My card says I've been a member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1987, so thirty years. In that time, I probably worked only five times under AFTRA or SAG (the unions merged a few years ago). I haven't worked at all since we left L.A. eight years ago. Still, I give them a hundred dollars twice a year, and for a few weeks, the studios seem interested in me, sending DVDs, allowing me to stream movies and TV shows, offering special screenings (in Los Angeles and New York) and offering a free month of service on Netflix. They want me to vote for their movie or TV show.This is a cheaper version of the dominant awards shows, lots more people can vote, and it only covers actors.
I never get to see everything, so I'm slightly underinformed. Most actors are at least good, a few are great, and my reaction often deals with whether I liked the movie, more than what I thought of the performance. Sometimes there is a political dimension.
So here we go.
Movies:
For Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role, I saw Daniel Kaluuya in "Get Out" and Timothée Chalamet in "Call Me By Your Name." Both were excellent. I voted for Chalamet, because he is twenty-one, playing a gay seventeen year old. Could you have done that when you were young? I think not.
For Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role, I saw Sally Hawkins in "The Shape of Water," Frances McDormand in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," and Saoirse Ronan in "Lady Bird." Again, they were all great. I voted for Hawkins, because she doesn't get to speak and has to convey a wide range of emotions, and then she dances! I might have voted for Bria Vinaite, had she been nominated for "The Florida Project." She played a different kind of mother, and she was fierce.
For Outstanding Male Actor in A Supporting Role, I saw Willem Dafoe in "The Florida Project," Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell in "Three Billboards.." and Richard Jenkins in "The Shape of Water." I didn't think Defoe had enough to do in "The Florida Project." I loved Richard Jenkins in "Six Feet Under" and I once saw him pumping gas at the ARCO at La Brea and Olympic. He was good in "The Shape of Water," but I thought the script let him down. I've had a crush on Woody Harrelson since "Cheers," and he was excellent, but I ultimately voted for Sam Rockwell, who was absolutely fearless.
Of the Female Actors in a Supporting Role, I saw Hong Chau in "Downsizing," Holly Hunter in "The Big Sick" and Laurie Metcalf in "Lady Bird." Hunter and Metcalf were terrific as moms in their movies, but I thought Chau made a messy movie interesting. And, no, she was not just "playing herself."
I missed "Mudbound" but I saw the other four nominees for Outstanding Cast: "The Big Sick," "Get Out," "Lady Bird," and "Three Billboards..". I loved all of them, but I voted for "Get Out," mainly because I didn't vote for Daniel Kaluuye for Actor. I also liked Allison Williams, Catherine Keener (who I once met at the optometrist's office in the Farmer's Market), and especially Marcus Henderson, who should have gotten a supporting nomination.
Since Joe and I don't watch television at home, I don't always vote for those awards. This year, I did.
I only watched one episode of "Big Little Lies," but I could see why the center of the country hates the coasts. Very rich people in California, all nasty and overprivileged. I voted for Alexander Skarsgård for Male Actor in A Leading Role in a TV Drama or Miniseries. Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Witherspoon were all nominated for "Big Little Lies." Great cast, too old (sorry) to have kids in elementary school. I voted for Reese, because she seemed more authentic than the others, and wasn't as made up and wigged as Laura and Nicole.
For Male Actor in A Television Drama Series, I only saw Sterling K. Brown in "This Is Us," so I voted for him, and I'm happy with that. I might have voted for Jason Bateman, who is a great underrated actor, but the DVD I was sent for "Ozark" wouldn't play. We watched all of Season 1 of "The Crown" from last year (Netflix sent Season 2, but I haven't watched it yet), so Claire Foy for Female Actor in a Television Drama Series, of course.
I watched an episode of the new "Will and Grace" online, and, I guess I don't like the show, even though one of the producers is a member of the temple I still belong to in Los Angeles. I never liked that show. I just don't know people like that. Sean Hayes is a good actor, but, no. Larry David is funny, although I've never been able to sit through an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." I never watched much of "Seinfeld," either. I got a DVD of one episode of "Master of None," and I liked it. I like Aziz Ansari. I had probably not seen him before..The accusations against him don't seem like much, and I laughed and was touched by the show. So, Aziz for Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
Of the Female Actors in a comedy series, I only watched one of the two episodes of "Grace and Frankie" I was sent this week on DVD. I adore Lily Tomlin and love Jane Fonda, but Jane is a better actor. The show was another reason "Middle America" hates us. In the episode I watched, the "girls" are planning to market a special vibrator, and the boys are trying out for a gay community theater production of "1776." Can we talk about casting straight actors as gay? I found the show demeaning to both women and gay men of a certain age. I voted for Jane.
For Outstanding Ensemble,in a Drama, I only saw Season 1 of "The Crown" and four episodes of Season 2 of "This Is Us." Both casts are believable in their roles, but I went with "The Crown." In the Comedy category, I didn't watch any of them, although I have seen some of "Orange Is The New Black," which doesn't seem like it is necessarily a comedy, but the cast is mostly women, multiracial and of different ages and body types. Good enough to get me to vote for them.
I didn't see any of the television series where the stunt ensembles were nominated, but I voted for "The Walking Dead" because I imagine the stunts are cool. For Outstanding Stunt Ensemble in a movie, I only saw "Wonder Woman." I was happy to vote for that because Gal Gadot wasn't nominated for Outstanding Performance, and she should have been. There probably were lots of women stunt people who worked on the movie, at least I hope so.
That's this year's wrap-up, my chance to play film and TV critic for a few weeks. The SAG Awards will be on TBS and TNT Sunday, January 21 at 8 P.M. I think it will also be streamed on Instagram.
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