By Robert Goldrich

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. --

Captain Phillips earned editor Christopher Rouse, A.C.E., the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for best edited dramatic feature while Jay Cassidy, A.C.E., Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten, A.C.E., won the Eddie for comedy or musical feature for their work on American Hustle. Taking the top animated feature honor was editor Jeff Draheim on the strength of Frozen.

Rouse’s win dovetailed nicely with the Eddie ceremony proceedings last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In accepting his Eddie, Rouse credited, among others, Paul Greengrass, who directed Captain Phillips, and two other venerable editors, Richard Halsey, A.C.E., and Robert C. Jones. Earlier in the evening, Greengrass, Halsey and Jones all won special ACE Eddie honors. Rouse noted that “in large part we [editors] are judged by the material we’re given.” He affirmed that Greengrass in their many films together has given him stellar footage. Rouse described Greengrass as “my creative beacon” and “my dear friend.” Rouse related that earlier in his career he had the privilege of assisting Jones and apprenticing for Halsey–experiences which Rouse said “taught me about life, heart and storytelling.”

As for the alluded to special honors, Jones (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Love Story, Days of Thunder) and Halsey (Rocky, American Gigolo, Sister Act) both won ACE Career Achievement Awards. And The Golden Eddie Award was presented to Greengrass by Tom Hanks, who played the title role in Captain Phillips. In his acceptance remarks, Greengrass reflected on his collaborative relationship with Rouse. The director recalled that he met Rouse in Berlin in 2003 and they have gone on to make six films together. “Like all relationships between a director and an editor, it’s a marriage…Together you go on a journey,” said Greengrass. “Film editors are authors, filmmakers, at the heart of the process.” Greengrass said he felt “lucky” to be able to tap into Rouse’s “powerful intellect, sense of storytelling, musicality and sheer will.”

Greengrass went on to describe editing as “part psychotherapy, part artistry,” all “in search of making sense of the great paradox of filmmaking.” On one hand, observed Greengrass, the director and editor do everything they can to “tell” the film what they want it to be. Yet at the same time, they have to be adroit enough to “listen to the film when it tells you what it wants to be.” Greengrass called Rouse “a great friend.”

(Editor’s note: In SHOOT’s The Road To Oscar, Part 5, which is slated for the Feb. 21 print issue and concurrent electronic edition, Eddie winner Cassidy will reflect on American Hustle, his collaborative bond with its director, David O. Russell, and teaming with editors Struthers and Baumgarten.)

Rounding out the Eddie theatrical film winners were editors Douglas Blush, Kevin Kaluber and Jason Zeldes who copped the best edited feature documentary honor on the basis of 20 Feet From Stardom.

Television
The best edited TV documentary Eddie went to Chris A. Peterson for The Assassination of President Kennedy.

Earning best editing distinction for half-hour series were David Rogers and Clair Scanlon for the “Finale” episode of The Office.

Skip MacDonald, A.C.E., topped the best edited one-hour series for commercial television category for the “Felina” episode of Breaking Bad.

Meanwhile the best edited one-hour series for non-commercial TV was the "Big Man In Tehran” episode of Homeland, which was cut by Terry Kelley, A.C.E.

Winning the Eddie for best edited miniseries or motion picture for TV was director/writer/cinematographer Steven Soderbergh for Behind the Candelabra. As an editor, Soderbergh goes by his mother’s name, Mary Ann Bernard, as a pseudonym to honor her for the creative talent she passed onto him. Soderbergh’s assistant editor came up to the podium to accept the award, reading remarks from Soderbergh which informed the audience that Bernard passed away that morning and that as a celebration of her life, he is dedicating the Eddie to her.

Nick Grigden won the best edited non-scripted series Eddie for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown–Tokyo.

Taking the Eddie for best student editing was Ambar Salinas of Video Symphony.

In addition to Greengrass, Halsey and Jones, one other special ACE honor was presented–the Heritage Award,  bestowed upon editor/producer Randy Roberts, A.C.E. As an editor, Roberts’ credits include L.A. Law, Chicago Hope and Early Edition. He served two terms as president of the American Cinema Editors.

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