SAG Awards Predictions: Who Will Win the Movie Categories on Sunday?
by Andy Neuenschwander
Clooney, DiCaprio, Streep, Close, Davis, McCarthy... there are a lot of big names, veterans and newcomers on the list of SAG Award nominees this year in the movie categories. But who will take home the statues on Sunday? Here are our predictions for the Screen Actor's Guild winners for movies:
Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role
The Nominees: George Clooney, Jean DuJardin, Demian Bechir, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt
The Likely Winner: George Clooney. "The Descendants" may have been his best project yet acting-wise, and that's saying something. Plus, when a guy goes and does this and "The Ides of March" in one year, he's bound to win something.
The Hopeful: Jean DuJardin. "The Artist" has made some serious strides since arriving on the awards scene, and could have gained some late momentum following its 10 Oscar nominations and a Golden Globes win for DuJardin.
The Long Shot: Leonardo DiCaprio. The guy has a lot of respect among his peers, but "J. Edgar" wasn't the greatest movie and DiCaprio didn't even get an Oscar nod.
Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role
The Nominees: Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, Tilda Swinton
The Likely Winner: This is a tough one, as Streep was separated from Davis and Williams in the categories at the Golden Globes. Williams and Streep took the statues there, but "The Help" has been campaigning hard among SAG voters and might get Davis the statue. When in doubt, go with Streep... but don't be surprised if it's Davis.
The Hopeful: Michelle Williams did give a really stunning performance in "My Week with Marilyn," so it wouldn't be shocking if her take on the iconic actress resonated more with SAG voters than Streep's Margaret Thatcher.
The Long Shot: Tilda Swinton. Again, snubbed for the Oscars, but another fantastic perfomance from one of the business' more consistently excellent actresses.
Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role
The Nominees: Kenneth Branagh, Armie Hammer, Jonah Hill, Nick Nolte, Christopher Plummer
The Likely Winner: Christopher Plummer. Bet the farm.
The Hopeful: Jonah Hill gave a surprisingly strong performance in "Moneyball." If you watch it, it seems simple, but that's what makes it so good. It's detailed, thoughtful, and wholly believable. And he still manages to be funny, too.
The Long Shot: Nick Nolte. He was truly stunning in "Warrior," but unfortunatley nobody really saw "Warrior," and there wasn't much of an effort to campaign for Nolte.
The Nominees: Berenice Bejo, Jessica Chastain, Melissa McCarthy, Janet McTeer, Octavia Spencer
The Likely Winner: Another very tough one. Spencer took it at the Globes, but you can't count out how funny McCarthy was in "Bridesmaids" and how hot she is right now in the industry. Spencer might also lose some votes to Chastain, as they are both nominated for "The Help." The safer choice is Spencer.
The Hopeful: Melissa McCarthy is waiting in the wings to grab that trophy if Chastain does eat some of Spencer's votes, though.
The Long Shot: Janet McTeer is on another planet as far as voters are concerned. Bejo could have a bit of a chance with the recent "The Artist" surge, but it'd still be a huge long shot.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast