Any cinephile worth his salt knows that the Guild Awards are usually pretty good bets as to who will be in the running (if not winning) for the Academy Award. Don’t believe us, well let the results all speak for themselves. Natalie Portman won for Black Swan in 2010 before getting her little golden man. So did Sandra Bullock the year before that. Same goes for films—The King’s Speech took home the SAG for Best Cast before winning Best Picture in that year’s Oscars. Want to improve your bets for the award season ahead? Check this out.
Leading the boards is surprise mainstream hit The Help with four nominations, followed by indie darling The Artist (whom critics are expecting to sweep the awards circuit this season). You have the usual suspects like George Clooney, Meryl Streep (you know the drill: she makes a movie, she gets nominated,) Tilda Swinton, Christopher Plummer (he’s old… really old, give it to him already,) and Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris.
But despite that, the list also has a few shockers to drop you jaw. Melissa McCarthy got nominated for her gross-out girl role in Bridesmaids. Kristen Wiig’s baby also snags a well deserved nomination for Ensemble Cast which in itself is a miracle (ever heard of the Academy’s aversion to comedy. Well good job Guild for giving them the finger.) Despite being universally panned by critics, Cowboys and Aliens still managed to weasel it’s way into the race with a nod for Stunts.
Notable snubs include Jessica Chastain for Tree of Life (not to mention a Cast nod for the same film), Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan for Shame, Kirsten Dunst for Meloncholia, Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Ryan Gosling for Drive, Andy Serkis for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (ridic title, but legit performance,) the entire cast of Carnage, and a lot more to be bitter about. Since it’s Christmas, let’s just dwell on the good.
Check out the STATUS Faves below… yeah, the ones with the lighting bolts. Take note, we don’t expect them to win (being nominated is the honor, if you buy that,) but they’re the ones we’ll be rooting for come ballot time.
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
**Jessica Chastain has had a FANTASTIC year, but Melissa gets it on farts alone.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The Artist – Bérénice Bejo, James Cromwell, Jean Dujardin, John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller
Bridesmaids – Rose Byrne, Jill Clayburgh, Ellie Kemper, Matt Lucas, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig
- The Descendants – Beau Bridges, George Clooney, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Shailene Woodley
The Help – Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O’Reilly, Sissy Spacek, Octavia Spencer, Mary Steenburgen, Emma Stone, Cicely Tyson, Mike Vogel
Midnight in Paris – Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Owen Wilson
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
The Adjustment Bureau
Cowboys & Aliens
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class
Screen Actors Guild 48th Annual Life Achievement Award
Mary Tyler Moore
Comment below and tell us your faves. As they say in the tracks, the race is on!—DEXYLEBOWSKI
via Screen Actors Guild Awards, ParallelVision
