Roberts Leads Way to Oscar Night

The Associated Press

Julia Roberts has the inside track for an Oscar. But just about everything else at this month's Academy Awards ceremony seems up for grabs.

Roberts won the best-actress honor Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild awards for her saucy turn as the title character in the legal drama ``Erin Brockovich.'' With a Golden Globe for the same role, Roberts has emerged as the solid front-runner for best actress at the Oscars on March 25.

``This is freaky,'' Roberts said in her SAG speech, at times choking back tears. ``If this was a prom, this would be like the best school ever to go to. But it's not, so I'll be serious, in my own special way.''

Backstage, Roberts told reporters that the real-life Erin Brockovich ‹ who took on a major California utility and won a pollution case ‹ was an inspiration.

``I think that she's remarkable,'' Roberts said. ``She really is the perfect example that we are what we choose to be. We are as effective as we are tenacious.''

``Gladiator,'' which has been considered the nominal best-picture favorite because of wins at previous awards shows, was shut out at the acting-guild ceremony. And ``Gladiator'' director Ridley Scott lost Saturday night at the Directors Guild of America awards, where the top honor went to Ang Lee for ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.''

SAG's award for a movie's ensemble, generally viewed as the guild's equivalent of a best-picture prize, went to the cast of ``Traffic.''

Competing for best picture at the Oscars are ``Chocolat,'' ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,'' ``Erin Brockovich,'' ``Gladiator'' and ``Traffic.''

Unlike last year, when ``American Beauty'' dominated earlier honors and went on to prevail at the Oscars, this awards season is fairly fragmented.

Judi Dench of ``Chocolat'' won SAG's supporting-actress award, but Kate Hudson of ``Almost Famous'' took the Golden Globe in the same category.

Benicio Del Toro of ``Traffic'' has won both a Golden Globe and a SAG prize. But the Globe was for supporting actor, while the acting guild gave Del Toro the lead-actor trophy.

Tom Hanks of ``Cast Away,'' who won the lead-actor Golden Globe for drama, was among those losing out Sunday to Del Toro.

Come Oscar night, Del Toro will be back in the supporting-actor lineup, where his competition will include Albert Finney, who won the SAG honor in that category for ``Erin Brockovich.''

Backstage with Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle and other co-stars of ``Traffic,'' Del Toro credited the entire cast of the drug-war drama, which had about 100 speaking parts.

``I feel like if they put me in the driver's seat, I'm going to take the wheel,'' Del Toro said. ``But I see this picture as an ensemble, and I'm very proud to be in this room. Some of the best actors in America are in it.''

Lee appears to have the edge for best director after the guild win and his earlier triumph at the Golden Globes. Since the Directors Guild first gave its award in 1949, only four recipients have failed to win the Oscar.

But Oscar voters are a much broader group, including acting, sound, editing and music branches. The tastes of the full academy may not necessarily jibe with a single group such as directors.

``I don't really believe in film competitions or that you can compare filmmakers,'' Lee said after his Directors Guild win. ``But I do believe this recognition is a great honor.''

Besides Scott, Lee's Oscar competitors are Stephen Daldry of ``Billy Elliot'' and Steven Soderbergh, who is nominated for both ``Erin Brockovich'' and ``Traffic.'' The Directors Guild also had nominated Soderbergh for both films.

Before Saturday's ceremony, Soderbergh said he would not offer academy voters any guidance on which of his movies he would prefer them to support. Some in Hollywood feel that could cost Soderbergh an Oscar because his votes might be split between ``Erin Brockovich'' and ``Traffic.''

Others say Soderbergh's two nominations will not cancel each other out because Oscar voters generally support the one achievement they think is most deserving.

``I don't see why this is any different, just because he's nominated for the two movies,'' said Scott Greenstein, chairman of USA Films, which released ``Traffic.''

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