With a still undetermined awards race and an industry undergoing tectonic shifts with the Me Too and TimeB次元官网网址檚 Up movements, awards shows have become canaries in the coal mine.
After the Golden Globes, it was clear that the entertainment business was not shying away from its problems, but the Screen Actors Guild Awards suggested that perhaps the Hollywood reckoning is now following a familiar script.
There were big moments Sunday at the 24th annual celebration of actors, like Harvey Weinstein accusers Marisa Tomei and Rosanna Arquette naming some of the key silence breakers who lit the fuse to the movement, and big questions about what would happen if the recently accused James Franco and Aziz Ansari won in their categories (they didnB次元官网网址檛).
But much of the evening was numbingly similar to what weB次元官网网址檝e seen before, from the winners B次元官网网址� like B次元官网网址淭hree Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� to the commentary on why the crusade is important and gestures like having nearly all female presenters.
B次元官网网址淲e are living in a watershed moment,B次元官网网址� first ever SAG Awards host Kristen Bell said in her opening monologue, which stayed light. B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 make sure that weB次元官网网址檙e leading the charge with empathy and diligence.B次元官网网址�
After winning big at the Globes, the Western-inspired revenge tale B次元官网网址淭hree BillboardsB次元官网网址� dominated the major film awards with wins for best ensemble, best actress for Frances McDormand and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.
It was almost an exact repeat of the major Golden Globe Award wins with Gary Oldman also winning best actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in B次元官网网址淒arkest HourB次元官网网址� and Allison Janney taking supporting actress for playing Tonya HardingB次元官网网址檚 mother in B次元官网网址淚, Tonya.B次元官网网址�
With many prominent men in Hollywood facing accusations of sexual misconduct, virtually every aspect of the awards season has been impacted by the scandal B次元官网网址� from questions on the red carpet to anxiety over who might be nominated, attend or win any given ceremony.
Both Franco and Ansari two weeks ago won Golden Globe Awards while wearing TimeB次元官网网址檚 Up pins before being accused of sexual misconduct and, in AnsariB次元官网网址檚 case, aggressive sexual behaviour by an anonymous accuser. Both were nominated Sunday and lost, Franco to Oldman and Ansari to William H. Macy for B次元官网网址淪hameless.B次元官网网址�
E! host Giuliana Rancic asked B次元官网网址淕LOWB次元官网网址� actress Alison Brie about recent allegations of misconduct against her brother-in-law James Franco (Brie is married to actor Dave Franco.)
B次元官网网址淚 think that above all what weB次元官网网址檝e always said is it remains vital that anyone who remains victimized should have the right to speak out and come forward,B次元官网网址� Brie said, adding that in the case of Franco, B次元官网网址淣ot everything that has come forward is fully accurate.B次元官网网址�
Franco has also called some of the accusations inaccurate, but after two days of facing questions about the claims on late-night television, B次元官网网址淭he Disaster ArtistB次元官网网址� star has kept a lower profile, although he was in attendance at the SAG Awards. He did not attend last weekB次元官网网址檚 CriticsB次元官网网址� Choice Awards.
The winners, by and large, made sure to at least reference the moment.
Rockwell, in his acceptance speech, said he was standing with, B次元官网网址淎ll the incredible women in this room who are trying to make things better. ItB次元官网网址檚 long overdue.B次元官网网址�
Most of the comments in the evening were forward-looking too. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said, B次元官网网址淭his is not a moment in time. This is a movement.B次元官网网址�
Big television winners included NBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭his Is Us,B次元官网网址� which took the ensemble award for drama and won Sterling K. Brown the outstanding actor award, and HBOB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淰eep,B次元官网网址� which got outstanding comedy ensemble and a best actress win for Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
HBOB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏ig Little LiesB次元官网网址� picked up best actor in a miniseries wins for both Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so grateful today that our careers can go beyond 40 years old,B次元官网网址� Kidman said in her acceptance speech. B次元官网网址淲e are potent and powerful and viable. I just beg that the industry stays behind us because our stories are finally being told.B次元官网网址�
But not everyone got a headline-worthy moment, Sunday. Lifetime achievement award recipient Morgan Freeman kept his remarks brief.
Producers say the female-forward approach was inspired by last yearB次元官网网址檚 WomenB次元官网网址檚 March, but the show arrived at a time when some of the industryB次元官网网址檚 biggest names are leading the TimeB次元官网网址檚 Up and Me Too movements to address gender inequality, sexual misconduct, pay disparities and other issues.
The show comes two weeks after a black-dress protest at the Golden Globe Awards, and several stars including Meryl Streep, Emma Stone and Michelle Williams bringing activists to the show. The SAG red carpet saw the return of colorful frocks and far fewer TimeB次元官网网址檚 Up pins B次元官网网址� although some actors, like Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Rodriguez, were still sporting theirs.
The Globes were the first major awards show forced to confront the sexual misconduct scandal since it exploded in October with dozens of women accusing Harvey Weinstein of harassment and in some instances, rape. (Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.)
Tomei and Arquette provided perhaps the most memorable moment of the evening. While Arquette held back tears, they named some of the B次元官网网址渟ilence breakersB次元官网网址� in the movement including Asia Argento, Annabella Sciorra, Ashley Judd, Daryl Hannah, Mira Sorvino, Anthony Rapp and Olivia Munn.
B次元官网网址淪o many powerful voices are no longer silenced by the fear of retaliation,B次元官网网址� Arquette said. B次元官网网址淲e can control our own destiny.B次元官网网址�
Not every show can have barn burning Oprah Winfrey moment, but sometimes a trace of genuine emotion is just enough.
Your move, Oscars.
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AP Entertainment Reporters Sandy Cohen, Amanda Lee Myers and Mike Cidoni Lennox contributed from Los Angeles.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
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