NOMINEES FOR THE 17TH COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS:
EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM
Birdman – Albert Wolsky
Boyhood – Kari Perkins
Gone Girl – Trish Summerville
Interstellar – Mary Zophres
Wild – Melissa Bruning
EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
The Imitation Game – Sammy Sheldon Differ
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Selma – Ruth E. Carter
The Theory of Everything – Steven Noble
EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
Guardians of the Galaxy – Alexandra Byrne
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – Kurt and Bart
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard, Jane Clive
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
House of Cards – Johanna Argan
Ray Donovan – Christopher Lawrence
Saturday Night Live – Tom Broecker, Eric Justian
Scandal – Lyn Paolo
True Detective – Jenny Eagan
OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES
Boardwalk Empire – John Dunn
Game of Thrones – Michele Clapton
The Knick – Ellen Mirojnick
Mad Men – Janie Bryant
Masters of Sex – Ane Crabtree
OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TV MOVIE OR MINI SERIES
American Horror Story: Freak Show – Lou Eyrich
Houdini – Birgit Hutter
The Normal Heart – Daniel Orlandi
Olive Kitteridge – Jenny Eagan
Sherlock – Sarah Arthur
I was a little surprised by the omissions of “Belle” and “Mr. Turner” in their list for period costumes. I think AMPAS will go for a hodge-podge of period/fantasy in their final determinations (as they usually do) and will vote for designers who have been tapped in the past by AMPAS:
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Guardians of the Galaxy – Alexandra Byrne
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard, Jane Clive
The only non-Oscar winners above are Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive. I really respect and love all the other four designers though.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was in fact the last contemporary film awarded for “regular” costumes, but after that All That Jazz and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert both won for costumes and were both contemporary in thoir own times. However in these two cases, despite them being contemporary movies, the ‘by the yard” factor was probably very important.
Re: Excellence in Contemporary Film – this is why we seldom see costume design Oscar winners for work done in films with a contemporary setting. When most of the voters are uninitiated to the complexities, you’re going to get them voting ‘by the yard’ (of fabric used.)
The last Oscar for Best Costume Design that went to a contemporary film went to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf in 1966, and that was due to the fact the B&W and colour films were judged separately and that the designer was the great Irene Sharaff.
“I don’t know. I really think “Excellence in Contemporary Film” is the one category in all of the awards race that non-costume designers aren’t equipped to judge.”
Couldn’t agree more. “It’s just a bunch of regular clothes” is what you often here, but it’s so much more than that. These costumes may not include helmets, shields, armors, big XVIII gowns, but it takes an equal ammont of planning to find the right costume to get the character right and get the story right. And the work itself is a lot more subtle. I too like to hear Richard Taylor speak about the types of golden thread he used to create floral patternts on Legolas’ costumes and how these patterns tell the story of his ancestors. But that, as beautiful and time consuming as it was, is nowhere near the awkwardnes of the all jeans Anton Chighur outfit. The simplicity of this idea and the fact that it really works wonders in terms of creating this amazing character, beats any elven or dwarven armor out there.
And what about Belle?
I don’t know. I really think “Excellence in Contemporary Film” is the one category in all of the awards race that non-costume designers aren’t equipped to judge.
I wouldn’t shirk off Boyhood’s nomination here. After all, it was TWELVE years of clothes which had to convey the character’s growth. Certainly more deserving than, say, Wild?
Agree with Keifer – Magic in the Moonlight deserves a nod. But “Wild”?!?! Wasn’t Reese just wearing a bunch of really dirty clothes most of the film?
Ha ha, Boyhood for best costume design, oh yes with a nom here you know this movie’s winning Oscar BP!
I thought the most exquisite costume design for a period film which I saw this year was Sonia Grande’s work in “Magic in the Moonlight”. I wish she’d get recognized by AMPAS. Her work is clearly on par with the rest of the nominees listed.
I was glad to see Alexandra Byrne get recognized for “Guardians of the Galaxy”.
SPOILER HERE: Not to take anything away from Colleen Atwood’s incredible talent, but the costumes for “Into the Woods” seemed a lot like toss-offs from her AMPAS-nominated work in “Snow White and the Huntsman” a couple years ago.
No Mr. Turner or Exodus 🙁
Otherwise, very acceptable lists
What? No Turner for Period Film?
The guilds seem to be trying to outdo each other in omitting worthy contenders.
Selma finally gets a guild nomination. Saw it today and it’s a very worthy nom too. Well done to the CDG. Proof that it can still be resurrected, not least with all of the backlash to the takedowns it’s endured and with the theory that it’s actually just appealing to The Academy and bypassing the guilds. A DGA nomination could certainly still be on the cards. I definitely hope so.
It’s amazing how Milena Canonero will probably win her fourth Oscar nearly 40 years after she won her first one. Maleficient and Into the Woods are the movies that might make surprise win, but IMHO this and Art Direction goes without any hesitation to The Grand Budapest Hotel. I also very much like how this Guild and the Art Directors one acknowledge contemporary work. These kind of costumes or set decorations never get the appropriate respect at the Oscars and in many cases they are able to tell stories way better than the period/fantasy flashy ones that currently in most cases come out of a computer. In Art Direction I would pick Girl with a Dragon Tattoo and Inception over Hugo and Alice in Wonderland any day.
Oops…just posted the link in the other article. 🙂