SAG noms
I'm supposed to be feeling excitement or at least a moderate sense of urgency about the Screen Actors Guild nomina- tions, partly (I'm thinking) because they announced them at 6:05 ayem Pacific, which was no skin off my ass sitting here in Brooklyn. The three biggest statistical beneficiaries (because they each got three nominations) are Babel, Dreamgirls and Little Miss Sunshine -- make of this what you will. Here's what I make of it: go, Babel! Yay, Sunshine! And despite divided loyalties, an "attagirl" to Best Supporting Actress nominee Jennifer Hudson.
The Departed getting only an ensemble acting nomination plus a Best Supporting Actor nom for Leonardo DiCaprio means...aahh, probably nothing. (It just would have been cooler if The Departed's Mouthy-Boston-Attitude King Mark Wahlberg had snuck in alongside DiCaprio.)
The big news as far as the Best Actress category is concerned is...no big news. Penelope Cruz for Volver, Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal, Helen Mirren for The Queen, Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada and Kate Winslet for Little Children. Right down the middle, totally expected, etc. Likeliest Winner at This Stage: Judi....kidding! Obviously Ms. Mirren.
No surprises in the Best Supporting Actress category either: Adriana Barraza for Babel, Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal, Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine, Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls and Rinko Kikuchi for Babel. Breslin's inclusion plus Alan Arkin's nomination for Best Suppporting Actor plus Little Miss Sunshine's acting ensemble nomination obviously means there's lots of love for the little movie that might. Likeliest Winner at This Stage: Jennifer Hudson, no?
The Best Actor rundown played strictly according to mainstream opinion as reflected by the critics groups and the Oscar blogging community...zip in the way of shockers. Leonardo Dicaprio for Blood Diamond, Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson, Peter O'Toole for Venus, Will Smith for The Pursuit of Happyness and Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland. Those critics awards for Gosling and all those Half Nelson FYC ads helped, I'm sure -- congrats to ThinkFilm. Likeliest Winner at This Stage: Whitaker, right?
The Best Supporting Actor category is a little weird. Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine. Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed. Jackie Earle Haley for Little Children. Djimon Honsou for Blood Diamond. (What? "Son! I want my son!") and Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls. What could the Murphy nom be about? Because he sings well, drops his pants and then dies? I 've been told all along that the SAG rank-and-file regards Murphy as an asshole. Maybe it's the old animal-kingdom instinct of showing obeisance before power, because Murphy was King Shit in the '80s? I know this: Murphy isn't fit to shine Mark Wahlberg's shoes. Likeliest Winner at This Stage: DiCaprio.
The Ensemble Acting nominations went to Babel, Bobby (hooray for Harvey), The Departed, Dreamgirls and Little Miss Sunshine. Likeliest Winners at This Stage: either the Babel or the Little Miss Sunshine crew. Am I wrong?
The SAG awards will be handed out on Sunday, 1.28.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 4, 2007 at 6:16 AM
comment #1
PanTheFaun
says ...
The Murphy nom (and likely win) is about that he's been around for decades, never gotten awards consideration, this is likeliest the best work he's ever done and on top of that, he's perfectly cast.
He does the singing stuff great, gets in the comedic aspects that everyone likes him for, and hits it emotionally when necessary. I can't imagination this nomination was that surprising to you?
Posted by PanTheFaun
at January 4, 2007 7:55 AM
comment #2
PanTheFaun
says ...
Jesus, "likeliest"? Excuse me-- likely.
Posted by PanTheFaun
at January 4, 2007 7:56 AM
comment #3
sardine
says ...
Babel, Sunshine and Dreamgirls are bad movies.
Posted by sardine
at January 4, 2007 8:32 AM
comment #4
florida25
says ...
While I'm very happy about Leo's double nods and "TD" esemble , I feel come Oscars he'll be lead for "TD" and Jack will be supporting for "TD"
As terrific as Leo was in "TD" , I always expected the win would go to either Peter or Forrest, so who knows, maybe now with supporting nod he can be win as well
Posted by florida25
at January 4, 2007 8:34 AM
comment #5
bipedalist
says ...
My SAG predicts, at this stage (may change) are:
Actor: Peter O'Toole (how can those blowhards resist)
Actress: Helen Mirren
Supporting Actor: Leo DiCap, The Departed (lead stuffed into supporting almost always wins)
Supporting actress: Hudson
Ensemble: toss up between Sunshine and Dreamgirls - Dreamgirls has the edge.
Posted by bipedalist
at January 4, 2007 8:36 AM
comment #6
corey3rd
says ...
it's all about the Jackie Earle Haley love this season!
Posted by corey3rd
at January 4, 2007 9:20 AM
comment #7
zoey
says ...
Cannot take the noms seriously without any love on the TV nom side for The Wire. What do these people watch on the tube?
Posted by zoey
at January 4, 2007 9:48 AM
comment #8
jeffmcm
says ...
Why is it so hard to write 'a.m.'?
Posted by jeffmcm
at January 4, 2007 2:19 PM
comment #9
Hallick
says ...
"The Murphy nom (and likely win) is about that he's been around for decades, never gotten awards consideration, this is likeliest the best work he's ever done and on top of that, he's perfectly cast."
The best work he's ever done was in "The Nutty Professor".
Posted by Hallick
at January 4, 2007 2:57 PM
comment #10
austin111
says ...
Hmmm....much as I know some folks hate/hated Blood Diamond, I absolutely think DiCap was fantastic in it (almost up to the end) and am in total agreement with Manohla Dargis that it's his best sustained adult performance (although The Departed ranks up there, too). I couldn't take my eyes off him in that and am in full agreement with recognizing him. That said, I hope AMPAS does the right thing and nominates him for The Departed in lead, though he's probably unlikely to win there.
Posted by austin111
at January 4, 2007 3:29 PM
comment #11
bipedalist
says ...
Jeez, I thought DiCap's accent is so bad (but yes, gorgeous) I couldn't get through Blood Diamond. I am still trying to watch it though.
Posted by bipedalist
at January 4, 2007 6:11 PM
comment #12
austin111
says ...
It blows my mind that so many folks seem to think DiCaprio's accent was bad in BD. My sister just came back from S. Africa and said the naturalist in charge of a safari tour she went on sounded "exactly" like that. Others who've lived there have also said it was great, so what's the problem? I suppose most people are not familiar with all the slang and weirdness of Afrikaner accents. Personally, I thought the accent grounded the character -- I never felt I was watching DiCaprio but someone who was from that particular place. It was the only thing in the film I found completely engrossing, in fact.
Posted by austin111
at January 4, 2007 7:10 PM