I'm not sure exactly how I feel how about Birdman winning the SAG Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. On one hand, it was surprising, because Boyhood could be considered an acting experiment, and it is definitely an ensemble film, which the SAG Awards tend to like best. On the other hand, Birdman is a film about acting and actors. You can understand why actors would vote for a piece that supports their peers and explores their craft. The film explores a "where are they now" type of action star who is trying to get back into the game while being haunted by his past. I can't imagine how many of the SAG voters relate to someone in Birdman. The other nominees were The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, and The Theory Of Everything.
Birdman's Academy Awards chances keep getting better by the minute. After the Golden Globes, it looked like the dark comedy was only going to get away with acting and screenplay accolades. However, Birdman is nominated for nine different Oscars. It took home the Producer's Guild Award on Saturday night night, which used to be a sure fire Academy Awards predictor. It also swept the Critics Choice Awards. Whether or not it goes on to win any of those Oscars, the film has definitely won awards season already.
The cast's acceptance speech was not particularly inspiring or quote-worthy. Instead, they gleefully bounded on stage and passed the microphone back and forth with quips. Ed Norton introduced Michael Keaton because "age before beauty." Naomi Watts thanked their director, and invited someone else to step in. Zach Galifianakis played off Julianne Moore's previous acceptance speech, saying, "when I was on As The World Turns..." and Emma Stone gave polite thanks. Norton wrapped it up with a shoutout to both the studio and the guild that employes them as actors. Their camaraderie proved how well they enjoy each other's company and work well with one another, which comes across in the film and makes Birdman more than worthy of this award.
Watch part of their friendship-filled speech here, and go see Birdman!
