Into The Wild Nabs A Leading Four SAG Nominations

In a year where no single film has emerged as the one to beat come Oscar night, the Screen Actors Guild muddied the waters further Thursday, nominating Into The Wild for four awards.

The road trip drama about a college graduate who rejects a comfortable life to live in the wilderness snagged nominations for stars Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener, as well as a nod for overall cast. Directed by Sean Penn, the critically acclaimed film was strangely absent from last week’s Golden Globe nominations.

Conversely, Atonement, which is up for a leading seven Globes, was shut out of the Guild nominations.

Canadians Ellen Page and Ryan Gosling were both nominated for their roles in Juno, and Lars and the Real Girl, respectively.

Competing with Gosling and Hirsch for best actor, George Clooney for Michael Clayton, Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood, and Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises.

Page competes with Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Julie Christie for Away From Her, Marion Cotillard for Edith Piaf, and Angelina Jolie for A Mighty Heart.

Blanchett was also nominated in the supporting actress category as one of six incarnations of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There.

Competing with Into The Wild in the overall cast category are 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster, No Country for Old Men, and Hairspray.

The only real front-runner to emerge as Hollywood awards season gets underway is Javier Bardem, who delivers an impressive performance in the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men.

The Guild awards are presented on January 27, and it looks as though they’ll go ahead as planned even with the Hollywood writers strike. The Guild has apparently reached an agreement with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for one of its members to write the ceremony. Both the Globes (Jan. 13) and the Oscars (Feb. 24) could be in jeopardy though as stars may decide to stay away rather than cross picket lines.