SAG Nominates Doubt, Spreads Love Around

Sean Penn stands smiling in a doorway in Milk.

(Image credit: Focus Features)

The Screen Actors Guild, regarded as one of the strongest precursors for Oscar given that their members actually vote as part of the Academy, have announced their nominees for this year's awards. Leading the pack were Doubt, which scored nominations for all four of its actors as well as Best Ensemble, Milk, with an ensemble nod as well as notices for Sean Penn and Josh Brolin, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which scored in ensemble with additional attention for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson.

The actors only give away acting awards, so there's no nitpicking here over technical nods or wondering about the fate of Wall-E. These nominations seem to cement some serious frontrunners-- Brolin as Milk's strongest supporting nominee, Doubt as an acting force to be reckoned with, Slumdog Millionaire as the strongest Best Picture contender-- without including too many shockers. The snubs are pretty significant for movies that were hanging on the cusp, though. Revolutionary Road scored only one nod, for Kate Winslet, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Shannon both overlooked in their respective acting categories. The Dark Knight got an expected nod for Heath Ledger, but an ensemble nomination would have really solidified its Best Picture chances.

Check out the full list of nominees below. I'll talk about these awards and their meaning in more detail in my Oscar column later today.,

Actor

Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn, Milk

Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress

Anne Hatahway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Meryl Streep, Doubt