I just cast my votes online. If you’re reading this and you have a SAG ballot you have until noon tomorrow (01-23-09) to do likewise.
In a moment I’ll explain how I voted and why, but first I want to offer a small apology to the nominees in “The Visitor”, “The Wrestler”, “Rachel Getting Married”, Changeling”, “Frozen River”, Revolutionary Road”, “Vicky Christina Barcelona”, “The Reader” and most of the Primetime TV Shows.
On the one hand, I never saw your stuff.
On the other hand, you never bothered sending me screeners which could have been produced and delivered for around a buck each. Current SAG membership is reported to be around 120,000. Sure, to most human beings 120,000 bucks is Real Money, but to a Union flick or TV show it’s bottled water money.
Send me a screener and I will absolutely watch it.
Require me to pay for tickets, gas, parking and snacks in LA and I can only see so many of these Worthy Efforts.
Similar caveats apply to TV. You want my vote you could at least send me a link to a highlights reel. It’s not like you have to pay your actors extra for on-line content… (Yeah, producers, eat that.)
Okay, that out of the way, here we go:
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Sean Penn in “Milk.” I loved Frank Langella as Nixon, but “Frost/Nixon” seemed a little too contrived. I could believe Nixon as a guy filled with rage, but the part where he got stinko and drunk-dialed Frost kinda lost me, as did the Rocky-like montage of Frost getting his act together right before the final interview. ”Milk” was filled with real characters doing real stuff, start to finish, and Penn was flawless. Pitt was fine in “Button’ but it was a fantasy so you lose acting points for that. Never saw Rourke or Jenkins. No screeners. Oh, well. Good luck Mr. Penn.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Meryl Streep in “Doubt” because she was the only one I saw. Sorry, ladies.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: I actually saw every single nominee this year and they were all magnificent. That said, I’m voting for Dev Patel in “Slumdog Millionaire” because he should have been nominated as a LEAD actor. No idea who makes the call on these categories. How was Travolta a Lead and Sam Jackson merely Supporting in “Pulp Fiction?” Same question applies to Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt.” He was a Lead if I ever saw one. Anyway, I’m voting for Patel because I loved “Slumdog” so much and he was its anchor. Ledger will probably take it but I’d love to see an upset by a guy with a pulse.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Never saw Penelope Cruz or Kate Winslet. Saw Taraji P. Henson and Amy Adams and they were both fine, but holy jesus christ Viola Davis in “Doubt” just kicked it through the uprights and all the way to the moon. I ended up liking “Doubt” much more than I thought I would and the sight of Ms. Davis stealing a scene from Meryl frickin’ Streep is worth every penny of the admission price. Bravo, Ms. Davis, and best of luck to you.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: I saw all five nominees because I’m a half-bright kid at heart. Between “Dark Knight”, “Hellboy II”, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Give Me All Your Money! NOW!”, “Iron Man” and “Wanted: A Promise NEVER to Do a Sequel” I’m picking the one that seemed to involve the least CGI. That would be DARK KNIGHT.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY THE CAST OF A MOTION PICTURE: I saw all five nominees and absolutely loved “Slumdog Millionaire” even with all its horrifying depictions of Bombay/Mumbai poverty. ”Doubt” is good. ”Frost Nixon” is very good in places. ”Milk” is good. ”Benjamin Forrest Button-Gump” is almost three hours long. But “Slumdog Millionaire” is Pure Magic. I really hope it wins.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES: Paul Giamatti for “John Adams.”
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES: Laura Linney for “John Adams”
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Jon Hamm in “Mad Men.” (Best show on TV.)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Elisabeth Moss in “Mad Men.” And congrats on the engagement to SNL’s Fred Armisen!
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Alec Baldwin in “30 Rock.”
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Tina Fey in “30 Rock.” (Should have gotten something for her Palin on SNL. ”Special Award for Saving America?”
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TV SERIES: ”Heroes” is the only one of these I’ve actually watched but it sucks so bad I don’t want to reward it with anything. I voted “Friday Night Lights” because I figured nobody’s CGIing football stunts.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES: ”Mad Men.” If you’re not watching this series you are missing a religious experience.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES: ”30 Rock.” Sorry “Entourage.” I still love you but you’re off your game lately.
That’s it. We’ll see how it turns out this Sunday.
Here’s a link to the complete list of nominees if you’re interested: http://www.sagawards.org/nominations
