Seniors Bring Honor to the SAGs
In the midst of the orgy of ego and self-aggrandizement that is an awards show, it is always refreshing to be reminded of something real. The appearance of Charles Durning (pictured) at the Screen Actors Guild awards show was just such a bracing shot of authenticity. As the recipient of of SAG’s Lifetime Achievement award, Durning was given the pro forma film-clip tribute, but it was the revelation (to me) that he had been a World War II hero that counted. The only survivor of his unit, which stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day, Durning received a standing ovation from a genuinely moved audience — wonderful! Other indelible moments of the night also involved the senior set: in addition to Durning and to Mickey Rooney as a presenter, there was Ruby Dee‘s slightly surprising win for Best Supporting Female Actor for her work in “American Gangster.” To his credit, LemonWade’s Rex Okpodu predicted that Dee could be a possible upset. Rex’s analysis held up pretty well, except for the big ensemble award, which he guessed would go to “Into the Wild”; it went to “No Country for Old Men.”
