Saturday SAGs

Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker in Lee Daniels The Butler

Oops, so I completely forgot that the Screen Actors Guild Awards are tonight. They don’t air in Canada until Sunday, but the awards will be dished out tonight at 5 pm PT on TNT and TBS. (Hopefully there will be a live stream.) Anyways, tonight is especially exciting because the awards will truly show if American Hustle is the frontrunner. Hustle didn’t do too well with the actors as far as a nomination tally is concerned, as it received a scant two nominations (Best Ensemble and Best Support Actress for Jennifer Lawrence), which is especially notable since it wasn't competing with the "comedy" The Wolf of Wall Street since the Scorsese pic wasn't ready for SAG voters. The actors showed a bit more favour for other Oscar contenders by giving four nominations to 12 Years a Slave and three nominations to fellow Best Ensemble contenders August: Osage County, Dallas Buyers Club, and Lee Daniels The Butler. I personally don't believe that the actors equate Best Ensemble with a Best Picture prize, so any of these films could conceivably win. American Hustle is the likely winner in spite of having the lowest tally of the ensemble films: the film wouldn't work at all without the cast, and the whole might be better than the sum of its parts. Wouldn’t the night take a fun turn if August, Dallas, or, better yet, Oscar snubee The Butler won the whole thing? I'm rooting for Oprah even though Thursday's Oscar nominations give a pretty good hint for how the race should pan out.

 

Oustanding Ensemble Cast:

12 Years a Slave

American Hustle
August: Osage County
Dallas Buyers Club 

Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Predicted winner: American Hustle
I'd vote for: August: Osage County
Shoulda been there: Blue Jasmine, Inside Llewyn Davis
 

Outstanding Lead Actor:

Bruce Dern, Nebraska

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Predicted winner: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
I'd vote for: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Shoulda been there: Robert Redford, All is Lost
 

Outstanding Lead Actress

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity  

Judi Dench, Philomena

Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

Predicted winner: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
I'd vote for: Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Shoulda been there: It's hard to argue with this line-up, although Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha) and Kate Winslet (Labor Day) would have been welcome surprises.

 

Oustanding Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips 
Daniel Brühl, Rush

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave

James Gandolfini, Enough Said

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Predicted winner: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
I'd vote for: James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Shoulda been there: Josh Brolin, Labor Day

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County

June Squibb, Nebraska 

Oprah Winfrey,  Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Predicted winner: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
I'd vote for: Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels The Butler
Shoulda been there: Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine; Margo Martindale, August: Osage County
 

Outstanding Stunt Ensemble 

All is Lost
Fast and Furious 6 
Lone Survivor
Rush
The Wolverine 

Predicted winner: Lone Survivor
I'd vote for: Lone Survivor? (It's hard to evaluate stunts...)
 

 What are your SAG predictions?

 Which actors do you hope to see win?