“The Butler” scored nominations for best picture (is IS an ensemble piece, and SAG loves to see members working), best actor and best supporting actress from the Screen Actor’s Guild today.
“12 Years a Slave,” “Dallas Buyer’s Club,” “American Hustle” and “August: Osage County,” all pictures with big performances at their core, were the other best pic nominees.
Missing? “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Nebraska,” “Gravity,” “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Nebraska” for starters, “All is Lost” and “Fruitvale Station” as well.
Cate Blanchett scored her expected “Blue Jasmine” tip of the hat, with Judi Dench and Merly Streep and Sandra Bullock and Emma Thompson — all of them Oscar owners — in the best actress field.
Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto landed “Dallas Buyers Club” nods, with Tom Hanks (“Captain Phillips”), Forest Whitaker (“The Butler”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor and Bruce Dern also up for acting honors.
Daniel Bruhl was a modest surprise, stealing “Rush” from Chris Hemsworth.
Barkhad Abdi, the pirate from “Captain Phillips,” will compete with Bruhl for best supporting actor. Michael Fassbender and the late James Gandolfini (“Enough Said”) round out best supporting actor.
Pity Stacy Keach (“Nebraska”) didn’t earn a nod, or Will Forte (“Nebraska”).
Mattin Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street” does not appear to be able to deliver Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar any more than their other collaborations. “Wolf” was shut out, as was “Walter Mitty” and the over-rated “Llewyn Davis.”
In its 20 years of existence, the SAG awards have proven to be pretty good Oscar indicators. So
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Dallas Buyers Club
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bruce Dern / Woody Grant – “Nebraska”
Chiwetel Ejiofor / Solomon Northup – “12 Years a Slave”
Tom Hanks / Capt. Richard Phillips – “Captain Phillips”
Matthew McConaughey / Ron Woodroof – “Dallas Buyers Club”
Forest Whitaker / Cecil Gaines – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett / Jasmine – “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock / Ryan Stone – “Gravity”
Judi Dench / Philomena Lee – “Philomena”
Meryl Streep / Violet Weston – “August: Osage County”
Emma Thompson / P.L. Travers – “Saving Mr. Banks”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi / Muse – “Captain Phillips”
Daniel Brühl / Niki Lauda – “Rush”
Michael Fassbender / Edwin Epps – “12 Years a Slave”
James Gandolfini / Albert – “Enough Said”
Jared Leto / Rayon – “Dallas Buyers Club”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence / Rosalyn Rosenfeld – “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o / Patsey – “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts / Barbara Weston – “August: Osage County”
June Squibb / Kate Grant – “Nebraska”
Oprah Winfrey / Gloria Gaines – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Primetime Television
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Matt Damon / Scott Thorson – “Behind the Candelabra”
Michael Douglas / Liberace – “Behind the Candelabra”
Jeremy Irons / King Henry IV – “The Hollow Crown”
Rob Lowe / John F. Kennedy – “Killing Kennedy”
Al Pacino / Phil Spector – “Phil Spector”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Angela Bassett / Coretta Scott King – “Betty & Coretta”
Helena Bonham Carter / Elizabeth Taylor – “Burton and Taylor”
Holly Hunter / G.J. – “Top of the Lake”
Helen Mirren / Linda Kenney Baden – “Phil Spector”
Elisabeth Moss / Robin Griffin – “Top of the Lake”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson – “Boardwalk Empire”
Bryan Cranston / Walter White – “Breaking Bad”
Jeff Daniels / Will McAvoy – “The Newsroom”
Peter Dinklage / Tyrion Lannister – “Game of Thrones”
Kevin Spacey / Francis Underwood – “House of Cards”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Danes / Carrie Mathison – “Homeland”
Anna Gunn / Skyler White – “Breaking Bad”
Jessica Lange / Fiona Goode – “American Horror Story: Coven”
Maggie Smith / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “Downton Abbey”
Kerry Washington / Olivia Pope – “Scandal”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Homeland
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin / Jack Donaghy – “30 Rock”
Jason Bateman / Michael Bluth – “Arrested Development”
Ty Burrell / Phil Dunphy – “Modern Family”
Don Cheadle / Martin “Marty” Kaan – “House of Lies”
Jim Parsons / Sheldon Cooper – “The Big Bang Theory”
TIMELINE: The Academy Awards through the years
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik / Amy Farrah Fowler – “The Big Bang Theory”
Julie Bowen / Claire Dunphy – “Modern Family”
Edie Falco / Jackie Peyton – “Nurse Jackie”
Tina Fey / Liz Lemon – “30 Rock”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Vice President Selina Meyer – “Veep”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Modern Family
Veep
Movie Nation 
I was picked by SAG to be a member of the nominating committee this year. I got a lot of them right but I was disappointed that Stacy Keach didn’t get the nod.