And the Nominees Are...
The Academy Awards are right around the corner, and the first stop on the road to Oscar glory is the Screen Actors Guild Awards, whose nominees were announced Wednesday morning.
When it comes to forecasting the Academy Awards, the SAG nominations are important for three reasons: One, the crossover membership between the Guild and the Academy is significantly higher than any of the critic- or press-based awards. Two, the SAG Awards are the only guild-centric ceremony to announce its nominees before the Oscar voters turn in their nomination ballots. And three, historical precedent — 14 of the last 16 SAG winners in the four major acting categories went on to take home an Oscar.
| Male Actor, Lead | Female Actor, Lead |
| Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln | Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty |
| Denzel Washington, Flight | Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone |
| John Hawkes, The Sessions | Naomi Watts, The Impossible |
| Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook | Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook |
| Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables | Helen Mirren, Hitchcock |
Male Actor, Supporting | Female Actor, Supporting |
| Alan Arkin, Argo | Sally Field, Lincoln |
| Javier Bardem, Skyfall | Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables |
| Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook | Helen Hunt, The Sessions |
| Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master | Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy |
| Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln | Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel |
So what can we make of this year's SAG nominees?
The Trends: The Guild loves its veterans. In the male categories, the youngest nominee isBradley Cooper at 37, and even with Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence in the mix, the average age of the female nominees is 47.
The Surprises: Javier Bardem is no stranger to awards talk, but he was hardly on the radar before this nomination. His Skyfall performance marks the first time a Bond villain has been nominated for a SAG Award, and if it carries over to the Oscars, that'll be a first as well. Similarly, Nicole Kidman is a favorite within the industry, but her turn as an oversexed, manipulative anti-Southern Belle in the Paperboy hasn't really entered the awards conversation until now.
The Frontrunners: Anytime Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for anything, he's the favorite.Lincoln could earn him his third SAG Award, which could lead to his third Academy Award.Jessica Chastain's ever-increasing buzz for her Zero Dark Thirty performance has made the Female Lead a three-way race between her, Marion Cotillard, and Lawrence, while the supporting categories are Philip Seymour Hoffman's and Anne Hathaway's to lose.
The Dark Horses: The Male Lead field is so tight this year, it wouldn't be a shocker to see any of these nominees take it, save for maybe John Hawkes. Depending on the reception The Impossible receives, Naomi Watts could have an outside shot at overtaking her peers. AndSally Field has a chance to knock Hathaway out of pole position if voters go the sentimental, lifetime achievement route (which goes for De Niro, too).
The Snubs: No love for anyone in Django Unchained? Matthew McConaughey can't get a nod for Magic Mike or Killer Joe? (You know we're rooting for that.) And The Master's Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams were certainly overlooked. Will this become a trend? We'll have to wait until January 10 to see how the Academy votes, and tomorrow's Golden Globes noms will surely impact the race as well.
Top Gun Returns to Theaters
Do you feel the need, the need for 3D? Top Gun's Goose, Iceman, and, of course, Maverick will get the IMAX treatement when Paramount re-releases the '80s classic on February 8 for a six-day run preceding the film's Blu-ray debut. Soon you'll be able to relive the aerial dogfights and the strangely denim-heavy volleyball match in three dimensions.
As a refresher for you youngins, Top Gun turned Tom Cruise into the mega-movie star he is today, launched the career of the late Tony Scott, earned Paramount more than $350 million on a $15 million budget, and introduced Meg Ryan to movie audiences. (Unfortunately, the action flick didn't have the same effect on Kelly McGillis' career.)
Anne Hathaway Skillfully Addresses Her Unfortunate Wardrobe Malfunction
On Monday, Anne Hathaway learned the hard way that the paparazzi capture everything, including the accidental crotch flashes that occur when you exit a vehicle sans underwear. The revealing photos circulated the web, and were surely passed around offices and email chains everywhere, which bummed Hathaway out. But rather than get angry or litigious or wallow in self-pity, the put on a master class in PR.
"It makes me sad on two accounts," Hathaway told Matt Lauer after some prodding during her interview on the Today show. "One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and rather than delete it, and do the decent thing, sells it. And I'm sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants, which takes us back to Les Mis, because that's what my character is."
Wow! She puts Lauer in his place, provides intelligent societal insights, and masterfully segues to promoting her film. Hathaway for the win!
New Jack the Giant Slayer Poster
Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer starring Nicholas Hoult hits theaters in March, and the new poster certainly makes the film look promising. It's got a real King Kong vibe going
Ian McKellen Does Not Have Cancer
Rejoice! Gandalf is doing fine! Yesterday, word spread that Ian McKellen has been battling prostate cancer for the last seven years, but it appears the news was just another case of an Internet rumor that snowballed out of control until it was assumed as fact. Today, McKellen's agent has set the record straight, saying, "He does not have prostate cancer. [The quotes] were taken out of context and from an interview from years ago." Glad you're a-okay, Sir Ian
On-Set Photo of the Day: Emmy Rossum Peaces Out
Emmy Rossum doesn't play a hipster in her new film You're Not You, but that hasn't stopped her from dressing like one on set. With an acoustic guitar under her shoulder, and a loosely draped flannel shirt, the young actress looked ready to start a jam band. That said, if she's going to go full hipster, she should probably find a more Bohemian beverage than Coke Zero
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