Awards Features

TONY GILROY, "Michael Clayton"
Why he'll win: His screenplay skills are impressive, and it's rare when a top scribe can make a seamless transition to prestige helmer without missing a beat. Taking to directing as if he's a 20-year veteran, one would never guess that "Clayton" was Gilroy's first time behind the camera.
Maybe not: His nomination as a screenwriter might work against him in this category if voters choose to honor him for his script.
Critical quote: "As a director, Gilroy has an unmistakable instinct for the emotional jugular and a breakneck storytelling style that pulls you through this movie, no stragglers allowed," says Ken Turan, Los Angeles Times.

JOEL AND ETHAN COEN, "No Country for Old Men"
Why they'll win: "No Country for Old Men" is one of their most accessible films, yet they still maintain their independent voices. Not only are they accomplished screenwriters, but it's a credit to their direction that they were able to get such mesmerizing performances from their actors.
Maybe not: This is one of the brothers' most violent films, which may turn off some squeamish voters. Also, only one directing team -- Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise for "West Side Story" -- has ever taken home an Oscar.
Critical quote: "Cormac McCarthy's bracing and brilliant novel is gold for the Coen brothers, who have handled it respectfully but not slavishly, using its built-in cinematic values while cutting for brevity and infusing it with their own touch," says Todd McCarthy, Variety.

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, "There Will Be Blood"
Why he'll win: There are many scenes of the film that stay with audiences long after they've left the theater -- specifically, the first 20 minutes of the pic, when Daniel Day-Lewis is digging for silver and, later on, as the oil bursts out of the ground and Day-Lewis runs to come to the aid of his injured son. Visually, the film is a staggeringly impressive achievement.
Maybe not: Sometimes an actor takes over a movie and everyone else falls by the wayside. Day-Lewis has received such a massive outpouring of appreciation for his performance that Anderson may be overlooked.
Critical quote: "What (the film) shares with all of Anderson's work is a blistering intensity and filmmaking that can make your draw drop," says David Ansen, Newsweek.

JASON REITMAN, "Juno"
Why he'll win: Among the nominees, "Juno" is the light alternative to four films with somber tones, and the director might be swept up in the pic's momentum.
Maybe not: The film skews toward a younger audience, and Academy traditionalists might be turned off by the excessively hip dialogue. Plus, it's the 30-year-old Reitman's first nom, and some may feel his nomination would've been better suited for the Independent Spirit Awards rather than the Oscars.
Critical quote: "Jason Reitman is also a cool operator. He's much more a wry observer than an over-eager manipulator of our emotions," says Richard Schickel, Time.