Saturday, January 26, 2013

My SAG Awards Ballot

Thursday evening, I submitted my first SAG Awards ballot.  Exciting times!  Here are my votes and thought processes.  I should disclose that ultimately I find it absurd to turn acting into a competition and in most cases I don't care who wins.  There are some spoilers below but if you're reading this and you haven't seen the movies, shame on you.

Film

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Daniel Day-Lewis.  I vacillated for a moment between him and John Hawkes, who was excellent and unrecognizable in The Sessions.  The thing that pushed me in Day-Lewis' direction was the language he commanded in Lincoln, so in a way this is also a vote for Kushner's script.  If Joaquin Phoenix had been nominated for his work in The Master (boggled that he wasn't), I'm not sure who I would have voted for.  He drew from some weird, deep well of primal substance for that film.  I probably still would have voted for Day-Lewis thanks to the script, again.  Day-Lewis will surely take this home.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain.  I guess the other leader here is Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook.  It's a shame the Golden Globes separate by drama and comedy/musical, because a)Silver Linings Playbook is not a comedy, b)if there's ever a true musical nominee they win it.  Jessica Chastain has quickly become one of my favorite actresses.  Her range and characterization in The Help blew me away, and her journey and personalization in Zero Dark Thirty deserves all the attention it can get.  She's a badass.  I loved how she handled the restaurant bombing scene and the scene where she laid some smack down on Kyle Chandler.  Most films would handle this story in a stereotypical manner, probably; a lot of "can this woman in a man's world hack it" cliches and bullshit.  Leave it to Chastain and Bigelow to avoid cliches.  I imagine Chastain will win, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Lawrence did.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert De Niro.  I didn't see Skyfall, though I'm looking forward to it.  I mainly considered De Niro, Hoffman, and Jones for this one.  It was a tough call, but it was just such a relief to see De Niro in a role that actually seemed to matter to him again.  I love his last speech to Bradley Cooper about seizing opportunities.  He finally had some urgency again.  I'm not sure who'll take this one.  The anomaly of Django getting completely ignored means we can't use the Golden Globes as a predictor; I'd say probably either Tommy Lee Jones or Philip Seymour Hoffman.  So, between those two, probably Tommy Lee Jones.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Anne Hathaway.  I have a theory that "I Dreamed a Dream" has the same power as "I am Telling You," in that whoever performs it in a public venue will win whatever awards are related to that venue.  I've mainly formed this theory based on the fact that Jennifer Hudson has proven she is a terrible actress, but managed to win everything that year.  Anne Hathaway is a lock.  I can't fault anyone who would vote for Sally Field though.

Best Stunt Ensemble

The Dark Knight Rises.  Because c'mon.

Best Cast

Lincoln.  I was very close to voting for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, actually.  I don't view this award as "best film," but really in terms of the best group of actors who worked together, and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel had the most ensemble feel of the nominated casts.  There are a lot of talented people in that film.  But the amount of fantastic actors doing some of the best work of their careers in Lincoln won out.  This will win.

TV

Best Actor, Drama

Bryan Cranston.  My other choice was Jon Hamm, but Walter White's journey this past season trumps what Don Draper is going through and of course Cranston delivers in spades.  I wouldn't be surprised if Damien Lewis won.  Unfortunately we don't have Showtime, so we haven't jumped on the Homeland boat.  We will once it's all on DVD.  I'm guessing Cranston will actually win.

Best Actress, Drama

Julianna Margulies.  Fun fact: I have not seen any of these shows, but instead of abstaining I voted for the show that I make money from.  I've done a lot of background work on Good Wife.  I plan on watching all of these shows at some point, except maybe for American Horror Story.  Claire Danes will get this one.

Best Actor, Comedy

Alec Baldwin.  I considered Louis CK, because I love his show, but I feel like Alec Baldwin is acting more than CK and I also very much love 30 Rock.  I regret not having the chance to be on it.  Hopefully Fey and Carlock's new show they're developing will be picked up, and they'll shoot in NYC.  We'll see.  Alec Baldwin will win this for the 7th time.

Best Actress, Comedy

Tina Fey.  Toughest call of all my votes, because Amy Poehler is so fantastic in Parks and Recreation and that show does not get enough recognition, but I just have a soft spot for 30 Rock and this is probably the last time they'll be up for awards.  I'm not sure who will actually win.  I could see it going to anyone except Betty White, basically.

Best Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries

Woody Harrelson.  I've only seen Game Change in this category.  By all accounts Harrelson is a fantastic human being and he's playing someone way, way on the other side of the political spectrum from him (who, not surprisingly, still has misgivings about his candidate).  This will probably go to Kevin Costner.

Best Actress, TV Movie or Miniseries

Julianne Moore.  Again, only saw Game Change.  As my friend Paul wisely put it, Julianne Moore pretty much bought 20 awards when she got cast in this.  I imagine she'll win?

Best Stunt Ensemble

The Walking Dead.  Zombies getting killed left and right, in a variety of ways.  No idea who will actually win.

Best Ensemble, Drama

Breaking Bad.  They raise their own bar every season, and everyone fits together like a jigsaw.  They play together wonderfully.  I wouldn't be surprised if Homeland took this one.  Or hell, even Downton Abbey.

Best Ensemble, Comedy

30 Rock.  It is criminal that Parks and Recreation wasn't nominated, but The Office was.  Talk about an ensemble; Parks and Rec is one of the tightest most talented teams on TV.  I would have voted for them in a heartbeat, but I don't feel bad having to choose 30 Rock either.  A few years ago I resented whenever someone said The Office should have been cancelled after whatever major event the person chose, but I have to add my voice to that chorus now.  It's limping to the finish line.  I still watch it, and I still enjoy it, but it's woefully below the standard it set a few years ago.  They're the only show that would surprise me with a win.

Colin Fisher is many things to many people, but mostly he's an actor and writer.

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