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The Screen Actors Guild Awards is the most TV-friendly kind of awards show: one that only recognizes actors. It makes for a quick, star-filled night without those sluggish breaks for doling out technical awards to pesky unfamous people that tend to drag down other ceremonies. This year's show rewarded such bold-faced names as Christian Bale, Alec Baldwin, and Hollywood's hottest It Girl, Betty White; what's good, bad, and puzzling, about the event?
The Good:
As awards programs become increasingly overproduced and stuffed with montages, mildly amusing banter, and tributes, there's little time left to actually spotlight the work of the nominees who are being recognized. It was refreshing to see film clips introducing each actor during every category at tonight's SAG Awards. The brief clips were far more entertaining than any bits of stilted presenter dialogue, and showcased the fine work of actors like Robert Duvall, Jennifer Lawrence, and Annette Bening, whose performances in little-seen films like Get Low, Winter's Bone, and The Kids Are All Right deserve such a national platform.
None of those actors, however, were able to top the four winners in the film categories, the same quartet who also won at the Globes. At this point, it would be a major upset should Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, or Christian Bale not win the Oscar for their work in The King's Speech, Black Swan, and The Fighter, respectively. Whereas recent Oscars given to actors like Sandra Bullock and Alan Arkin have been qualified with statements like, "She was a great campaigner," and "It's more of a career-achievement honor for him," these three actors are truly the best in their categories. And with her win for The Fighter, Melissa Leo has officially turned what was once considered a wide-open category into a one woman show. Her speeches here, at the Globes, and at the Critics Choice Awards have been gracious, meaningful, and delightfully daffy—should she win on Oscar night, one could only imagine what a basket case she'd be. Bale also deserves credit for keeping his cool when the real-life Dicky Eklund, who Bale portrays in the film, stage bombed his acceptance speech.