The 2019 SAG Awards was understated elegance, even for the women

The 2019 SAG Awards gave us an awards show of understated elegance that featured some lovely moments, and a few reminders that Hollywood has a long way to go.

Awards season is well and truly underway as the latest ceremony has come and gone. And while every awards ceremony has a unique feel to it, there is actually something very sedate about the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards. Even when actors discuss important issues while accepting awards or introducing nominees, there is a measure of quiet respect that seems to resonate.

At this year’s SAG Awards, host Megan Mullally made her stance on women in Hollywood very clear during her opening monologue. Yet even as she made her point, she did it in a way that was tasteful and not nearly as biting as fellow award ceremonies.

As winners took the stage, we saw the same sense of muted challenge that actually made this one of those awards shows that we could get through without wanting to run to social media to see how everyone else was reacting.

However, while this was a relatively quiet awards show, that is not to say that there weren’t some buzzworthy moments. From our host to women who won throughout the night, there were plenty of special moments the SAG Awards had to offer.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: Megan Mullally onstage during the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 480468 (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images for Turner)

Megan Mullally’s opening monologue

In her opening monologue, Megan Mullally did exactly what we wanted and expected her to do –she called Hollywood out. In particular, the actress pointed out the fact that historically speaking, Hollywood has not given women many dynamic roles. And she used this year’s nominees to prove her point.

From Glenn Close playing a wife to Emily Blunt playing a mom who must never speak, and even Melissa McCarthy who played a woman who basically spent an entire movie apologizing, Mullally’s pointed commentary continued the repeated reminder to Hollywood — do better when it comes to female roles.

And can we also just make an honorable mention to the fact that at 60 years old, she not only hosted the award show on her own (she did not need a co-host to carry her at all), but she looked amazing doing it? Megan Mullally makes hosting look easy and that’s one more reason why we love her.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: (L-R) Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, and Andy Serkis pose in the press room with awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in ‘Black Panther’ during the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 480645 (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for Turner)

Wakanda forever as Black Panther wins big

It really is Wakanda forever now that Black Panther won the SAG award for Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. While this award is for the entire cast, what makes this such an important moment for women is the fact the cast has more than one prominent female role. This is something that only one other film in this category could boast, and that’s the female-led Crazy Rich Asians. Additionally, this is a major accomplishment not just for women, but specifically for women of color.

It’s been a welcomed surprise for the cast, as Black Panther seemed unlikely to win any major awards. It’s a rarity to see a superhero film of any kind competing amongst other films this awards season. Fans of the film have been pleased to just see it nominated. For fellow actors to vote for Black Panther to win at the SAG Awards makes this moment that much sweeter.

Seeing Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira posing with their awards as they showed the world the “Wakanda forever” symbol WAS perhaps one of the most priceless aspects of that win. All three women were critical to the success of this film, and it was moving to see them on that stage as part of the winning cast.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: (L-R) Joel Johnstone, Caroline Aaron, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle, Kevin Pollak, Rachel Brosnahan, Luke Kirby, Brian Tarantina, Tony Shalhoub, and Zachary Levi, winners of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ attend the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Rachel Brosnahan and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel sweep the awards

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was nominated for three SAG awards and walked away with statues in all three categories. As a female-led series, this is an accomplishment we can get behind. Plus, two of the women in the series were nominated for Female Actor in a Comedy (TV), with the show’s leading lady, Rachel Brosnahan, taking home the prize.

Considering the other nominees, both in the acting categories (Tony Shalhoub won Male Actor in a Comedy), and in the Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series category, it really is an accomplishment for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to sweep the comedy awards. Brosnahan made sure to thank not just the famous faces we see on the show, but all the extras on the set as well, reminding all of us there are so many people who are involved in making the shows and movies we watch and love.

Honestly, we’re just happy to see this little comedy win big, as it has certainly stolen our hearts. Brosnahan is a delight, Shalhoub continues to prove that he is an acting genius, and Alex Borstein proves that biting wit and sarcasm can be just as funny as slapstick humor. Overall, this is one of those series that has the right formula from the cast to the story and everything in between.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: Emily Blunt

onstage during the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 480468 (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images for Turner)

Emily Blunt wins for A Quiet Place

There is something magical about Emily Blunt, and we aren’t talking about her role as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns. Though she may not have won for her role as Poppins, the fact that she did win for her role in A Quiet Place was a big win for her.

Here was a movie in which silence was the key to survival. This means that Blunt had to prove that even without words, she could still tell a story, and that is exactly what she did. She told a story in a way that won her a SAG award — bravo to that!

Seeing her husband John Krasinski cheer for her nomination and then tear up over her victory was an added moment of joy for Blunt and all of us watching. These two are Hollywood couple goals, seriously. When she accepted her award, Blunt said she’d be sharing this award with him as the two worked so hard to make A Quiet Place a success.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: Glenn Close attends the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 480720 (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Turner)

Glenn Close wins her second ever SAG Award

Glenn Close is a legend in Hollywood and at the 2019 SAG Awards, she took home only her second ever award from the ceremony. As she continues her impressive awards season run, we have to admit we were shocked to learn that this was only her second win at this particular awards ceremony. This win for her reminds us that older women in Hollywood can remain relevant and knock out impactful roles, same as male leads do.

While Close may be the best leading lady in Hollywood right now (two major awards back-to-back are here to back this claim up), she is also a wise woman. In her acceptance speech, the actress gave us all something to think about as she spoke about the power of film.

“One of the most powerful things that we have as human beings is two eyes looking into two eyes,” Close said.

Cinema truly is an impactful art form that gives us all a chance to get a deep, personal look into other ways of life. As someone who has been in this industry for many years, Close knows what she is talking about. For us, it’s always interesting to hear what a vetted actress has to say about cinema and the influence it has in our lives.

What did you think of the 2019 SAG Awards? What moments stood out for you? Tell us in the comments.