‘Bridesmaids,’ ‘Ides of March’ Get a Little Help From Producers Guild NYT

January 3, 2012, 1:02 pm

‘Bridesmaids,’ ‘Ides of March’ Get a Little Help From Producers Guild

By MELENA RYZIK

 

 

Saeed Adyani/Columbia PicturesRyan Gosling in “The Ides of March,” one of 10 nominees for the Producers Guild’s top film.

Order another corsage for “Bridesmaids” because it’s going to the party. The Producers Guild chose the comedy as one of its 10 best films of the year, possibly advancing its standing with the Academy on the road to Oscar. “The Ides of March,” George Clooney’s political thriller, also got a nod, another boost following several Golden Globe nominations. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” which so far has been a longer shot according to most Academy Awards watchers, made the list, too. The other films the Producers Guild chose are the expected bunch: “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “The Help,” “Moneyball,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Hugo” and “War Horse.”

Left off the list was artier fare like “The Tree of Life” and “Melancholia” and blockbuster franchises like the final installment of the “Harry Potter” series. (The winners will be announced Jan. 21.)

The guild has traditionally been a good barometer of Oscar best picture winners. (It does not nominate actors or directors; its awards go only to the producers of each film.) In 2010 it presaged the eventual triumph of “The Hurt Locker,” picking it as the top film and surprising many who thought it would reward the bigger box office of “Avatar.” Last season the guild foreshadowed the Academy too, picking “The King’s Speech.” But this year may be a different story, since the producers stuck with 10 nominees, while Academy members may nominate from 5 to 10. With the producers behind it and a critical best ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild, “Bridesmaids” may have a good shot to make the Oscar list, since actors make up the biggest branch of the Academy.

Following the Academy’s lead, the Producers Guild also returned to five nominees for best animated film: “The Adventures of Tintin,” “Cars 2,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Puss in Boots” and “Rango.” (The documentary nominees, announced earlier, can be found here.)

No matter the outcome, it will already be a pretty good night for Steven Spielberg. He’s a double nominee, for “War Horse” and “The Adventures of Tintin,” and the recipient of the David O. Selznick Achievement Award.