Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor who died last October, is among five Directors Guild of America nominees announced on Monday for outstanding direction of made-for-television movies. Reeve, who became a tireless campaigner for stem cell research after being paralysed in a horse-riding accident, is a posthumous first-time nominee for The Brooke Ellison Story, which dramatises the life of a young woman who becomes quadriplegic after a car accident. Other nominees included Robert Altman and Stephen Hopkins. Winners will be announced at the 57th annual DGA awards dinner on Jan 29 in Beverly Hills.
Jennifer Garner has vowed to continue performing stunts for the screen despite being sidelined with nerve damage after sustaining an injury on the set of her hit TV show, Alias. The injury forced her to cancel a January 15 appearance on Saturday Night Live and jeopardised her appearance at the weekend premiere of her action movie Elektra. But Garner, who credits her physical skills to studying ballet as a child, insists she will still press on with her stunts once she's fully recovered because "I love to do it".
David Mamet, the screenwriter and playwright, is to be honoured with the "screen laurel" award by the west coast division of the Writers Guild of America, at the union's annual prize-giving ceremony next month. The award is to recognise his contributions to the craft of screenwriting, including his terse, rapid-fire delivery - best seen in works like 1984's Glengarry Glen Ross - which has influenced the style of other film, stage and television productions. The award will be presented at the 57th annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 19 in Hollywood.
