Who will win or could win the SAG Awards?

Last year, the Screen Actors Guild Awards had a ready-made anti-Oscar narrative with a slate of winners that features colorful casts (Orange is the New Black) and Idris Elba as the supporting actor winner during the #OscarsSoWhite backlash. This year, there's no clear media narrative and SAG even has to make do without a Best Picture frontrunner since La La Land is understandably not up for their top prize (Outstanding Performance by a Cast... also referred to as "Best Ensemble" by many). So what will they choose this year? Who knows!

Viola has won four SAG awards, two for How to Get Away With Murder, two for The Help

We'll find out tomorrow night but what we're most looking forward to the lifetime achievement tribute to Lily Tomlin which will happily be presented by her 9 to 5 co-stars Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. But back to predictions. Will Viola Davis win her fifth SAG in five years?  Let's make the tough calls after the jump...

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Is Viola in "Fences" a lead? Or is her "Rose" a supporting player by choice?

Scarlett & Viola won the supporting & lead actress Tonys in 2010. Now Viola is headed for a supporting trophy (for the same role) by Lynn Lee

If it’s Oscar season, there must be category fraud lurking somewhere.  This year most of the debate has centered around Viola Davis, whose barn-burner of a performance opposite Denzel Washington in Fences is a virtual lock ...for supporting actress gold.  There’s little doubt the decision to go supporting was driven by the perception that lead actress would be a much tougher road in an especially competitive year.  Still, it’s such a powerhouse turn that many Viola fans are justifiably frustrated by what looks like a cynical lack of faith in both her and the Academy.

And yet, having previously read the play and seen it performed on stage – though not the production that starred Viola and Denzel – I can’t help wondering if this is as open-and-shut a case of category fraud as it appears.  In terms of the weight and magnetism of Viola’s performance, it feels like a lead role.  But the way the role is written, as August Wilson conceived it, I think is a closer call...

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Lunchtime Poll: Viola & Meryl BFFs

Let's make the lunchtime poll a regular tradition! I'll ask you and sometimes Team Experience, too, a question that's currently hogging too much of my brain. You answer and we'll all feel less utterly alone in this vast cruel universe. Ready?

Today two questions about La Streep, just because. Here we go...

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Ranking the Golden Globe presenters

We're revisiting the highs and the lows of the Globes. Here's Jorge... 

Because next to the winners, random celebrity pairings are the best part of the ceremony, let's rank them.

33. Casey Affleck: I will say it now. I do not support Casey Affleck nor his campaign. His performance is one thing, but he is presenting his (problematic) self at the award circuit. I did not like watching him introduce Manchester by the Sea (let alone winning). Knowing he has had many trips on stage this season, they could have had Michelle or Lucas Hedges go up to make it more interesting.

32. Sofia Vergara: How much longer can the highest paid actress in television keep basing her brand on the notion that she can’t speak English? The joke is getting old and, frankly, denigrating for her.

31. Vince Vaughn: He looked like he did not want to be there, at this moment or any other point during the ceremony...

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The Oscar Week: Palm Springs to NY to LA

In this weekly feature from Murtada we follow Oscar contender appearances and interviews.

This week Oscar contenders were very busy, making numerous appearances from Palm Springs to New York and back to California for Sunday’s Golden Globes. From the ceremonial Palm Springs International Film Festival that basically gives awards to every single contender as long as they show up to their fund raising gala, to the more discerning New York Film Critics Circle awards, people like Casey Affleck, Jeff Bridges and Amy Adams got to test out their acceptance speeches while gaining face time with media and Oscar voters... 

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