After the Ben Affleck-directed movie wins the PGAs top honor for feature film, speculation arises that the thriller loosely based on a true story of Iran hostage crisis will likely claim Best Picture
- Jan 27, 2013
AceShowbiz - "Argo" cemented its status as a strong contender for winner of this year's Oscar Best Picture by taking the top prize at Producers Guild Awards. Ben Affleck, who serves as the director, the leading actor and the producer, was honored with the Darryl F. Zanuck outstanding producer of motion picture along with his co-producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
The "Daredevil" actor came to the event with his wife Jennifer Garner, who looked stunning in an Oscar de la Renta dress with Brian Atwood shoes, Cartier jewels, and a Roger Vivier bag. "I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm still working as an actor," he jokingly said in his acceptance speech. She also took the stage to present J.J. Abrams with a lifetime achievement award.
Based on a 1997 article "Canadian Caper" about the rescue mission led by a CIA operative to free six U.S. diplomats during Iran hostage crisis, "Argo" beats nine strong competitors "Beasts of the Southern Wild", "Django Unchained", "Les Miserables", "Life of Pi", "Lincoln", "Moonrise Kingdom", "Silver Linings Playbook", "Skyfall" and "Zero Dark Thirty".
The Iran-hostage real-life movie was also named Best Motion Picture - Drama at Golden Globe Awards earlier this month and led Affleck to win Best Director at the same event, but it was the PGAs win that got people talking since the top winner at the PGAs most likely goes on to win Best Picture at Academy Awards on February 24.
A year ago, "The Artist" followed up its big win at the PGAs by taking the title of Best Picture at the Oscars. A year prior, "The King's Speech" was victorious at the Academy Awards after winning the top prize at the PGAs. The last time the PGA and the Academy didn't agree was six years ago when the former chose "Little Miss Sunshine" and the later picked Martin Scorsese's"The Departed".
Honorary Awards:
- David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures: Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner
- Milestone Award: Bob and Harvey Weinstein
- Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television: J.J. Abrams
- Stanley Kramer Award: "Bully"
- Visionary Award: Russell Simmons
- Theatrical: "Argo"
- Animated: "Wreck-It Ralph"
- Documentary: "Searching for Sugar Man"
- Children's: "Sesame Street"
- Comedy Series: "Modern Family"
- Competition: "The Amazing Race"
- Drama Series: "Homeland"
- Live Entertainment and Talk: "The Colbert Report"
- Long Form: "Game Change"
- Non-Fiction: "American Masters"
- Sports: "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel"
- Digital: "30 Rock: The Webisodes"
