The role reversal and Oscar season 180 seems complete. Despite its award season hegemony, taking with it almost every conceivable critical prize possible, David Fincher’s “The Social Network” came up empty handed once again during the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. “The King’s Speech” asserted its late season dominance once more winning the coveted Ensemble award (SAG’s closest award to Best Picture), plus Colin Firth took the Outstanding Actor award. Tied for two award wins was “The Fighter” which took the prizes many expected: Christian Bale for Supporting Actor and Melissa Leo for Supporting Actress.
Elsewhere, Natalie Portman‘s “Black Swan” Best Actress fait accompli award went down as was ordained for several months now and otherwise, there were no surprises — unless you were expecting “The Social Network” to rebound from all its major guild losses (we weren’t, sorry Awards Daily). If anything, it reminds Oscar bloggers and pundits everywhere that the Academy — while slightly adventurous and choosing-wisely in recent years — will retreat to the familiar and conventional given half the chance. If “The King’s Speech” doesn’t win the Best Picture at the Oscars this year, something will be seriously wrong, but if you’re a better person, and a safe one at that, this is the picture your money should now be riding on. Full list of winners below.
Winners In The Film Categories
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“The King’s Speech”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale – “The Fighter”
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble
“Inception”
You can see the TV award winners here. But some TV/Movie awards of note: Martin Scorsese‘s “Boardwalk Empire” won two awards including Steve Buscemi for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama) and the entire ensemble took the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama Series prize. Al Pacino won the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Miniseries/TV Movie) for his lead role in Barry Levinson‘s “You Don’t Know Jack” and Claire Danes took the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Miniseries/TV Movie) for her lead turn in “Temple Gradin.”
Photo credit: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images
My WFT should be WTF?!?! darn fingers… I need a typing coach in the mold of Geoffrey Rush.
\”The King\’s Speech\” was a charming British dramedy and nothing more than that. Not quite sure why it\’s suddenly getting Best Picture love (and Best Director?!?! WFT?!?) except for that old snootiness the Academy sometimes displays toward films from across the Pond.
It\’s not a game-changer or blazingly original like \”Inception\”
It\’s not as impressive in terms of technical skill \”The Social Network\”
…and, well, I\’m failing to see why this is the film that\’s going to win Best Picture. It was nice, it was funny, but it\’s hardly a film that people will be talking about for years to come or have any of the impact through the years that a film like Inception surely will.
So, yawn… wake me when the Oscars have finished their tea time celebration for The King\’s Speech.
One would assume that the actors voted on the best acting, not the most popular or who has the most \”friends,\” in this case. The Social Network actors are basically one-note actors throughout the film — even though I did love the film. The award went to better actors.
You know, I don\’t recall this site making any predictions for The King\’s Speech to win Best Picture/Director a month or so ago, when The Social Network was winning every award possible. I guess it\’s easy to wait until late in the race and then act like you declared the winner a long time before. Besides, until the Oscar noms came out, you would just be stupid to not bet on The Social Network. Like I said, it was winning everything, and will still make history by being the film to win the most precursors and then not Best Picture. I am glad you guys are so happy though that basically a BBC original movie is soon to become a multiple Oscar winner. I bet you were glad when Shakespeare in Love won too. How\’s that working out for your street cred?
cirkusfolk, you have to calm down.