The 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards have significantly improved the Oscar prospects for the popular movie “The Help.”
The film tells a story about the civil rights movement of the 1960s from an African-American maid's point of view. It has now been propelled to an Oscar favorite, along with the movie “The Artist,” after winning in key categories at the SAG Awards.
The highly influential actors union gave “The Help” three of the top five SAG trophies.
“The Help” bested “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” and “Bridesmaids,” taking the Guild’s ensemble award, which is the SAG equivalent of an Oscar for best picture.
“The Help”’s Viola Davis was given a standing ovation when she won in the best actress category. A third win for the movie came to Octavia Spencer for best supporting actress.
The three wins alter expectations for the ultimate entertainment awards ceremony next month, the 84th Academy Awards show, setting up a tug of war between “The Help” and “The Artist” for best picture.
“The Artist”’s Jean Dujardin was named best actor over George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
In order to win an Oscar for best picture, “The Help” will have to overcome some tradition since it was not given a nomination from the Academy in the best director category.
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) gave its top award to Michel Hazanvicius for his direction in “The Artist.”
The winner of the DGA award has additionally gone on to win the Oscar for the past nine years straight.
The Academy has rarely given the best picture honor to a film that did not win best director. This has only happened six times in Oscar history.
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