Bening, Spacey Honored by Screen Actors Guild

Annette Bening and Kevin Spacey won top acting honors Sunday from the Screen Actors Guild for their roles as a dysfunctional couple in the suburban satire “American Beauty.”

The lead acting awards position Bening and Spacey as front-runners for the Oscars, to be awarded on March 26.

“American Beauty” also won the guild’s ensemble acting award.

The movie leads all contenders with eight Oscar nominations.

Angelina Jolie won the supporting female actor award for her take on a hospitalized sociopath in “Girl, Interrupted.” Michael Caine took the supporting male actor honor for his role as an ether-toking abortionist in “The Cider House Rules.”

Michael J. Fox of ABC’s “Spin City” received the award for male actor in a comedy series for the second straight year.

Lisa Kudrow was honored as female actor in a comedy series for NBC’s “Friends.” The cast of NBC’s “Frasier” won the ensemble acting award for a comedy series.

Edie Falco and James Gandolfini won female and male acting honors in a dramatic series for the acclaimed mob drama “The Sopranos.” The HBO series also won for ensemble acting.

Sidney Poitier was honored with the guild’s life achievement award. The tribute included clips from such Poitier films as “A Raisin in the Sun,” “To Sir With Love” and “In the Heat of the Night.”

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ANOTHER WIN FOR ‘BEAUTY’

Sam Mendes wins Directors Guild’s top award for his direction of “American Beauty.” F1