LOS ANGELES-Black comedy “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” won three prizes Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild awards, in a ceremony that paid tribute to women in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal.
The film, which had previously triumphed at the Golden Globes, is now a hot favorite at the Oscars alongside “The Shape of Water” which won best movie at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday. Frances McDormand won outstanding performance by a lead actress for her role as a mother seeking to avenge the rape and murder of her daughter in “Three Billboards.”
Judi Dench (“Victoria and Abdul”), Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”), Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Lady Bird”) were all nominated.
With a Golden Globe already under her belt, McDormand is now a clear frontrunner for an Academy Award for Best Actress, while 59-year-old Briton Gary Oldman appears to be in line for Best Actor for his turn as wartime leader Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.”
An emotional Oldman, who beat off the likes of Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name”) and James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”), quoted the British statesmen in his acceptance speech, saying: “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”
The awards are a bellwether for the Oscars in March, as its members represent about 1,200 of the roughly 6,000 voters for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oscar nominations will be announced on Tuesday.
“Three Billboards” also won best ensemble, the event’s most prestigious award, while Sam Rockwell took home the best supporting actor statuette for his role as a police officer in the film. “To all the women in this room trying to make things better it’s long overdue,” he said.