With a still undetermined awards race and an industry undergoing tectonic shifts with the Me Too and Time害羞草研究所檚 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 didn害羞草研究所檛).
But much of the evening was numbingly similar to what we害羞草研究所檝e seen before, from the winners 害羞草研究所� like 害羞草研究所淭hree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� to the commentary on why the crusade is important and gestures like having nearly all female presenters.
害羞草研究所淲e are living in a watershed moment,害羞草研究所� first ever SAG Awards host Kristen Bell said in her opening monologue, which stayed light. 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 make sure that we害羞草研究所檙e leading the charge with empathy and diligence.害羞草研究所�
After winning big at the Globes, the Western-inspired revenge tale 害羞草研究所淭hree Billboards害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所淒arkest Hour害羞草研究所� and Allison Janney taking supporting actress for playing Tonya Harding害羞草研究所檚 mother in 害羞草研究所淚, Tonya.害羞草研究所�
With many prominent men in Hollywood facing accusations of sexual misconduct, virtually every aspect of the awards season has been impacted by the scandal 害羞草研究所� 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 Time害羞草研究所檚 Up pins before being accused of sexual misconduct and, in Ansari害羞草研究所檚 case, aggressive sexual behaviour by an anonymous accuser. Both were nominated Sunday and lost, Franco to Oldman and Ansari to William H. Macy for 害羞草研究所淪hameless.害羞草研究所�
E! host Giuliana Rancic asked 害羞草研究所淕LOW害羞草研究所� actress Alison Brie about recent allegations of misconduct against her brother-in-law James Franco (Brie is married to actor Dave Franco.)
害羞草研究所淚 think that above all what we害羞草研究所檝e always said is it remains vital that anyone who remains victimized should have the right to speak out and come forward,害羞草研究所� Brie said, adding that in the case of Franco, 害羞草研究所淣ot everything that has come forward is fully accurate.害羞草研究所�
Franco has also called some of the accusations inaccurate, but after two days of facing questions about the claims on late-night television, 害羞草研究所淭he Disaster Artist害羞草研究所� star has kept a lower profile, although he was in attendance at the SAG Awards. He did not attend last week害羞草研究所檚 Critics害羞草研究所� 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, 害羞草研究所淎ll the incredible women in this room who are trying to make things better. It害羞草研究所檚 long overdue.害羞草研究所�
Most of the comments in the evening were forward-looking too. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said, 害羞草研究所淭his is not a moment in time. This is a movement.害羞草研究所�
Big television winners included NBC害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭his Is Us,害羞草研究所� which took the ensemble award for drama and won Sterling K. Brown the outstanding actor award, and HBO害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淰eep,害羞草研究所� which got outstanding comedy ensemble and a best actress win for Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
HBO害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淏ig Little Lies害羞草研究所� picked up best actor in a miniseries wins for both Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 so grateful today that our careers can go beyond 40 years old,害羞草研究所� Kidman said in her acceptance speech. 害羞草研究所淲e are potent and powerful and viable. I just beg that the industry stays behind us because our stories are finally being told.害羞草研究所�
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 year害羞草研究所檚 Women害羞草研究所檚 March, but the show arrived at a time when some of the industry害羞草研究所檚 biggest names are leading the Time害羞草研究所檚 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 Time害羞草研究所檚 Up pins 害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渟ilence breakers害羞草研究所� in the movement including Asia Argento, Annabella Sciorra, Ashley Judd, Daryl Hannah, Mira Sorvino, Anthony Rapp and Olivia Munn.
害羞草研究所淪o many powerful voices are no longer silenced by the fear of retaliation,害羞草研究所� Arquette said. 害羞草研究所淲e can control our own destiny.害羞草研究所�
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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