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Directors Guild
Clint Eastwood
(Photo:
AP
)
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The DGA winner was named at the 57th annual DGA Awards Dinner Jan. 29, 2005, in Los Angeles.
The winner was:
Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
The other nominees were:
Marc Forster, "Finding Neverland"
Taylor Hackford, "Ray"
Alexander Payne, "Sideways"
Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"
Since the DGA award's inception in 1949, a total of 50 out of 56 times, the DGA Award winner has won the corresponding Best Director Academy Award.
The award solidifies Eastwood's prospects to win his second best-director prize at the Academy Awards on Feb. 27. He previously won the Academy Award and guild prize for 1992's "Unforgiven," which also was that year's best-picture champ at the Oscars.
Eastwood's triumph dashed fellow nominee Martin Scorsese's hopes yet again. With the Howard Hughes epic "The Aviator," Scorsese earned his sixth guild nomination for best director, but he has lost every time.
"Million Dollar Baby" stars Eastwood as a curmudgeonly boxing trainer and reluctant mentor to a scrappy fighter (Hilary Swank) who becomes a champion in the ring before her life takes a tragic turn. Morgan Freeman co-stars as an ex-boxer and resident sage of the gym where Swank's character trains.
Eastwood offered gracious thanks to Swank and Freeman, saying their presence made his job as director a delight.
"I've just got to say that this is a real pleasure," Eastwood said. "I've worked with Hilary and Morgan, just fabulous people to be making a picture together. All I have to do is just sort of stand there and guide it."
All three performers earned acting nominations for the Oscars.
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