Awards show cynics, look away. This column will not entertain those who have become jaded after years of hypocritical, self-righteous, disappointing film awards that celebrate a culture entrenched in an unreality of red carpet, blinding camera lights and thousand-dollar dresses.
That said, two awards shows took place this weekend, both of which you probably didn't watch, and both of which can help predict the outcome of the Academy Awards.
Because the Academy Awards has been in existence for 75 years, it has become the most prestigious, whether or not you thought "Saving Private Ryan" should have won Best Picture over "Shakespeare in Love" in 1998 or Russell Crowe's tiger defeat in "Gladiator" shouldn't have made him Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2000.
The grandfather of all awards shows has also come to be the most lucrative, with the Oscars banking $80 million in advertising sales for this year's ceremony.
The Screen Actor's Guild is Hollywood's union, where actor's votes are not canceled out by producers or other Academy members.
Still, the guild voters and members of the Academy overlap, making the guild awards a good star chart for the odds of the Oscar nominees.
As expected, "Chicago" dominated the SAG awards last night, with wins for Rene Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and the musical's ensemble cast. Christopher Walken won for his supporting role as Leonardo DiCaprio's dad in "Catch Me If You Can" and Daniel Day-Lewis got the statuette for his performance as a savage leader in "Gangs of New York."
At Saturday night's Writers Guild of America Awards, the star studded drama "The Hours" won the Best Adapted Screenplay Award and Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" won the Best Original Screenplay Award. Moore did not get an Oscar nomination for his screenplay, but he was nominated for Best Documentary.
Halle Berry shocked viewers and herself when she won the Oscar last year. But before that, she accepted a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in "Monster's Ball." However, Russell Crowe won the SAG award for Best Actor last year before Denzel Washington won at the Academy Awards.
The Writers Guild of America Awards has predicted 60 percent of Oscar winners in the past five years, according to an Entertainment Weekly story.
So if you're gambling on, debating about or just caring about who wins at the Academy Awards on March 23, check out the guilds' winners lists.
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