All good movies, mostly boring fashion, a sprinkling of funny comments. That describes Sunday night's 19th annual Screen Actor's Guild Awards hosted live in Los Angeles. The awards season is well underway after the Golden Globes two weeks ago. Traditionally, America's favorite red-carpet watches are hosted by television personalities before the night progresses into a show that spans for a couple of hours. The A-listers then move to a separate venue to revel in their awards or commiserate over dashed hopes, throw back a few glasses of champagne and kick up their shoes on a dance floor. This year was just as formulaic.
The red-carpet watch began at 6 p.m. EST with fashion critiques and plenty of pre-show interviews with jittery actors. Bradley Cooper stopped by to discuss the unexpected success of "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012), which he starred in with Jennifer Lawrence.
"It's due to, in large part, these [awards] shows
which have given us accolades," he said into the camera.
E! News host Giuliana Rancic plied him to dole out some juicy details on the last "The Hangover" installment, but he would only reveal that it will be taking place in Vegas, Mexico and Los Angeles and that it will be the final installment of the billion-dollar comedy franchise.
A sickly Marion Cotillard, nominated for the film "Rust and Bone" (2012), claimed she was recovering from the flu but still glowed when she addressed the importance of the night's nominations and awards.
"SAG is, of course, very special for an actor. Being here for a French movie is something I really enjoy," she said.
Also paying homage to her nation's affinity for couture, she wore a blue and cream strapless Christian Dior Haute Couture gown that some might consider conservative, but was nonetheless classically stunning. The gowns, as a whole, were rather banal. Black dresses trended on the red carpet as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Claire Danes all donned this somber hue. As for the gentlemen, tuxedos are, well, tuxedos, though Justin Timberlake dared to show up in a checkered Tom Ford suit.
Unlike the Golden Globes ceremony, which was hosted by witty duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the SAG Awards did not have a host. The awards show began with various actors and actresses, filmed in their seats inside the Shrine Exposition Center. Jane Krakowski, Helen Hunt, Hal Holbrook and Darren Criss made thoughtful and lighthearted remarks about their entrances into the entertainment industry. Colombian bombshell Sofia Vergara, however, stole the opening of the show with a saucy comment.
No time was wasted introducing the first award of the evening for Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role, which was bestowed upon the much-deserving Tommy Lee Jones for his part in "Lincoln" (2012). Spielberg's historical drama scored another major win for the evening when Daniel Day-Lewis won Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role for his eerie portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln.
Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role went to Jennifer Lawrence for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook," much to the chagrin of "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012) fans who expected Jessica Chastain to strike gold once again - she already received the Golden Globe for her role.
Though "Zero Dark Thirty" came up empty handed at the awards show, "Argo" (2012) snagged the win for Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture, and a visibly shaken Anne Hathaway accepted her first SAG Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in "Les Miserables" (2012).
If life imitates art and vice versa, Claire Danes might be in the running for closely mimicking her schizophrenic character Carrie Mathison on stage with a rushed, breathless acceptance speech for Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series for her role in "Homeland." Brian Cranston took the prize for "Breaking Bad," while the cast of "Downton Abbey" won for Outstanding Cast.
With its third consecutive win, the "Modern Family" cast accepted Outstanding Ensemble for Comedy Series. Perhaps the peer group was feeling nostalgic because "30 Rock" comedians Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey both won Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series right before the show's finale this week.
Other wins included: Kevin Costner, Outstanding Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for "Hatfields & McCoys," Julianne Moore for Outstanding Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for "Game Change," Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture for "Skyfall" and Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series for "Game of Thrones."
