With a still undetermined awards race and an industry undergoing tectonic shifts with the Me Too and Timesa国际传媒檚 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 didnsa国际传媒檛).
But much of the evening was numbingly similar to what wesa国际传媒檝e seen before, from the winners sa国际传媒� like sa国际传媒淭hree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourisa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� to the commentary on why the crusade is important and gestures like having nearly all female presenters.
sa国际传媒淲e are living in a watershed moment,sa国际传媒� first ever SAG Awards host Kristen Bell said in her opening monologue, which stayed light. sa国际传媒淟etsa国际传媒檚 make sure that wesa国际传媒檙e leading the charge with empathy and diligence.sa国际传媒�
After winning big at the Globes, the Western-inspired revenge tale sa国际传媒淭hree Billboardssa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒淒arkest Hoursa国际传媒� and Allison Janney taking supporting actress for playing Tonya Hardingsa国际传媒檚 mother in sa国际传媒淚, Tonya.sa国际传媒�
With many prominent men in Hollywood facing accusations of sexual misconduct, virtually every aspect of the awards season has been impacted by the scandal sa国际传媒� 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 Timesa国际传媒檚 Up pins before being accused of sexual misconduct and, in Ansarisa国际传媒檚 case, aggressive sexual behaviour by an anonymous accuser. Both were nominated Sunday and lost, Franco to Oldman and Ansari to William H. Macy for sa国际传媒淪hameless.sa国际传媒�
E! host Giuliana Rancic asked sa国际传媒淕LOWsa国际传媒� actress Alison Brie about recent allegations of misconduct against her brother-in-law James Franco (Brie is married to actor Dave Franco.)
sa国际传媒淚 think that above all what wesa国际传媒檝e always said is it remains vital that anyone who remains victimized should have the right to speak out and come forward,sa国际传媒� Brie said, adding that in the case of Franco, sa国际传媒淣ot everything that has come forward is fully accurate.sa国际传媒�
Franco has also called some of the accusations inaccurate, but after two days of facing questions about the claims on late-night television, sa国际传媒淭he Disaster Artistsa国际传媒� star has kept a lower profile, although he was in attendance at the SAG Awards. He did not attend last weeksa国际传媒檚 Criticssa国际传媒� 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, sa国际传媒淎ll the incredible women in this room who are trying to make things better. Itsa国际传媒檚 long overdue.sa国际传媒�
Most of the comments in the evening were forward-looking too. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said, sa国际传媒淭his is not a moment in time. This is a movement.sa国际传媒�
Big television winners included NBCsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淭his Is Us,sa国际传媒� which took the ensemble award for drama and won Sterling K. Brown the outstanding actor award, and HBOsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淰eep,sa国际传媒� which got outstanding comedy ensemble and a best actress win for Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
HBOsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淏ig Little Liessa国际传媒� picked up best actor in a miniseries wins for both Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 so grateful today that our careers can go beyond 40 years old,sa国际传媒� Kidman said in her acceptance speech. sa国际传媒淲e are potent and powerful and viable. I just beg that the industry stays behind us because our stories are finally being told.sa国际传媒�
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 yearsa国际传媒檚 Womensa国际传媒檚 March, but the show arrived at a time when some of the industrysa国际传媒檚 biggest names are leading the Timesa国际传媒檚 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 Timesa国际传媒檚 Up pins sa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒渟ilence breakerssa国际传媒� in the movement including Asia Argento, Annabella Sciorra, Ashley Judd, Daryl Hannah, Mira Sorvino, Anthony Rapp and Olivia Munn.
sa国际传媒淪o many powerful voices are no longer silenced by the fear of retaliation,sa国际传媒� Arquette said. sa国际传媒淲e can control our own destiny.sa国际传媒�
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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