Every actor who prevailed at last year's Screen Actors Guild Awards won an Oscar, as did the SAG-winning cast of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The year before, SAG Awards voters were ahead of the curve, crowning “CODA” the ensemble winner a month before its improbable best picture win at the Oscars.
As the acting branch is the largest faction in the motion picture academy, SAG Award nominations generally offer a reliable indication of how Oscar acting races will take shape. Of course, since it's the actors who vote, there's a tendency to reward flashy (okay, hammy) performances, especially for work focused on the profession they consider the most important in the world. Interim! (What other possible explanation could there be for last year's nomination of the loud, empty “Babylon”?)
Who's up and who's down in the film department after Wednesday morning's nominations? Here is a summary.
ABOVE: “The color purple”
Blitz Bazawule's adaptation of the 2005 Broadway musical version of Alice Walker's revered 1982 novel felt like a shoo-in for the best picture Oscar at its first public screening at the academy's Samuel L. Goldwyn Theater in mid of November. The closing credits received a standing ovation. What else do you need to know?
But the enthusiastic response the film received that night and at subsequent screenings did not translate into love from guild voters, who have largely ignored “The Color Purple” in recent weeks. SAG voters offered a correction, nominating the film's cast and supporting actress Danielle Brooks. The joint recognition could signal a best picture Oscar nomination, particularly if the Producers Guild includes the film among its 10 films when it announces its list on Friday.
BELOW: “May December”
Todd Haynes' provocative melodrama about an actress (Natalie Portman) who follows a woman (Julianne Moore) who had been involved in a Mary Kay Letourneau-like scandal has done well with critics groups, particularly for the performance of Charles Melton as the now grown man. He still married to a much older woman. SAG voters didn't bite, ignoring him in every category.
ABOVE: “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie”
The two films, critical and commercial powerhouses, continued to dominate awards season. “Oppenheimer” earned nominations for lead Cillian Murphy, supporting actors Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt and for its large cast. Meanwhile, “Barbie” earned nominations for its cast, lead actress Margot Robbie and supporting actor Ryan Gosling. “Oppenheimer” remains the early favorite for the Oscar and the SAG ensemble award.
SAG Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in “Barbie.”
(Images from Warner Bros.)
BELOW: “The Remnants”
We knew the master of irascibility, Paul Giamatti, would earn a nomination. The same goes for the divine Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who has been winning almost everything for her beautiful role as the grieving mother in Alexander Payne's film. Admittedly, joint recognition was a dream, as the nominated cast would have included only Giamatti, Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa. But SAG voters have cited movies with three actors in the past. And “Sideways,” Payne's last collaboration with Giamatti, won ensemble honors with just four cast members. Let's put the cherry jubilee on hold for now.
ABOVE: “American Fiction”
“American Fiction” won the Toronto Film Festival Audience Award, an honor that usually translates into a best picture Oscar nomination plus a SAG Awards ensemble nomination, provided the cast is strong enough. Cord Jefferson's directorial debut, a sad comedy about family and the experiences of black artists, has done well with critics and at the box office. It now has that joint SAG recognition, plus individual honors for lead Jeffrey Wright and supporting actor Sterling K. Brown. The film's slow release will get a boost on Friday as it expands to around 600 theaters.
Jeffrey Wright, left, and Sterling K. Brown in “American Fiction,” for which both received SAG Award nominations on Wednesday.
(Courtesy of Orion Pictures)
BELOW: “Air”
Ben Affleck's smart and entertaining film about the creation of the Air Jordan basketball shoe has been the subject of an intense campaign, mostly to remind voters about the film as it was released in April. The efforts did not bear fruit, at least with SAG, although the film could still earn a Producers Guild nomination on Friday. If it gets there, it will be a half-court shot toward a best picture nomination.
ABOVE: “Nyad”
“Nyad,” an inspiring sports movie about long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad’s historic 110-mile, 53-hour swim from Cuba to Florida, might be the best buddy movie of the year, with Annette Bening playing the title character and Jodie Foster takes on a compelling supporting role as her coach and best friend. SAG voters nominated both women. Foster has been considered a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination, and SAG's love for Bening will boost her chances in the highly competitive leading actress race.
BELOW: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Flower Moon Killers”
DiCaprio is excellent in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” playing a jerk who goes along with his uncle's plan to kill his Osage wife's entire bloodline. But some voters I've spoken to are a little confused about his motivations (how can he love his wife and do these things?) and are definitely repulsed by his actions. It's a case of the actor being punished for playing a disgusting character too well.
ABOVE: Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
“Rustin,” a film about civil rights activist Bayard Rustin told with clarity and conviction, has its flaws, but they are easy to overlook thanks to the gripping lead role of the charismatic Domingo. Between the love of “Nyad” and this nomination, it was a good day for well-oiled, watchable Netflix biopics.
ABOVE: Penélope Cruz, “Ferrari”
Cruz has earned praise for her fierce portrayal of Laura Ferrari, the wife and business partner of motorsports magnate Enzo Ferrari, a woman consumed by grief over the death of her son and filled with resentment at the dismissive way in which her husband and other people treat her. . Michael Mann's film hasn't done particularly well at the box office or with other guilds, so this SAG nomination offers a good reminder to Oscar voters to make sure they find time to see it.
