Award’s season officially started yesterday with the announcement of the SAG nominees. There were some snubs and not too many shockers, which isn’t all too surprising because this year has been really solid thus far in movies. I will not be covering the TV side of the SAG awards, so if you want those predictions, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Note: I will be predicting two things; one is what I think will win, and what I hope will win. The movies I think will win will be italicized while movies I hope will win will be bold.

Second note: There are simply too many things to hyperlink, so I apologize for my laziness.

Lets get it started shall we?

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

12 Years a Slave 

American Hustle

August: Osage County

Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Dallas Buyers Club

Reason: For one, I am basing this off of mainly what I have seen. 12 Years a Slave has an excellent ensemble cast, from Chiwetel Ejiofor(nominated) to Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender(nominated), and Lupita Nyong’o(nominated). American Hustle also has a great ensemble cast and the movie is directed by David O. Russel who has directed three actors into winning awards at the Oscars the last two years, so it may end up pulling from behind, I will have a better prediction once I have seen it. August: Osage County also has a big cast, but there hasn’t been a huge amount of buzz around it. The Butler did not receive the best reviews by critics so it is a long shot for winning. Dallas Buyers Club could have won had the supporting cast been better. When it is carried by just two actors it can’t really stand a chance against movies with a better supporting cast.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Chiwetel  Ejiofor: 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughey: Dallas Buyers Club

Bruce Dern: Nebraska

Tom Hanks: Captain Phillips

Forest Whitaker: The Butler

Reason: Chiwetel gave such a heartbreaking performance that I would be surprised if he didn’t win. McConaughey has finally decided to step out of his lesser quality roles and into some more Oscar worthy stuff, but I just can’t see him winning this year. Bruce Dern, though I haven’t seen Nebraska, is getting some great reviews for his acting, so I will have to wait and better judge him once it is out. Tom Hanks and Forest Whitaker have already won Oscar gold as among many other prizes, so I think that the gold will go to the newer comers.

On a side note, there was no love shown for Robert Redford in All is Lost, which is called his “swan song.”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett: Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock: Gravity

Meryl Streep: August: Osage County

Emma Thompson: Saving Mr. Banks

Judi Dench: Philomena

Reason: Cate Blanchett gave a performance as powerful as Vivian Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire; her performance is incredible and breathtaking as she slowly gets crazier and crazier. The only other performance that stands a chance is Sandra Bullock in Gravity, but considering the lack of love sci-fi gets at any sort of major award shows, I doubt she could win. And come on, Meryl Streep, you have enough wins, let’s be real here.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Barkhad Abdi: Captain Phillips

Daniel Bruhl: Rush

Michael Fassbender: 12 Years a Slave

Jared Leto: Dallas Buyers Club

James Gandolfini: Enough Said

Reason: Jared Leto gives his all into his roles, whether it is gaining or losing weight. This time he becomes a transsexual and loses a lot of weight, and his performance is getting rave reviews. I think he will win because I don’t think Matthew will. I hope Fassbender wins because he gives such an evil and hateful performance, and well, I’m just a Fassbender fanboy.  Rush didn’t receive as great reviews as the other movies, so I highly doubt he will win, while Barkhad Abdi is a newcomer who shows potential of becoming a really great actor. They could however give a posthumous award to James Gandolfini, sort of like what happened with Heath Ledger when the Dark Knight came out. We shall see.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Julia Roberts: August: Osage County

Lupita Nyong’o: 12 Years a Slave

Jennifer Lawrence: American Hustle

June Squibb: Nebraska

Oprah Winfrey: The Butler

Reason: Coming off of her win last year for Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence has proven she can act in both Oscar worthy movies and blockbusters such as the Hunger Games and X-Men, and well, I think she is just grand. I wouldn’t be surprised if she won again, but Lupita Noyng’o from 12 Years a Slave gave such a painful and sad performance that it could be a difficult race between the two. If 12 Years a Slave wins Ensemble cast, then I feel like she too will win.

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