The SAG Awards giveth and the SAG Awards taketh away, but anyone fuming because Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan or “Get Out” didn’t win the honors you wanted them to better realize this is likely your Academy Awards outcome. Sure, we’re still hoping that Willem Dafoe and Laurie Metcalf upset on Oscar Sunday, but considering the track record of wins so far their chances are dwindling. Of course, all these contenders still need to get nominated Tuesday morning before the final stretch of awards season kicks into high gear.
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” wins big at the 2018 SAG Awards
The telecast itself was something of a mixed bag. Overall, winners such as Nicole Kidman, Sam Rockwell, Frances McDormand and Gary Oldman gave very good speeches even if there wasn’t one emotional moment to dominate social media. The love between presenter Rita Moreno and Lifetime Achievement winner Morgan Freeman was evident and it’s always hard to avoid welling up with the In Memoriam segment.
That being said, we’ve got Sundance festivities to get back to before the Oscar nominations arrive in less than 48 hours. Let’s go through some notable Best and Worst’s from the telecast, shall we?
Best: Claire Foy get another moment in the spotlight
Listen, Elisabeth Moss has more than enough years ahead of her to win this honor for “The Handmaid’s Tale” and she’s already taken home an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work. This was Foy’s last opportunity to get any recognition for her incredible two years on “The Crown” and she, shockingly, came through (again). Next year? Moss and Foy’s replacement, Olivia Coleman, will likely battle it out.
Worst: Not enough SAG members watch Hulu
O.K., we get the Foy win, but “This Is Us” over “The Handmaid’s Tale” for ensemble? I mean, seriously? Considering the marketing Hulu spent pushing its SAG nods on billboards across Los Angeles, this has to be something of a disappointment for the streaming service. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. They have a ton of Emmys and Golden Globes at home to smile at.
Best: Sterling K. Brown continues to make history
If anyone besides Mandy Moore deserves recognition for their work on “This Is Us” it’s Brown, who became the first African-American actor to win Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama at the Emmys last September. Tonight, he became the first African-American actor to win the same category at the SAG Awards. Let’s hope he keeps making history and he’s just the first of many in this regard.
Worst: Too many repetitive TV winners
SAG voters, are you kidding me? Did William H. Macy really need his third award for “Shameless”? Did Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgard really need to win another honor for “Big Little Lies”? We’ll give the indefinable Julia Louis-Dreyfus a pass, but even in that case, wouldn’t it have been nice to recognize someone new? Frankly, this is par the course for SAG voters. They love the television programs they love and that love tends to go on for years. Seriously, years.
Best: “Wonder Woman” wins something
Patty Jenkin’s cultural zeitgeist blockbuster has earned a number of impressive nominations, including a PGA Award, but it hadn’t taken home any trophies before tonight. That changed when it won the Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture at the SAGs on Sunday night. And it wasn’t easy, either. “Wonder” only took out major competition such as “Baby Driver,” “Dunkirk” and “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Worst: When on earth are they going to get rid of that “I Am An Actor” bit?
O.K., we’ll admit it wasn’t as bad as previous years and it was certainly much shorter, but this opening segment doesn’t need to be a permanent fixture to the show. In fact, we’ve probably included this as a “worst” in recapping the SAGs for at least the past 8 years (for multiple outlets, obviously). This year’s edition was cute with Allison Janney discussing her first male role, newsmaker Tracee Ellis Ross having fun with her :60 seconds (“I have so many shoes!”), Millie Bobby Brown making us realize she might be slightly overexposed and then host Kristen Bell wrapped it up before starting her opening monologue. All things considered, we’re still going to beg, er, ask any SAG board member, Turner executive and/or producer from the telecast to find a way to drop it next year.
Best and Worst: Kristen Bell
Sure, Bell wasn’t great and she didn’t have many options to shine, but she also deserves a major asterisk next to any criticism of her hosting duties. The SAG Awards has never had a host and without one the show would still have been a lightning fast ride to get everything in under two hours. Bell’s monologue was slightly short and had at least one funny joke (“Elisabeth Moss is here from the documentary ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’”). O.K., maybe Moss’ reaction sold it more than the actual punchline. “The Good Place” star didn’t have that many opportunities to return on camera, but when she did, she had fun with a bait and switch featuring husband Dax Shepard and Greta Gerwig. Should Bell get one more shot at it if she wants it? Maybe, but at worst she can hold her head up high knowing she made it through alive and with her dignity intact (compared to the long list of MTV, VMA and MTV Movie Award hosts who still shudder of the memory of their hosting gigs).
Best: “Veep’s” acceptance speech
You can always leave it to the cast from “Veep” to have fun winning awards on live television. Tony Hale and Louis-Dreyfus had a running bit that is practically legendary (at least in awards show history) and this year Matt Wash took the mic when the show won Outstanding Ensemble in a TV Series – Comedy. Walsh first thanked HBO “who’s not here” and then Julia who “unfortunately isn’t here” and showrunner Dave Mandel “who isn’t here” and Anna Chlumsky “who isn’t here, she’s doing a play in New York.” That prompted co-star Timothy Simmons (slightly channeling his character Jonah Ryan) to interrupt with “Come on man you’re blowing this!” which caused a roar of laughter from the crowd. On a night that needed some laughs, the “Veep” ensemble brought it.