Nominated in numerous awards ceremonies so far but taking home comparatively few prizes, The Help finally won big at the Screen Actors' Guild Awards last night. It won Best Ensemble Cast, with Viola Davis taking Best Actress and Octavia Spencer Best Supporting Actress. "I'm going to dedicate this to the downtrodden, the underserved, the underprivileged, the overtaxed, whether emotionally, physically or financially," said Spencer, revealing that her take on the film is that anyone can make a positive change in life.
Although The Artist was disappointed in other categories, Jean Dujardin won Best Actor, beating off fierce competition from George Clooney. His response upon being asked if he thought this might lead to an Oscar was to put his fingers in his ears and sing La Marseillaise. Meanwhile Christopher Plummer picked up another Best Supporting Actor gong for Beginners and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 won an award for the achievements of its stunt ensemble.
The Screen Actors' Guild Awards are considered a particular honour by recipients because they represent the respect and admiration of their peers.
