The SAG Award nominations are out, and as many an actor will attest, fawningly, the SAGs are that one award that means the most (Not really. They all want the Oscar.) since it’s chosen by fellow thespians. Is it a complete Oscar predictor? No. But it is a good indicator of who the top contenders will most likely be.
The one thing we’re always looking for is the big surprise. You know, the actor or movie who you either felt was snubbed, shouldn’t be nominated at all, or validates what you’ve been saying to your snobbish movie friends all along.
Let’s see if we have any on this year’s list.
Movies:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DEMIÁN BICHIR – “A BETTER LIFE”
GEORGE CLOONEY – “THE DESCENDANTS”
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO – “J. EDGAR”
JEAN DUJARDIN – “THE ARTIST”
BRAD PITT – “MONEYBALL”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
GLENN CLOSE – “ALBERT NOBBS”
VIOLA DAVIS – “THE HELP”
MERYL STREEP – “THE IRON LADY”
TILDA SWINTON – “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN”
MICHELLE WILLIAMS – “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
KENNETH BRANAGH – “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN”
ARMIE HAMMER – “J. EDGAR”
JONAH HILL – “MONEYBALL”
NICK NOLTE – “WARRIOR”
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER – “BEGINNERS”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
BÉRÉNICE BEJO – “THE ARTIST”
JESSICA CHASTAIN – “THE HELP”
MELISSA McCARTHY – “BRIDESMAIDS”
JANET McTEER – “ALBERT NOBBS”
OCTAVIA SPENCER – “THE HELP”
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE ARTIST
BRIDESMAIDS
THE DESCENDANTS
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Television:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Thurgood Marshall – THURGOOD (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke – TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO)
GREG KINNEAR / Jack Kennedy – THE KENNEDYS (REELZ CHANNEL)
GUY PEARCE / Monty Beragon – MILDRED PIERCE (HBO)
JAMES WOODS / Richard Fuld – TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
DIANE LANE / Pat Loud – CINEMA VERITE (HBO)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
EMILY WATSON / Janet Leach – APPROPRIATE ADULT (Sundance Channel)
BETTY WHITE / Caroline Thomas – HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE (CBS)
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce – MILDRED PIERCE (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PATRICK J. ADAMS / Mike Ross – SUITS (USA)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thomson – BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
KYLE CHANDLER / Eric Taylor – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DirecTV)
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – BREAKING BAD (AMC)
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – DEXTER (Showtime)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
KATHY BATES / Harriet Korn – HARRY’S LAW (NBC)
GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes – DAMAGES (DirecTV)
JESSICA LANGE / Constance – AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson – THE CLOSER (TNT)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – 30 ROCK (NBC)
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott – THE OFFICE (NBC)
JON CRYER / Alan Harper – TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – NURSE JACKIE (Showtime)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – 30 ROCK (NBC)
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett – MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky – HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV Land)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
DEXTER (Showtime)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
GLEE (FOX)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
I think there may be a few surprises here. Not of the “Holy Cow! Meryl Streep wasn’t nominated!” variety because that’s just crazy. I’m going to go with the Best Actor, and for all intent and purposes, the Best Picture category. I’ve not seen J. Edgar, but from what I hear, it isn’t a particularly good film (42% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer), and quite a few critics were unmoved by DiCaprio’s portrayal. I’ve long been underwhelmed with DiCaprio’s performances. Please don’t get me started on Inception, Revolutionary Road, or crap in a dumpster — Shutter Island. Ostentatious, boring, and insane — I think that sums that up.
Perhaps he really is so deserving to be in this group, but if I had my choice, I think his nomination should go to Ryan Gosling who has been working his sexy tuchus off this year, with winning turns in Drive, Crazy, Stupid, Love and the Ides of March. He is proving to be an incredibly versatile actor ranging from barely controlled homicidal maniac, to cunning political impresario, and swaggering, yet vulnerable ladies man. He has an “It Factor” DiCaprio hasn’t channeled in about seven films.
Also of note, it’s looking more and more like the critically acclaimed, The Artist will get quite a few nods this award season, but there are a few Best Picture contenders I think were left off the list. Sure, sure, Bridesmaids was funny, but in my opinion there were a few others that also stood out, including Drive, as mentioned, Win Win, Ides of March and 50/50. Some would even say Hanna, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Super 8, and Warrior deserve to be on the list. And how everyone’s most talked about, artistic, abstract film, Tree of Life, not get nominated? My goodness, the industry loves movies like the Tree of Life where they can say that they’re “brilliant” and “misunderstood.” This will probably be a pretty interesting season.
As for television, there aren’t too many surprises here save the Best Actor nod for newcomer Patrick Adams from USA’s freshman series, Suits, and a nod for Kyle Chandler from the long ago cancelled Friday Night Lights, which is apparently airing on DIRECTV. What? This is a network, now? That’s weird. For everything else…So over Mildred Pierce! It doesn’t matter! Kate Winslet will still probably win! Urgh. It’s nice to see Game of Thrones honored again, and good gravy aren’t we tired of Glee yet?! I am! Aren’t you! Yikes! Anyway, yadda, yadda, The Office, how are you still on television, and okay, whatever, Modern Family is winning that category, so that’s fine.
Any surprises I missed? Let us know in the comments.
