by Nathaniel R
The Screen Actors Guild Awards are so frontloaded, you know. Their famous tradition of beginning the awards show with mini monologues from thespians that always end with "I am _____ and I am an actor" is bliss. But after this hokey and delicious ritual, the awards often feel like something of a chore unless one of the winners gets kooky (remember when Meryl ran through the crowd with her arms up like she was a game show contestant?) because they so often merely rubber-stamp all the other awards shows or themselves. Note Allison Janney's 8 wins here over the years.
Kristen Bell served as the first ever host and was funny and sparsely deployed (since the show doesn't really need a host since it's all just awards-awards-awards. But bless her for spiking the punch right at the start.
I am Kristen Bell and I am a narcissist. Sorry... I am an actor. And tonight also your host"
After the jump a few notes from the show and the list of winners.
Allison Janney got to do one of the intros (though Tracee Ellis Ross's was the funniest) and she was wonderful. But shouldn't they have gone with people who weren't going to win for some variety of camera time? And isn't it strange that no matter how open any Oscar race is the televised winners are so often set in stone from the first ceremony (SAG basically xeroxed the Globes but for their inability to let go of Veep)
Geena and Susan will be seated together til the end of time and we're okay with this because Thelma & Louise forever.
Connie Britton and Mandy Moore got all excited about opening the envelope and did little gleeful suspense gestures but come on ladies. Julia Louis-Dreyfus wins every year at SAG and at the Emmys. There's no suspense whatsoever! (Thank god for the Globes who are willing to vary up the winners frequently).
This reaction shot of Willem Dafoe losing to Sam Rockwell made us so sad here at TFE HQ. It was supposed to be his year and now he's not going to win anything. He can't even win the Spirit Award because he was weirdly snubbed there so Rockwell will even take that prize. It's not that Rockwell isn't a fine actor but we object on principle to anyone winning every prize unless they are so stupendous that it feels like an all-timer performance ... and guess what? Those don't happen very often.
Alexander Skarsgård wins again. He makes a funny about his fate saying that the thespians have spoken and determined the tall guy from True Blood is a better actor than Robert De Niro.
Personal Favorite Moment of the Night: Marisa Tomei thanking Rosanna Arquette for being a silence breaker and Arquette listing some of the other women who got the ball rolling on calling out sexual harassment in Hollywood (Asia Argento, Ashley Judd, Anthony Rapp, Mira Sorvino, Anabella Sciorra, Daryl Hannah, Olivia Munn, "so many" ). The only thing that would have made the moment better was Laura Dern hopping on stage and repeating her "restorative justice" demand. It's crazy to have everyone looking at the history of 90s actressing again in such a sad light.
Nicole Kidman had the flu but gave a smashing speech about actresses still being viable in Hollywood after 40 years old and what a new and beautiful development that is. She also listed some of her elders as acting heroes (Sarandon, Lange, Streep, Dench, Huppert). Wonderful wonderful wonderful.
Legendary Rita Moreno came out to present the Lifetime Achievement to Morgan Freeman. She reminds the audience that she wanted reciprocate because he introduced her when she won that same prize. They've known each other for 50 years and she even did a little imitation of one of his skits on Electric Company in the 1970s.
I'll take a Lady Bird reaction shot anywhere I can get it since it seems their winning streak came to an end with the Globes (*sniffle*)
And the Actor goes to... Gary Oldman.
Frances McDormand takes Best Actress again -- the other actresses seem genuinely happy for her (though Allison Janney gives Margot Robbie a hug) -- and does a funny walk up to the stage recalling her Oscar win so many years ago. At the close of the speech she surprises by suggesting that some younger actors 'coming up' should be winning "they need doorstops, too".
For some reason she's also the spokesperson for the Ensemble Win, too. She keeps it brief. Good night.
Complete Winners List
Film
Ensemble Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Stunt Ensemble Wonder Woman
Actress Frances McDormand
Actor Gary Oldman
Supporting Actress Allison Janney
Supporting Actor Sam Rockwell
TV
Ensemble Comedy Veep
Ensemble Drama This is Us
Stunt Ensemble Game of Thrones
Actress Drama Claire Foy, The Crown
Actor Drama Sterling K Brown, This is Us
Actress Comedy Julia Louis Dreyfus, Veep
Actor Comedy William H Macy, Shameless
Actress Limited Series Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Actor Limited Series Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
Lifetime Achievement Morgan Freeman