HOLLYWOOD -- Four acclaimed filmmakers and a newcomer in Hollywood were nominated by the Director's Guild of America Tuesday for its prestigious 1989 best-direction award.
Woody Allen was nominated for 'Crimes and Misdemeanors,' Rob Reiner for 'When Harry Met Sally,' Oliver Stone for 'Born on the Fourth of July,' and Peter Weir for 'Dead Poet's Society.'
The four, all nominated in previous years, were joined by first-time nominee Phil Alden Robinson for 'Field of Dreams.'
The award, to be presented at a banquet March 10, is a bellweather for the Academy Awards. Only three times since 1949 has the winner of the Director's Guild honor failed to win the Oscar for best director. The Oscar nominations will be announced on Feb. 14.
Overlooked by their guild colleagues Tuesday were directors of several of the most critically acclaimed films of 1989, including Paul Mazursky for 'Enemies, A Love Story,' Spike Lee for 'Do The Right Thing,' Bruce Beresford for 'Driving Miss Daisy.'
Allen won the guild award for 'Annie Hall' in 1977, and was nominated for 'Manhattan' in 1979, and 'Hannah and Her Sisters' in 1986. Reiner's previous nomination was for 'Stand By Me' in 1986. Stone won the award in 1986 for 'Platoon,' and Weir was nominated in 1985 for 'Witness.'
The announcement of the nominees was made by Barry Levinson, who won the DJA award for best director last year for 'Rain Man.'
All 9,000 members of the Director's Guild of America were eligible for directorial achievements in 1989.
Nominees for best television directing and commercials will be announced next week.
Allen's 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' is a tragi-comedy starring Allen and Martin Landau about one man victimized by petty conduct while another gets away with murder.
Reiner's 'When Harry Met Sally' is a comedy about friendship and romantic relationships starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. Robinson's 'Field of Dreams' is a baseball fantasy starring Kevin Costner.
Stone's 'Born on the Fourth of July' is a Vietnam war saga starring Tom Cruise as a paraplegic veteran turned anti-war activist. Weir's 'Dead Poet's Society,' is a schoolboy morality story with Robin Williams as a sympathetic teacher.
