We might be seeing the makings of a three-horse race. On Saturday night, the Screen Actors Guild gave its top award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture to American Hustle, one of the three movies at the front of the nominees for the Motion Picture Academy’s most valuable statuette. And on Sunday, the Producers Guild of America declared that its Darryl F. Zanuck Award — in plain English, their best picture prize — would go to the other two main Oscar contenders: 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. In the PGA awards’ 25-year history, this was the first tie for its highest honor. A single vote could have changed the flat-footed tie. As Brad Pitt, one of the producers of 12 Years a Slave, joked when he spoke on stage Sunday night, “I got my vote in at the last minute. I voted for Gravity.” (READ: Lily Rothman’s 9 Things You Need to Know About This Year’s Oscar Nominations) So over the weekend, big awards went to the three films that led in last Thursday’s Oscar shortlist: American Hustle and Gravity with 10 nominations, 12 Years a Slave with nine. Slave bolted out of the gate with its domination of awards from critics’ groups. Then Hustle seemed to seize the Big Mo with the SAG citation and Academy nominations for Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and all four acting slots. Today, though, the Oscar pendulum is as jittery as Jacqueline Bisset giving a Golden Globes acceptance speech. The Academy has never announced a tie for Best Picture — but, this year, anything could happen. Why the sweet frenzy in Hollywood? Because the reviewers’ prizes, including the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards (which went last week to 12 Years a Slave), and the Golden Globes (Slave for Best Drama, American Hustle for Best Comedy or Musical) are mere baubles bestowed by outsiders. SAG and the PGA comprise thousands of movie professionals, and many are also Academy members who will vote for the real deal. Critics groups give mere hints to the ultimate Oscar awardees, whileImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
