The 2012 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards were this past Sunday night, and the red carpet was full of Hollywood’s finest having fun with their fashion choices. Whereas the Golden Globes showed us what’s in store for the spring with blush-colored, feminine dresses, the SAG Awards were spotted with black and grey. There were few fashion blunders, save Kristen Wiig’s black choker necklace and Shailene Woodley’s Hawaiian shirt-like, red-flowered gown. Instead, many celebrities played it safe — Dianna Agron and Lea Michele, for instance (perhaps because they were counted among the misses at the Golden Globes).
Some of the more adventurous stars, though, were spot on with their fashion picks. Angelina Jolie shone in a Jenny Packham shiny, black, halter gown and vintage jewelry, Viola Davis sparkled in a winning white, strapless, Marchesa gown and Emma Stone featured a flirty Alexander McQueen black party dress with ample lace. Rose Byrne took the greatest, but most successful, risk of all, looking fantastic in a white, beaded Elie Saab jumpsuit and blunt haircut.
Most awards were unsurprising. “Modern Family” and “Boardwalk Empire” took home awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, respectively, and both casts let the newcomers bask in the spotlight. Similarly, Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) and Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”), who have been in the lead this awards season, won for their supporting film roles.
However, there were a couple surprises in the SAG Awards for film, proving that this year’s race to the Oscars is a tight one. Interestingly, the SAG Awards did not mirror the Golden Globes’ nominations or winners. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Jean Dujardin, or “Jean De La Lune” as he called himself, taking the lead actor award for “The Artist.” Now the question is — who will win the Academy Award? The French actor from the clever silent film may have a chance against the Hollywood heavyweights, Pitt and Clooney in “Moneyball” and “The Descendants,” respectively. Another surprise was the winner of the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. “The Help” beat out “The Artist,” but again, both are strong Oscar contenders, particularly after “The Artist” won the Golden Globe.
Most award winners left no dry eye in the house. Viola Davis, who won the lead actress award for her performance in “The Help,” gave an incredibly poignant speech, which embodied the theme of the night: never give up on yourself. In her words, “You can’t trade in your dream for another dream. Dream big and dream fierce.”