For one brief night it was as if the Writers Guild strike didn't exist. The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards went on as planned, complete with a glittery, glitzy red carpet and plenty of celebs. Actors were able to relax and just celebrate their work at the 2008 SAG event, and the resulting award show was actually slightly better than previous years. With the exception of one or two, the thank yous were short and to the point. Even the scripted bits by presenters leading up to the announcements of each winner were kept short and sweet. Now if only the Academy would learn how to bring in an awards show in under three hours, audiences might actually stick around for the full Oscar telecast.
Ruby Dee was the one surprise winner in the feature film categories. Dee took the supporting actress title when everyone assumed it would go to either Cate Blanchett (
I'm Not There) or Amy Ryan (
Gone Baby Gone). Dee delivered a powerful performance as Denzel Washington's mother in
American Gangster, but all the pre-show hype had Blanchett battling it out with Ryan.
As expected, Julie Christie walked off with the leading actress award for her portrayal of an Alzheimer's victim in
Away From Her. Accepting her award, Christie joked that if she forgot to mention anyone's name it was because she's still in character.
Javier Bardem continued to add to his lengthy list of awards with a win for supporting actor. Bardem won over SAG members by playing a coldly calculating killer with a crazy hairdo in
No Country for Old Men. That film also upped its chances of winning the Best Picture Oscar by capturing the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award.
There Will Be Blood star Daniel Day-Lewis delivered a speech from the heart while collecting his award for lead actor in a feature film. Day-Lewis got emotional as he dedicated his award to
Heath Ledger who was found dead in a Manhattan apartment on January 22. Day-Lewis called Ledger's performance in
Brokeback Mountain perfect and said, "That scene in the trailer at the end of the film is as moving as anything I think I've ever seen."
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