Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Screen Actors Guild Awards Set to Begin Soon

Aired March 10, 2002 - 18:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Yet another top award for former child star turned star director. Last night, Ron Howard won top honors from the Directors Guild of America for his film "A Beautiful Mind." Such wins put him in a strong position to grab the Oscar later this month.

And "A Beautiful Mind" is also up for quite a number of other awards tonight at the Screen Actors Guild Ceremony in Hollywood, and that's where we find CNN's Andy Culpepper, standing by with word on the press, the pomp, and the parade of stars. Like that alliteration, Andy?

ANDY CULPEPPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: My goodness. Could you say that three times fast, Carol?

LIN: No.

CULPEPPER: I'm so impressed.

LIN: Because it will take time from you.

CULPEPPER: All that alliteration. No, I'm very impressed with that. Actually, I feel sort of like the barker outside a carnival or the ringmaster at a three-ring circus, because we have a lot of movies to talk about, but the atmosphere right here, and I know we've got a camera on him right now.

Brad Garrett is standing by over my shoulder. You'll recognize him. He's rather tall. It's hard not to stand out in a crowd for Brad, because he's taller than anybody else out here, but he's from "Everybody Loves Raymond" and everybody right now is going to be loving a champagne toast, because that's what we're getting ready to see out here.

But, before that happens, let's talk a little bit about some of the movies that will be on tonight. You said "A Beautiful Mind" and obviously it's a big favorite, because it won the DGA Award last night. It is a favorite for the Oscar, and two of the actors involved in "A Beautiful Mind" will be here tonight, Russell Crowe, who won the Oscar for "Gladiator" last year is up again for best actor.

He is joined in that category on the distaff side by Jennifer Connelly. Who -- oh hey, hey let's check it out now. Here comes Brad, and -- hello, Brad. It looks like he's getting ready to toast. That's the kind of outfit that one normally sees pouring champagne. At any rate, while Brad's getting ready to do the toast over there, I'll fill you in on a couple of the other movies. "In the Bedroom," which happens to be my personal favorite, if I'm allowed to have a favorite, Sissy Spacek is up for best actress. She won the Golden Globe for best actress and she is a heavy favorite to add to her previous Academy Award for "Coal Miner's Daughter."

And another one of the films we'll be looking at is "Training Day." A lot of people seem to think that Denzel Washington, who has never won an Oscar, but has been nominated before, that Denzel may take the Globe -- or take away the Oscar. Oh, he did win an Oscar for best supporting actor. I had forgotten that.

But he has not won best actor before, and people think it's going to come down to him and -- oh here, they're toasting. We got the champagne, and I'm thirsty, but I don't think we're allowed to drink on duty, so I won't be getting any of that. But it looks like he got some on him.

LIN: Andy, can you hear me? What's this toasting business about?

CULPEPPER: Say that again?

LIN: What's this toasting business about?

CULPEPPER: Well, actually, you know, I guess they kick the entire evening off with the champagne. Usually, you celebrate afterwards, but I guess everybody here feels like a winner and especially after the hard fought election that SAG had that the results of which were only found out yesterday. Melissa Gilbert won a very hard fought battle there.

Maybe they're celebrating that. Maybe it's just a kickoff for the award ceremony tonight. Whatever it is, it looks like they're having a lot of fun. And I don't know about you, but I think it will be a lot more fun inside, finding out who wins tonight.

LIN: You bet, and it's a pretty good indicator you're saying of who's going to win the Oscar?

CULPEPPER: Yes, but you know, one of the things that you've got to -- you can never really use anything as a foregone conclusion, because Nicole Kidman, who was nominated in two categories at the Golden Globes is not nominated at all tonight, and she does have an Oscar nomination and her film "Moulin Rouge," which is also a heavy Oscar favorite could surprise everybody. So Nicole isn't up tonight, but you'll see her later. She's nominated in the ensemble award.

That's it from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Back to you in Atlanta, Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks so much Andy. You have a good time tonight. Don't stay up too late.

CULPEPPER: Thank you. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com