Breaking Down the 2013 Best Actress Race

This Oscar season has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable races in recent history. While it seems that Argo, Daniel Day-Lewis and Anne Hathaway now look like sure things in their respective categories, there are a few races that remain a serious horse race. The two biggest question marks are the Best Supporting Actor race where a different contender has won in each of the precursors (Tommy Lee Jones, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Christoph Waltz) and the Best Actress Race which has been a serious catfight between Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence. Today, I will take a look at the latter race which could end up with a truly surprising winner.
When the race began in earnest last fall, the word was that Jennifer Lawrence would win hands down for her wonderful, emotionally naked work in Silver Linings Playbook. However, that was before the very secretive Zero Dark Thirty finally began screening and Jessica Chastain’s fierce, intelligent and controlled performance wowed critics and audiences. Both women have won a number of pre-cursors that have put them squarely in a duel for the Oscar win. Among the biggest wins, Lawrence took home the Golden Globe (Musical/Comedy), Critic’s Choice (Actress in a Comedy Film) and the all-important SAG Award while Chastain grabbed a Golden Globe (Drama) and the overall Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress.
They are both up for the BAFTA Award this evening as well. I’d say Chastain has the edge there as her film received more nominations from the British Academy and they tend to honor more “important” films and performances. For example, last year Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) took home the Best Actress BAFTA over Viola Davis (The Help) after Davis had just won the SAG Award… I could see the same turnover happen here for Chastain. If that happens, then Chastain could follow Streep’s path to an Oscar victory.
Both Chastain and Lawrence have several factors working in their favor. Both women are attractive young actresses with a “babe factor” that the Academy loves, reaching a peak in their careers which has helped actresses like Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Kidman to take home the big prize in the past. Both are also previous nominees. Chastain was nominated last year for Supporting Actress for The Help while Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress two years ago for Winter’s Bone. Plus, both have worked the awards circuit like a pro this season.
Where they differ is in their “industry status”. While Lawrence is now a bona-fide box office star with The Hunger Games franchise, Chastain is seen as the more serious actress with a bigger body of lauded work. She could’ve received Oscar noms for practically all of her seven films released in 2011 and Chastain is also building box office clout with hits ZD30, The Help and Mama. It just seems like it may be too “early” in Lawrence’s career to give her Hollywood’s highest honor while Chastain seems to have “earned” it more. So, with all of that said, I’m going out on a limb and giving the edge to Chastain for the win.
However there remains one big obstacle in their way. They both will have to fend off another critical favorite, French icon Emmanuelle Riva for her harrowing and physically demanding work as a woman suffering from Dementia at the end of her life in Amour. This performance could be the real key to this Oscar race. Riva could easily usurp both of them at the BAFTAs and set the stage for a crazy three-way fight on Oscar night.
As for the final two nominees, Quevanzhane Wallis should be thrilled she got a nomination in the first place for her debut performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild over more deserving heavy weights like Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone) and Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), and while she was amazing in The Impossible, and I’d love to see her win, Naomi Watts will probably be an also ran. (No worries though Naomi, you should be back in the race next year for playing Princess Diana!)
To sum up, it’s a serious race this year. Lawrence and Chastain are in the best position to win with Riva as a potential spoiler. And if there is crazy vote splitting, maybe Watts can sneak in. Yet, I’m still betting on Chastain. See if I’m right Sunday night February 24th when the Oscars air on ABC.

Bourne is Reborn at the Box Office

Many considered it a huge gamble to try to continue the Bourne movie franchise without star Matt Damon. However, Universal has done pretty well with the opening of its rebooted franchise, The Bourne Legacy, starring Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz. The slick action thriller (which I totally enjoyed and give an “A-” grade to by the way) took in a good $40.2 million over the weekend. It led three new releases including the Will Ferrell/Zach Galifinakis comedy The Campaign which did well coming in second with a better than expected $27 million and Hope Springs which opened to a good $15.6 million. Springs, starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who are both absolutely brilliant in the film which I gave a “A-/B+” grade to, has taken in a total of $20 million since opening on Wednesday and should have strong legs in the month ahead as most Streep and female-centered August films do. (For examples, see the femme-centric August hits Julie & Julia, Eat Pray Love and The Help.) … Holding up well in its second weekend was the latest Wimpy Kid film and The Dark Knight Rises while Total Recall tanked in its sophomore week. For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and take a look at the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N The Bourne Legacy Uni. $40,265,000 – 3,745 – $10,752 $40,265,000 $125 1
2 N The Campaign WB $27,440,000 – 3,205 – $8,562 $27,440,000 – 1
3 1 The Dark Knight Rises WB $19,540,000 -45.3% 3,690 -552 $5,295 $390,149,000 $250 4
4 N Hope Springs Sony $15,600,000 – 2,361 – $6,607 $20,053,000 – 1
5 3 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Fox $8,200,000 -43.9% 3,398 +7 $2,413 $30,554,000 $22 2
6 2 Total Recall (2012) Sony $8,100,000 -68.3% 3,601 – $2,249 $44,188,000 $125 2
7 4 Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $6,750,000 -21.6% 3,102 -440 $2,176 $144,064,000 – 5
8 7 Ted Uni. $3,290,000 -41.7% 2,208 -559 $1,490 $209,915,000 $50 7
9 6 Step Up Revolution Sum. $2,850,000 -51.9% 1,898 -708 $1,502 $30,165,000 $33 3
1o 5 The Watch Fox $2,200,000 -66.3% 2,461 -707 $894 $31,374,000 $68 3

It’s Katniss vs. Kristin as The Hunger Games and Bridesmaids lead the MTV Movie Award Nominations

There was some serious girl power on display with yesterday’s announcement of this year’s contenders for the MTV Movie Awards. While the usual competitor Twilight entry is in the race again as Breaking Dawn got a nod for Best Movie, the shocker was that it only got 2 nods. Instead, the female centric movies The Hunger Games and Bridesmaids each towered over the competition with 8 nods while The Help grabbed 4 and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo grabbed 3. The other big nominee was the final Harry Potter film which landed in 6 races. Take a look at all the nominees below and I have to say MTV has picked a much better crop with these contenders than in most of the past decade. For more on the show which takes place on June 3 and to vote, head to MTV.com here.

2012 MTV Movie Award Nominees

Movie of the Year
“Bridesmaids”
“The Hunger Games”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
“The Help”
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″

Best Male Performance
Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Ryan Gosling, “Drive”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50″
Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games”
Channing Tatum, “The Vow”

Best Female Performance
Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games”
Kristin Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”
Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Best Comedic Performance
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
Zach Galifianakis, “The Hangover Part II”
Jonah Hill, “21 Jump Street”
Oliver Cooper, “Project X”

Breakthrough Performance
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games”
Elle Fanning, “Super 8″
Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

Best Cast
“Bridesmaids”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
“The Hunger Games”
“21 Jump Street”
“The Help”

Best On-Screen Transformation
Elizabeth Banks, “The Hunger Games”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Johnny Depp, “21 Jump Street”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Colin Farrell, “Horrible Bosses”

Best Fight
Daniel Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig, “The Hunger Games”
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill vs. Kid Gang, “21 Jump Street”
Tom Hardy vs. Joel Edgerton, “Warrior”
Tom Cruise vs. Michelle Nyqvist, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”

Best Kiss
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”
Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games”
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, “The Vow”
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″

Best Gut-Wrenching Performance
“Bridesmaids” (Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McClendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper)
“The Help” (Bryce Dallas Howard)
“21 Jump Street” (Jonah Hill and Rob Riggle)
“Drive” (Ryan Gosling)
“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (Tom Cruise)

Best On-Screen Dirt Bag
Bryce Dallas Howard, “The Help”
Jon Hamm, “Bridesmaids”
Jennifer Aniston, “Horrible Bosses”
Colin Farrell, “Horrible Bosses”
Oliver Cooper, “Project X”

Best Music
“Party Rock Anthem,” LMFAO (“21 Jump Street”)
“A Real Hero,” College with Electric Youth (“Drive”)
“The Devil Is in the Details,” Chemical Brothers (“Hanna”)
“Impossible,” Figurine (“Like Crazy”)
“Pursuit of Happiness,” Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki remix) (“Project X”)

It’s all about Hollywood as The Artist, Hugo and Meryl dominate the Oscars

It was a clear message heard round the Kodak (what will they change the name to?) theatre in Hollywood tonight as Hollywood honored the movies at the Oscars:  if it was about movie-making or starred our very own movie queen, it won. The Artist and Hugo, both films that are essentially love letters to movie-making, each won 5 awards while Meryl Streep, the most lauded and iconic actress of our time finally won her 3rd Oscar for her amazing work in The Iron Lady. Yes, she only has three! Despite 17 nominations, she hadn’t won since Sophie’s Choice 29 years ago, and she was arguably the most deserving winner of the night. (No disrespect to the tremendously lovely Viola Davis by the way. I swear you will get your Oscar one day!)… Speaking of deserving winners, Christopher Plummer and Ocatvia Spencer finished their dominated awards season runs picking up the Supporting Actor honors for Beginners and The Help. WIth his win, Plummer became the oldest acting winner in history at the tender age of 82!… Best Actor went to Jean Dujardin (over heavily favored George Clooney) whose film The Artist also picked up Best Picture, Director, Costume Design and Score. Hugo’s 5 wins were in the technical categories while one big surprise was the Best Editing win for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For more on all the winners and the delightful if a bit subdued broadcast hosted by Billy Crystal, head here. (Big props to the ladies of Bridesmaids and Tina Fey for bringing us the funniest moments by the way). And check out all the winners below… And let me just say I am so incredibly happy for Streep! She gave the best, classiest speech of the night and I’m just thrilled she finally won. Congrats Meryl!!!!

2012 Academy Award Winners:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Cinematography: Hugo
Best Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Art Direction: Hugo
Best Costume Design: The Artist
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady
Best Original Score: The Artist     
Best Original Song: “Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets)
Best Sound Editing: Hugo
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo
Best Visual Effects: Hugo

Best Documentary: Undefeated
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Animated Film: Rango
Best Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Best Live Action Short Film: The Shore
Best Documentary Short Subject: Saving Face

Most Wins~
The Artist: 5
Hugo: 5
The Iron Lady: 2

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions

Ok, enough with the Grammys, Globes and SAG Awards, the grand daddy of them all is here: the Academy Awards. This Sunday is the big day with the supreme Oscar host Billy Crystal returning to preside over the big day. With Crystal in command, we know the show will be hilarious, but will there be any surprises? Well, the top two acting races are just that, races between two deserving candidates. So, we could have upsets and some serious excitement. With that said, can anyone stop The Artist from sweeping? Well, take a look at my big bold Oscar winner predictions below and see.

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions:

Best Picture:
The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist
spoiler: Hugo
~ my sentimental fave: The Help

Best Director:
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Michael Hazanvicius (The Artist), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Will & Should win: Michael Hazanavicius
~spoiler: Martin Scorsese

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will & Should win: Jean Dujardin
~spoiler: George Clooney
* This is a super tight race and it will be close between Clooney and Dujardin. How neat would it be if the wonderful and truly deserving Bichir pulled a surprise upset here? It’s not gonna happen, but it would be lovely to see.

Best Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
~spoiler: Viola Davis
* ok, I’m going out on a big limb here. Conventional wisdom and smart money is on Davis (who was wonderful and would be a deserving winner). However, if you’ve seen The Iron Lady, you can’t deny Streep should win. She also hasn’t won in 30 years. Hello people!

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
~spoiler: Max Von Sydow

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
~spoiler: Melissa McCarthy

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris, A Separation
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Bridesmaids
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants, Hugo, The Ides of March, Moneyball, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Moneyball
~spoiler: The Descendants
* This one will be close. I feel like they may throw a bone to The Descendants here, but I’m keeping my money on the better screenplay for Moneyball. Plus it has more overall nominations indicating wider support within the academy.

Best Cinematography:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will win: The Tree of Life
Should win: War Horse (yes, I loved the movie, what of it?)
~spoiler: The Artist (they love some black and white)

Best Editing:
The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
~Spoiler: Hugo

Best Animated Film:
A Cat in Paris, Chico and Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will & Should win: Rango

Best Foreign Film:
Bullhead, Footnote, In Darkness, Monsieur Lahzar, A Separation
Will & Should win: A Separation
~spoiler: In Darkness

Best Original Score:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Artist, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist

Best Original Song:
“Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets), “Real in Rio” (Rio)
Will & Should win: “Man or a Muppet” (this would be the first ever win for a Muppet movie!)
* PS- this category is a disaster. Due to their strict rules, a ton of great and deserving songs by Mary J. Blige (The Help), Elton John (Gnomeo & Juliet), Madonna (W.E.), Pink (Happy Feet 2) and more didn’t make the cut. Blargh!

Best Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Costume Design:
Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
Will win: The Artist
Should win: W.E.
~spoiler: W.E.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady
Will & Should win: The Iron Lady
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Sound Editing:
Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: War Horse
~spoiler: Transformers

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Real Steel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Will win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (hello the Harry Potter franchise has never won an Oscar!)
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Documentary:
Hell and Back Again, If a Tree Falls, Paradise Lost 3, Pina, Undefeated
Will win: Undefeated
Should win: Pina
~spoiler: Paradise Lost 3
* this one is a super tight race… My first instinct is for Pina to win (and it’s the most interesting, but also the most experimental). Then, I was thinking Undefeated plays into the emotions of the academy and has a bigger profile, so it may win. It’s a real tossup with the well-known Paradise Lost series in the mix as well.

* for the shorts, shoot me an email.

The Actors Love “The Help” at tonight’s SAG Awards

Dominating the SAG Awards with a definitive 3 wins, The Help got some more Oscar juice. The wonderful film took home awards for Best Ensemble, Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer) and, in a little bit of an upset, Best Actress (Viola Davis). With her win, Davis is making a serious bid for the Oscar and now has to be considered the front-runner to her dear friend Meryl Streep (who I think should have won, but that’s bygones, because Davis is extraordinary regardless)… The other big surprise was Jean Dujardin taking out George Clooney in the Best Actor race. The Oscars look like they will have some serious battles ahead… Winning Supporting Actor was Christopher Plummer for Beginners... The TV races saw some really boring repeats with Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi and Boardwalk Empire, but at least Jessica Lange was a new winner in the Drama Actress category defeating last year’s victor Juliana Marguiles. For more on the show, head to TNT and check out all the winners below.
(Oh and props to everyone for stepping it up with some great fashion tonight~ much better than the Golden Globes.)

2012 SAG AWARD WINNERS:

Movies~
Best Ensemble: The Help
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Stunt Ensemble: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

TV~

Drama Ensemble: Boardwalk Empire
Drama Actor: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Drama Actress: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Comedy Ensemble: Modern Family
Comedy Actress: Betty White, Hot in Clevleand
Comedy Actor: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
TV Movie/Miniseries Actress: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
TV Movie/Miniseries Actor: Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Stunt Ensemble: Game of Thrones

The Artist keeps the streak alive winning at the DGA Awards

The Artist may just be unbeatable at the Oscars in a little over a month. The film won the Golden Globe, the Critics Choice Award and has topped numerous critic’s best of lists, and tonight Michael Hazanvicius won Best Director at the Directors Guild of America Awards. This one is a great barometer of the Oscars as the winner usually repeats there, along with the film he or she represents. So, can Hazanavicius take the Golden Boy? He’ll still have to fend off Martin Scorsese, but I’d say it’s his to lose for the time being. Other awards went to Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Killing and The Kennedys. Take a look at all the winners below, and check back here tomorrow to see how The Artist fares at the SAG Awards… It may need some help there because of a little picture called… The Help.

2012 DGA Award Winners:
Feature Film: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Documentary: James Marsh, “Project Nim”
Movies for Television and Mini-Series: Jon Kassar, “The Kennedys”
Dramatic Series: Patty Jenkins, “The Killing”: pilot
Comedy Series: Robert B. Weide, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”: “Palestinian Chicken”
Musical Variety: Glenn Weiss, “The 65th Annual Tony Awards”
Reality Programs: Neil P. DeGroot, “Biggest Loser”: “Episode #1115″
Daytime Serials: William Ludel, “General Hospital”: “Intervention”
Children’s Programs: Amy Schatz, “A Child’s Garden of Poetry”
Commercials: Noam Murro, “Handlebar Moustache,” “Hot House,” “Pinata,” “Is It Real?”

Frank Capra Achievement Award: Katy Garretson
Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award: Dennis Mazzocco
Honorary Life Membership: Ed Sherin

My Big Bold SAG Award Winner Predictions

It’s time for some new predictions… And I have a real stake in these because I actually got to vote for them! I’m speaking, of course, of the SAG Awards that will air this Sunday on TNT. It’s all about the actors rewarding other actors and as a proud member of SAG for over a decade, I’m always thrilled to get to vote for my favorites. With that said, I’m not gonna spill who I voted for (you can send me a private email for that). However, I will give you my big predictions that should see some clear Oscar faves continue their winning streaks… Maybe there will be a surprise or two? Who knows, but let’s take a look at my crystal ball…

My Big Bold SAG Award Winner Predictions!~

Movies~

Best Ensemble Cast:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Help, Midnight In Paris
Will & Should win: The Help
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will win: George Clooney
Should win: Jean Dujardin
~spoiler: Brad Pitt

Best Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
~spoiler: Viola Davis
* this is probably the hottest contest for the film categories and could be real close. Plus, SAG voters got dvds of both Viola and Meryl’s films so they both have great shots at winning.

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Armie Hammer (J. Edgar), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
~spoiler: Kenneth Branagh (however, Nick Nolte is super worthy of a surprise win)

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
~spoiler: Melissa McCarthy (hello who doesn’t love her?!!)

TV:

Drama Series Ensemble:
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife
Will & Should win: The Good Wife (I’m going out on a big limb here… but it’s the only network show and the one most voters might watch. Plus it is frikkin’ fantastic)
~spoiler: Breaking Bad (a very worth winner it would be)

Drama Actor:
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Patrick J. Adams (Suits)
Will & Should win: Bryan Cranston
~spoiler: Steve Buscemi

Drama Actress:
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law), Glenn Close (Damages), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Kyra Sedgewick (The Closer)
Will win: Juliana Marguiles
Should win: Glenn Close
~spoiler: Jessica Lange

Comedy Ensemble:
The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Modern Family, The Office, 30 Rock
Will & Should win: Modern Family
~spoiler: The Big Bang Theory

Comedy Actor:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Steve Carrell (The Office), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will & Should win: Ty Burrell
~ spoiler: Steve Carrell

Comedy Actress:
Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Will win: Betty White
Should win: Julie Bowen
~spoiler: Sofia Vergara
* where the heck is Amy Poehler in this category??? Grrr

TV Movie/Miniseries Actor:
Laurence Fishburne (Thrugood), Paul Giamatti (Too Big To Fail), Greg Kinnear (The Kennedys), Guy Pearce (Midred Pierce), James Woods (Too Big To Fail)
Will & Should win: Guy Pearce
~spoiler: James Woods

TV Movie/Miniseries Actress:
Diane Lane (Cinema Verite), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Emily Watson (Appropriate Adult), Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce), Betty White (The Lost Valentine)
Will win: Kate Winslet
Should win: Diane Lane
~spoiler: Maggie Smith

There ya have it, my pics for who I think will win the SAG Awards on Sunday. Do you agree? Do you wish other people were nominated? Let me hear it below.

A Few Thoughts on today’s Oscar Nominations…

This morning Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) announced this year’s contenders and as always we saw the front runners like The Artist and Hugo grab headlines. However, we also saw some shocking snubs and some interesting inclusions. I already posted the full nominee list, so let’s take a look at a few thoughts I have on those who will be contending for this year’s Oscar.

Favorite Nomination: Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)… I was so happy to see her included in this hilarious film. She gave a wonderfully hysterical performance that had way more layers than you might expect. Comedy needs more representation at the Oscars, so this is a nice start. (Also kudos to Kristin Wiig and her Oscar nominated script for the film).

Best Surprise: Rooney Mara and all the love for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This fantastic film nabbed 5 nods in total. I just wish it was up for Best Pic and Director (David Fincher).
Biggest Snub: Michael Fassbender (Shame)… apparently his great performance may have been overlooked by his hot nekkid body? Or he cancelled himself out with other great turns in A Dangerous Method and Jane Eyre.

Other Big Snubs:
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)… looks like academy members really didn’t like this film, which is a shame because Leo was great
Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)… another film that may have been too dark and unlikable to get it’s great star a nod.
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Drive in all other categories (except sound)
Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Young Adult… apparently this acerbic dark comedy just didn’t resonate with Oscar voters. I’m sad, cuz it was a good flick.
Steven Spielberg (War Horse) for Director
Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Alan Rickman (Harry Potter) both proved its hard to get nominated for big popcorn action films… oh and motion capture performances may never get nominated.
Elizabeth Olsen and Martha Marcy May Marlene… this great indie introduced us to a major acting star in Olsen and still got bupkiss
50/50 and Joseph Gordon Levitt… another great indie that should’ve gotten some love
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 in all big categories…. why oh why couldn’t this amazing franchise ever pull out a Best Pic nom? Especially when the final installment was clearly one of the best films of the year.

More Snubs: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Ides of March), The Adventures of Tin Tin (in Animated film), Carey Mulligan (Shame), the casts of The Ides of March and Midnight in Paris, Beginners for Screenplay and Director (Mike Mills)

~ And a Big Boo to the voters for dissing The Help for Screenplay, Score, Song, Costume Design and Director… That wonderful film should’ve had 9 noms, not just 4.

~While I’m complaining, I just have to say yuck to all the nods for The Tree of Life. Oy vey!

Other nice inclusions:
~Demian Bichir (A Better Life)… this wonderful performance in this small indie broke through with a SAG nod and he made the list today. I’m thrilled.
~Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)… can you believe this is his first nomination? I just wish it was for a better film.
~Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Max Von Sydow... I’m so happy one of my fave films of the year finally got some love. And I was kinda shocked to see it among the 9 nominees for Best Picture.
~Moneyball grabbed more noms that The Descendants, hehe….
~W.E. got into costume design. Yes, a film by Madonna got an Oscar nod. (I just wish her Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” had been eligible)

Speaking of Best Song….
What the heck is wrong with that category? By having a ridiculously difficult rule of the songs needing to rate 8.5 or higher by the music branch (out of 10), only 2 songs made the cut… And the one from The Muppets wasn’t even the best song from that film…
Look at all the snubbed songs that should’ve gotten mentioned:
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets)
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2) by P!nk
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet) by Elton John
“The Living Proof” (The Help) by Mary J. Blige
“Lay Down Your Head” (Albert Nobbs) by Glenn Close, etc

So, there are just a few thoughts for you… Now, let’s see who is gonna win… I’d say The Artist is still out in front despite Hugo landing the most noms…. I still have hope for The Help too.. and Meryl better win… With that said, what are your favorite noms? And who is the worst snub? Sound off below and watch for more on the Oscars in the weeks ahead.

Hugo and The Artist Lead the Oscar Nominations!

Holy Hugo and holy snubs at today’s Oscar nominations. Martin Scorsese’s love letter to cinema, Hugo, led the way with 11 nominations followed by another love letter to cinema, The Artist with 10 nods. Check out the full list below and watch for more analysis, especially on those snubs (no Leo, 50/50, Michael Fassbender, Albert Brooks, Tilda Swinton, Spielberg, Mary J. Blige, etc) later today.

2012 Oscar Nominees

Best Picture

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
George Clooney in “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis in “The Help”
Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson
“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
“Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

“The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
“War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

“The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
“Hugo” Robert Richardson
“The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
“War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

“Anonymous” Lisy Christl
“The Artist” Mark Bridges
“Hugo” Sandy Powell
“Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor
“W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing

“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants” Alexander Payne
“Hugo” Martin Scorsese
“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

“Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
“Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
“God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
“Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione
“Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

“The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants” Kevin Tent
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
“Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

“Bullhead” Belgium
“Footnote” Israel
“In Darkness” Poland
“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada
“A Separation” Iran

Makeup

“Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

“The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams
“The Artist” Ludovic Bource
“Hugo” Howard Shore
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

“Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
“La Luna” Enrico Casarosa
“A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
“Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

“Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
“Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
“The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George
“Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
“Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

“Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce
“Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
“War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
“Hugo” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
“Moneyball” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
“War Horse” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
“Hugo” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
“Real Steel” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan
“The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
“Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhad