The Nominations for the 2012 Screen Actors Guild were announced Wednesday morning. This awards matter much more then the Golden Globes because these are Oscar voters. Below is the list of nominees followed by my reaction:
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
BRADLEY COOPER / Pat – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln – “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)
JOHN HAWKES / Mark – “THE SESSIONS” (Fox Searchlight)
HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean – “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Whip Whitaker – “FLIGHT” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Maya – “ZERO DARK THIRTY” (Columbia Pictures)
MARION COTILLARD / Stephanie – “RUST AND BONE” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
HELEN MIRREN / Alma Reville – “HITCHCOCK” (Fox Searchlight)
NAOMI WATTS / Maria – “THE IMPOSSIBLE” (Summit Entertainment)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel – “ARGO” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
JAVIER BARDEM / Silva – “SKYFALL” (Columbia Pictures)
ROBERT DE NIRO / Pat, Sr. – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Lancaster Dodd – “THE MASTER” (The Weinstein Company)
TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens – “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
SALLY FIELD / Mary Todd Lincoln – “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)
ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine – “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures)
HELEN HUNT / Cheryl – “THE SESSIONS” (Fox Searchlight)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Charlotte Bless – “THE PAPERBOY” (Millennium Entertainment)
MAGGIE SMITH / Muriel Donnelly – “THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL” (Fox Searchlight)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
ARGO (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BEN AFFLECK / Tony Mendez
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel
KERRY BISHÉ / Kathy Stafford
KYLE CHANDLER / Hamilton Jordan
RORY COCHRANE / Lee Schatz
BRYAN CRANSTON / Jack O’Donnell
CHRISTOPHER DENHAM / Mark Lijek
TATE DONOVAN / Bob Anders
CLEA DUVALL / Cora Lijek
VICTOR GARBER / Ken Taylor
JOHN GOODMAN / John Chambers
SCOOT McNAIRY / Joe Stafford
CHRIS MESSINA / Malinov
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (Fox Searchlight)
JUDI DENCH / Evelyn Greenslade
CELIA IMRIE / Madge Hardcastle
BILL NIGHY / Douglas Ainslie
DEV PATEL / Sonny Kapoor
RONALD PICKUP / Norman Cousins
MAGGIE SMITH / Muriel Donnelly
TOM WILKINSON / Graham Dashwood
PENELOPE WILTON / Jean Ainslie
LES MISÉRABLES (Universal Pictures)
ISABELLE ALLEN / Young Cosette
SAMANTHA BARKS / Eponine
SACHA BARON COHEN / Thénardier
HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Madame Thénardier
RUSSELL CROWE / Javert
ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine
DANIEL HUTTLESTONE / Gavroche
HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean
EDDIE REDMAYNE / Marius
AMANDA SEYFRIED / Cosette
AARON TVEIT / Enjolras
COLM WILKINSON / Bishop
LINCOLN (Touchstone Pictures)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln
SALLY FIELD / Mary Todd Lincoln
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT / Robert Todd Lincoln
HAL HOLBROOK / Preston Blair
TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens
JAMES SPADER / W.N. Bilbo
DAVID STRATHAIRN / William Seward
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (The Weinstein Company)
BRADLEY COOPER / Pat
ROBERT DE NIRO / Pat, Sr.
ANUPAM KHER / Dr. Cliff Patel
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany
CHRIS TUCKER / Danny
JACKI WEAVER / Dolores
Now, for the rants and rejoicing:
The Elite Circle
Its worth noting that of the 20 nominated acting performances recognized by SAG, 13 of them have won Oscars and 18 have at least been nominated once. The only two actor never to receive an Oscar nomination are Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman. This will probably change for Cooper and Jackman when the Oscar nominations are announced next month!
Big Surprises
Nicole Kidman being recognized for “The Paperboy” is outrageous! Lee Daniels stinker was a trashy, poorly directed Southern Gothic and Kidman was utterly campy. This is more Razzie then Oscar. Helen Mirren in “Hitchcock” is unexpected, but not all that shocking. Here we have a talented actress re-enacting the golden age of old Hollywood. This played right into the Acting Branch of the Academy. The biggest surprise that’s not necessary bad was Javier Bardem being recognized for “Skyfall.” Why? This wasn’t anything to write home.
Shocking Snubs
“The Master” featured some of the best acting of any movie released this year and, other then Hoffman, was shut out. Joaquin Phoenix deserves to win the Oscar statue for his work in ‘Master’ and looks to be shut out. All for bashing awards season. What a petty excuse! Same for Amy Adams who I normally don’t care for as an actress, but gave one of her best performances. I am relieved that Matthew McConaughey was absent for “Magic Mike” which is an overrated performance. A nod would have been more a polite gesture then recognizing an accomplished performance.
Toldja!
I was one of the first movie bloggers to predict back in May that “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” could easily gain some awards recognition and even momentum. Though shot down by other bloggers, look what happened? ‘Marigold’ received a Best Ensemble from SAG as did Maggie Smith for Best Supporting Actress! This movie won over the hearts of an older generation and became ignored by the cynical, jaded critics. It’s far from the best movie of 2012, but for the Guilds all you need to do is have the right set of actors in a crowd pleaser to win over the acting branch of voters. Look out, this might be this year’s “Blind Side.”
In Need of Clarification
Talk had swirled on Twitter about how SAG didn’t get to see “Zero Dark Thirty” in time to vote which explains a no Best Ensemble nomination. My questions is, if it is true that SAG didn’t see “Zero Dark Thirty,” then how did Jessica Chastain receive a Best Actress nomination? It must be blogsphere gossip…or they just nominate what sounds good. I’m optimistic about the former, but dreading the latter being true.
