SAG Awards Nominations

They say if you're nominated for a SAG Award, you can almost always pencil in an Oscar nomination next. Of course this isn't 100% certain, but with actors being the biggest branch at the Academy, it makes sense. Add that to the fact that the nominations below were more or less suspected and you have yourself a fairly stable lineup heading into the Oscars.

The film nominees are...

Best Ensemble

• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Nine
• Precious

The only shock here would be the absence of Up in the Air despite getting three of its actors nominations. The "odd" film out here would be An Education which only managed to garner a nomination for its leading lady, but it's pretty awesome that it did. I love all the actors involved.

Best Actress

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Other than Helen Mirren, the other actresses are pretty much locked for an Oscar nomination. Mirren can still very much make it in, but the other four have pretty much dominated the precursors. And when that happens, the biggest obstacle between Meryl and her third Oscar is not Carey Mulligan as every thought earlier this season, but Sandra Bullock.

Best Actor

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

It is very difficult to see any other actor break up this group of five men for the Oscars. Daniel Day-Lewis would be number six I suppose, but it all depends what the Academy thinks of Nine.

Best Supporting Actor

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Similar to the leading actor category, it's difficult to see how these five won't make it in. Plummer might be vulnerable as is Tucci. It all depends how both of their films are regarded by the Academy. The "spoiler" would be Christian McKay, but his film will probably be viewed by less members.

Best Supporting Actress

• Penelope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
• Mo’Nique, Precious

Diane Kruger was the shock nominee and she will probably be replaced by Julianne Moore or Samantha Morton at the Oscars. The other four seems set unless Penelope Cruz is replace by another Nine actress.

Two days ago, I lamented how boring/safe the Golden Globe nominees were for TV. So of course the SAG Awards had to go and give us a more boring and much lamer list of nominees. I'm not really singling out actors or shows, because most of them truly deserve it, but dangnabit why does it have to be the same people over and over again?

The TV nominees are...

Best Ensemble, Drama

• The Closer
• Dexter
• The Good Wife
• Mad Men
• True Blood

This actually isn't such a terrible list. I'm just confused as to why Lost is being snubbed left and right. Simply unbelievable.

Best Actor, Drama

• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Brian Cranston, Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• John Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House

Same as the Emmys with the exception of Brian Cranston replacing Bill Paxton. Like the Globes, as much as I like Hamm, I'm rooting for Hall.

Best Actress, Drama

• Patricia Arquette, Medium
• Glenn Close, Damages
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
• Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Even with a tie, they couldn't fit in January Jones or Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men. Congrats to Julianna Margulies though, but the others are same old, same old.

Best Ensemble, Comedy

• 30 Rock
• Curb
• Glee
• Modern Family
• The Office

Same as the Golden Globe nominations except Curb for Entourage. No How I Met Your Mother or Big Bang Theory. Glee and Modern Family are rocking it this awards season though. So happy for them.

Best Actress, Comedy

• Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Julia Louis Dreyfuss, The New Adventures of Old Christine

Again, same as the Globes except they took out the two most exciting Globe nominees (Courtney Cox and Lea Michele) and replaced them with safe/meh choices in Applegate and Dreyfuss.

Best Actor, Comedy

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Tony Shaloub, Monk
• Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

As much as I was nonplussed about the Globe nominations at least they didn't nominate Charlie freakin' Sheen. Gawd.

Best Actor, Miniseries

• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Cuba Gooding, Jr., Gifted Hands
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keefe
• Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac
• Tom Wilkinson, A Number

Best Actress, Miniseries

• Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keefe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Ruby Dee, America
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby