Miramax's period drama "Doubt" received five Screen Actors Guild Award
nominations yesterday, more than any other films, for honors in the acting field
presented by Hollywood's largest actors organization.
Nominations earned by "Doubt," which tells a story about a nun who confronts
a priest after suspecting him of molesting a new black student, included best
actress for Meryl Streep, best supporting actor for Phillip Seymour Hoffman and
best ensemble cast.
The SAG Awards have done only slightly better in predicting Oscar winners
than the Golden Globe Awards, which are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign
Press Association, since the guild first presented the awards in 1995.
A total of 36 recipients of the SAG Awards have gone on to win Oscars since
1995, compared to 34 Golden Globe winners during the same period.
Along with "Doubt," the nominees for best ensemble cast in a motion picture
were period dramas "Frost/Nixon" and "Milk," romance comedy "Slumdog
Millionaire," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," starring Brad Pitt.
Pitt also received a best actor nomination for his title role in "Benjamin
Button," as did Richard Jenkins for "The Visitor," Frank Langella for
"Frost/Nixon," and Sean Penn for "Milk."
Nominees for best actress in a motion picture included Anne Hathaway for
"Rachel Getting Married," Angelina Jolie for "The Changeling," Melissa Leo for
"Frozen River," Meryl Streep for "Doubt" and Kate Winslet for "Revolutionary
Road."
Meanwhile, nominations for the 15th annul SAG Awards' television category
were also announced by organizers at a press conference in West Hollywood. The
nominations are determined by panels of more than 2,100 actors randomly selected
by the guild from its 120,000 members.
This year's SAG Awards ceremony is scheduled for January 25 at the Shrine
Auditorium in Los Angeles.