Cast of a Motion Picture

[anonymous1980]

The SAG recognizes only actors whom the DIRECTORS put into the title credits en solo. This issue comes up every year and it's probably not the smartest nor most fair way to do things, but that's how they do it. You have to be listed solo in the opening credits, not paired with another individual. I don't remember the credits on this one and I couldn't have told you who Tess Harper even played in the movie, so it could still be wrong, but SAG would be broke if it gave a trophy to everyone with a speaking part in a film.

They do allow exceptions. If they stuck to this rule to the letter, David Strathairn would be the ONLY member of his ensemble and none of the Gosford Park cast members would be eligible.

The rules also allow for the director/producer of the film to file for exemptions on a case-to-case basis. One such success story is Creed Bratton for The Office. He wasn't officially part of the ensemble when it won last year because he is credited as "Guest Starring" in the closing credits but the producers vigorously requested that he be given a trophy too so he got one.

I'll also say this rule is painfully unfair. Young no-name kid actors or unknown character actors with significant featured roles aren't given an official nomination/trophy while big-named stars with little more than glorified cameo appearances do.

[OscarGuy]

Don't forget that Michael Pena and various other less 'name' actors were left off when Crash won this. Pena's is the one storyline I always remember from Crash, so that hurts.

I agree, rudeboy. While looking back at the scene, it is hopelessly schmaltzy, but it is the only true lynchpin of the film that makes the rest of it work. That he was excluded over people with very minimal roles in the film is the most astonishing omission, I think the SAG Ensemble award has ever created. And Pena was the only performance outside of Thandie Newton's that I even liked in the film. The rest were relatively hammy.

[rudeboy]

Don't forget that Michael Pena and various other less 'name' actors were left off when Crash won this. Pena's is the one storyline I always remember from Crash, so that hurts.

[flipp525]

I guess it's not quite as ridiculous as when they left off the actress who played Ray Charles's mother when Ray was up for this award

Oh, you mean the only award-worthy performance in the film? Yeah, that was disgraceful. Sharon Warren's performance was probably the best thing about Ray.



Edited By flipp525 on 1201533100

[dws1982]

I don't remember how the credits for No Country handled people, because it only had end credits, and I'm not usually one to sit through closing credits. I'm not saying they should include everyone who has a speaking role--I'm fine with them leaving off the actress who played Kelly MacDonald's mother, mainly because her character was a very minor one, but also because hers was the one bad performance in the film. But Barry Corbin had a lot of dialogue in one of the key scenes in the movie.

I know it's a credits issue but still--not fair.

I guess it's not quite as ridiculous as when they left off the actress who played Ray Charles's mother when Ray was up for this award, but it's at least on a similar level to when they left off the younger kids from Mystic River.

[OscarGuy]

The SAG recognizes only actors whom the DIRECTORS put into the title credits en solo. This issue comes up every year and it's probably not the smartest nor most fair way to do things, but that's how they do it. You have to be listed solo in the opening credits, not paired with another individual. I don't remember the credits on this one and I couldn't have told you who Tess Harper even played in the movie, so it could still be wrong, but SAG would be broke if it gave a trophy to everyone with a speaking part in a film.

[Big Magilla]

To be fair it was Tess Harper who reminded Josh Brolin that were 47 actors in the film, but yeah, Barry Corbin should have been officially recognized.

[dws1982]

I noticed at the SAG awards website that Barry Corbin (who played Ellis, the old man who Jones visited towards the end of the movie) wasn't nominated as part of the ensemble. It doesn't seem quite fair to me that Tess Harper gets the nomination--and now the statue--while he goes without. I know he just has the one scene, but his scene is as long as Tess Harper's two, and it's one of the best, most important scenes in the entire movie. Single scene or not, he's one of the key cast members.

[OscarGuy]

No Country for Old Men