Red Carpet: DGA Girls
Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 5:18PM 
Last year's winner Kathryn Bigelow with Tom HooperI'm so excited for SAG tonight.
Oh foolish me! I know it's just going to be another love-in for The King's Speech. But while we wait it out, live-blogging starts at 7:00 PM, let's gawk. I was going to display each of the Directors nominated but David Fincher zoomed outta there the second they announced Hooper's name (apparently he had a 6 AM wakeup call for Dragon Tattoo. God, he's burning the candle at both ends attempting to film during the awards season circus. It's impossible to assume that he isn't happier on set anyway.) So there was no way to matchup of Director photos.
What's more the press photos are often shot from below for some reason giving everyone double chins. Not a good look for most people.
Still, to get you in the mood for what will surely be a more colorful red carpet tonight at SAG, here are the women who showed to support their directors or perhaps just to be seen. Smart actresses know that becoming a director's muse is practically the master key to screen immortality. It's the quicket way to unlock that particular door.
80s Starlet, 90s Starlets, Eternal Starlet
Elisabeth Shue will always hold a special place in my heart but this dress is too Cougar Town for me. Cougar Town before it found its groove as Cul de Sac (never mind. TV reference). I always forget that she's married to director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for 'Superman') until I see them at these events. Do you think she ever pretends that Guggenheim's Oscar is hers from Leaving Las Vegas?
Remember when Claire Danes and Julia Stiles were going to be huge film stars? Julia's ruffly relaxed gown is a huge improvement on her saloon girl look from the Globes, don't you think? I do have an honest question about Danes. She's been working events for Temple Grandin for what seems like a full year now. Just how much mileage is she expecting to get from that and, however much that is, wouldn't she have gotten it already? Why hasn't she been working since really? Weighing offers? Waiting for them?
Finally... Dame Helen Mirren. You know every director with a generic 20something bimbo on his arm is insanely jealous of Taylor Hackford deep down inside.
Burton's muse, Ree Dolly, Mother and Daughter-in-law
Helena Bonham-Carter toned it down from the Globes but is still unmistakably Helena Bonham-Carter. Bless.
Jennifer Lawrence is 20 years old. We have to keep reminding ourselves because she's working these red carpets like she wants to be look like either a Kidmanesque goddess or a very high priced call girl. Doesn't this look scream "If you have to ask how much, you can't afford to pay."
Finally, The Fighter girls. Do you think Melissa Leo will continue her winning streak tonight or will Amy Adams throw down using the SAG stage as her new front porch. Leo's been giving good speech for weeks but each time she's on the red carpet it's like she's still trying to decide what her look is. Remember that unironic early 70s retro look at the Oscars for Frozen River? Then the sexy suit at the BFCA's. Then the classic safe black shiny look at the Globes? This is... someone else entirely. I don't remember Diane Keaton being in The Fighter!!!
Reader Comments (5)
I'm totally with you on the Claire Danes, Temple Grandin thing. It does seem like she's been winning awards for that movie for the past two years or something. It's the same way I felt about Joan Allen in that Georgia O'Keefe movie a few years back. I kept thinking "Still with this performance?" That perception has to do with the Emmy's taking place so long before movie awards season, I think.
Claire Danes's career trajectory has been peculiar indeed, although Julia Stiles's complete lack of charisma (IMHO) is a satisfactory explanation for why she never really "happened."
I think Jennifer Lawrence looks lovely, but I agree that it's a rather mature look for her. I just kind of feel bad for her this awards season. She's so the Carey Mulligan of this year. An early festival hit, solid Oscar buzz all year, smooth sailing to a nomination, but nobody seems to really care after the fact. She already feels like an afterthought, which is a shame.
I LOL'd at your description of Jennifer Lawrence's outfit Nat because my first thought was "Why did Nat stick a picture of an Eastern European prostitute in among these actresses?" I say that as a compliment - I really wish she were wearing a giant, like GIANT, fur coat over it. Fabulous.
Amy Adams looks adorable. Which well that word just ought to be replaced with Amy Adams. She looks so amyadamsian, we'll say, when a lady looks like that.
But I have to say making me choose between Elisabeth Shue deserving that Oscar or a comeback was cruel. Lissy deserves both dammit!
You make it sound like Danes has a choice as to which award shows her knockout performance was eligible for. You've made that comment a few times, and I just don't get it--she's gone through the standard Emmy/Globe/SAG rounds in a single year. No more or less than anybody else does. And she's winning, so what's she supposed to do? Not show up?
Danes parlayed Temple Grandin into the lead in a new Showtime drama, though, yeah, it feels like it's the only thing she's done for the last five years.
i need to search Jennifer Lawrence on Tumblr right now. Somebody needs to give her a Miranda Priestly look to her.