LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations landed Wednesday. And because the actors branch is the motion picture academy's largest faction — the world really does revolve around actors! — these nominations offer a reliable indication of how the Oscar acting races will take shape.
Last year, for instance, SAG Awards film nominations voters, a panel of 2,500 randomly selected SAG-AFTRA members, were early supporters of "CODA," giving Sian Heder's sweet dramedy nods for ensemble and supporting actor Troy Kotsur. It went on to win both prizes, and Kotsur and the film prevailed at the Oscars as well.
Of course, SAG voters also thought "House of Gucci" was perfetto last year too, while their slightly more restrained academy counterparts weren't as gaga for Ridley Scott's mirthless meatball of a movie. Actors usually can't resist hammy performances, even if they're covered in sweaty desperation as they were in Damien Chazelle's dire "Babylon."
