download film: Tis the Season: The Screen Actors Guild

(Scroll over any film title for the full Black Sheep review.)

You can always rely on the Screen Actors Guild to throw a couple of bones the way of unexpected nominees. And these folks have some serious sway with the Oscars, as actors make up the largest voting component of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This year, the most glaring and bewildering inclusion is that of Hilary Swank in the Best Actress category for the little seen and widely panned, CONVICTION. Her co-star, Sam Rockwell, has earned a couple of nods so far this season, but he misses out here. Michelle Williams is inexplicably and inexcusably shut out for BLUE VALENTINE as a result. Oh, and can someone please explain to me why Jeremy Renner keeps scoring nods for his simply adequate performance in THE TOWN.

Leaders in SAG nominations this year are THE KING'S SPEECH and THE FIGHTER. These are actor's films so it is truly not surprising to see these two out in front. It is also no surprise not to see awards season favorite, INCEPTION, as that, for all its combined cast talent, is more plot and effects driven, and so was completely shut out by the SAG, save for a nod for the stunt work. With INCEPTION missing from the roster, that left room for one film to sneak into the Best Ensemble category, the SAG equivalent of Best Picture. Aside from the expected titles listed below, that wild card slot went the THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. Still no nod for Julianne Moore though. Her Oscar odds are all but dead.

The winners for the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be handed out on January 30, 2011. Here is the full list of film nominees:

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR - LEAD

Jeff Bridges, TRUE GRIT

Robert Duvall, GET LOW

Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Colin Firth, THE KING'S SPEECH

James Franco, 127 HOURS

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR - LEAD

Annette Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE

Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE

Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN