For Your Consideration

Cinderella Man: George Kraychyk

Best Director

Despite an Oscar win for Best Director, Ron Howard is still pegged by many as Hollywood's Mister Softee. Cinderella Man should finally KO that notion. Howard's rousing, sensitive, and surprisingly gritty handling of the story of Depression-era boxing hero James J. Braddock won over critics, and though audiences may not have come in droves, those that did saw classic performances from Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti. For all this, he deserves another round in the Oscar ring.