on Sunday and made this awards season a race.

In hindsight, it’s not difficult to see why.  Hurt Locker clearly has the critical acclaim compared to the box office juggernaut, while Avatar likely split a few geek votes with Star Trek and District 9.

This awards season has been somewhat suspenseful, especially compared to last year’s Slumdog Millionaire lovefest.  Festival crowds favored Precious early, critics awards mostly went to Hurt Locker, the Globes announced Avatar, Inglourious Basterds won at the Screen Actors Guild, and now the Producers Guild honors Hurt Locker. Who’s it going to be in March?

As for the other awards, shoo-ins Up picked up the best animated picture prize and The Cove won for best documentary.  Here’s the list:

Best Film: The Hurt Locker
Best TV comedy series: 30 Rock
Best TV drama series: Mad Men
Best Non-fiction TV: 60 Minutes
Best Live-entertainment/competition TV: The Colbert Report
Best TV-movie/miniseries: Grey Gardens
Best Animated feature: Up
Best Documentary feature: The Cove
David O. Selznick Award: John Lasseter
Vanguard Award: Joss Whedon
Milestone Award: Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton

  • teri
    Linking the three sci-fi films is fine with me; and I also think it's true that the other two may have siphoned a few votes away from Avatar. It's astonishing that three sci-fi films just might make Oscar's top ten this year, although I think Star Trek is on the bubble. But D9, and Avatar, are fairly certain.

    But, that isnt the reason why Avatar probably wont win this year. Kathryn Bigelow has the DGA all but sewn up.
    A month is an eternity for Oscar campaigning and shifting winds; but Avatar simply has too many enemies. Voters who dont like block busters, the Vatican, the military industrial complex, voters who dont like James Cameron, voters who cant get past the blue aliens, voters who mistakenly view the film as "just a cartoon", quibblers over it's screenplay, which, oddly enough, has been given a free pass since they started making films (just not in Cameron's case), people who dont understand that the ensemble is actually 'acting', and arent just digital images, the far right, and some kookier detractors than that, such as the anti-smoking police.

    The time is also right to reward a woman for best director. Nobody is going to beat her at the DGA.

    Ok jeff; I've changed my mind about you. You're ok.
    thanks for taking the time to respond, and to clarify where you are coming from.
  • teri
    I'm not debating the latter half of your statement. But I am SICK sci-fi/fantasy voters being referred to as 'nerds', or 'geeks'.
    Have you read any science fiction Jeff? Some of the literature is the most compelling, complex, challenging works out there.
    So what are The Hurt Locker's voters? Brainiacs? More, discerning? Certainly not the derogatory adjectives you've applied to Avatar/D9/StarTrek voters. But to be fair, you're far from the only one.

    And btw, The Hurt Locker, is a fabulous film, imo, but a financial underachiever, considering the length of time in theatres irrespective of it's very limited release.
    Maybe now they'll give more money to Kathryn Bigelow. She's already in talks with some higher profile, interesting producers.
  • Jeff Leins
    "Geek" certainly isn't derogatory. I'm definitely a geek. I run a film website, so I guess that's obvious.

    If it helps I ranked Avatar higher on my favorite films of 2009 than Hurt Locker.

    I see your point, I'm just explaining there was no mean-spirited intent behind linking the sci-fi films. Especially because I loved all three.
  • teri
    Buzz off with the "geek vote" comment, Jeff. Your bias is showing.
    I'll be passing your future articles by.
  • Jeff Leins
    what's offensive or biased about the "geek vote?" it's a legitimate possibility that Avatar lost some support to Trek and D9.
  • those are definitely locks, but i could see bigelow winning director and avatar taking picture.
  • Jeff Leins
    I could live with that. By the way, I really hope Bullock doesn't win Best Actress. Carey Mulligan all the way.
  • i saw hurt locker, and really liked it, but i don't see it winning best picture. i think the academy, especially with the new voting system, will give it to avatar, or a small possibility of something else but definitely not hurt locker. i do think hurt locker will be winning best cinematography though.
  • Jeff Leins
    I dunno, I think it could go to Hurt Locker. Avatar only really won with the Hollywood Foreign Press, but Bigelow is getting a lot of respect from industry types and should pick up the Directors Guild Award at the end of January.

    If District 9 or Star Trek are nominated in the 10 slots for Best Picture, it might take a few votes from Avatar, which will win probably only win technical awards. Either way, this definitely got more interesting. Looking forward to how things shift in the coming month.

    Bridges, Mo'Nique, Christoph Waltz, Up, and The Cove are locks though.
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