Brothers & Sisters

Well, the agony was over early last night for Sally Field (pictured at right with Jane Krakowski and a dress that was possibly beaded by a kindergarten class) and those who hoped she might take the SAG award for best actress in a drama series. Hers was the second trophy of the night, and the second in a Sopranos sweep of the drama awards — Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cast. It’s the last year that mob will be around to dominate, so I suppose we can’t really begrudge them. Bye, bye, be gone.

I don’t know what they use to decide these things, what episodes get submitted, but … can I just say, that teensy clip they showed when Field’s name was read, who picked that thing? Boy, it was a harsh flashback, wasn’t it? It was from “An Act of Will,” and featured Nora and Justin screaming at each other — checking my Memorable Lines round-up, I think it was this exchange, or one like it:

Nora: Your father loved you more than anything on earth, you little spoiled brat.
Justin: You know what love means in this family? It means you suck. It means nothing you do will be good enough.

Ouch! It seems to me that episode came before the role of Nora was sort of Sally-fied, to become a little softer, feisty but not mean, opinionated but not brutal. Odd for those few bitchy seconds to represent the actress in an award intro.

Odd, too, to have it juxtaposed with the re-run that showed last night, “History Repeating.” From Nora yelling at Justin for being an ungrateful druggie, to Nora yelling at Justin to be a druggie again. I’m mostly glad to have angry old Nora gone, but oh boy, would I have loved to see her let loose on Julia’s SOB dad. Or, at least, food-fight Nora. That guy needs a big old strawberry shortcake in the puss, immediately.

Actually, maybe a food fight could have livened up the SAGs a little, too, as long as they’re giving trophies at a dinner. Looking at some of the losers, it kinda seems like they wouldn’t mind unloading some pasta salad on the person trotting up to the stage. But no, all was well-behaved, with no drunk speeches like you can usually count on at the Golden Globes.

There were a few plugs for a fair resolution to the writer’s strike in acceptance speeches, and in quotes from nominees backstage. Associated Press quotes Sally Field as saying: “It needs to be resolved. I worry about the crews, the writers, the actors. Our country is in a very precarious time right now and we need entertainment.” Well, we sure do, and shouldn’t she worry about us, the poor innocent fans, as well?

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, SAG Awards, History Repeating