'Birdman' tops SAG Award nominees

LOS ANGELES - Boyhood might be the darling of the critics' awards, but when it came down to performances alone, the dark show-business comedy Birdman soared with a leading four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, announced Wednesday.

Birdman lead Michael Keaton was recognized for his work as washed-up Hollywood hero Riggan Thomson. Emma Stone, who played Thomson's troubled daughter, and Edward Norton, as an arrogant theater star, also picked up supporting nods.

Next, with three nominations each, were the coming-of-age tale Boyhood; the Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game; and the Stephen Hawking story The Theory of Everything. All were recognized for ensemble casts and individual performances.

Conspicuously absent from the SAG nominations were Ava DuVernay's civil rights drama, Selma, and Angelina Jolie's Louis Zamperini film, Unbroken. Neither has been released yet, but both have been hailed as Oscar contenders.

Boyhood has been on a hot streak recently, winning top honors in most of the major critics' awards, but its small cast faded opposite the star-studded Birdman. Still, Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke earned nods Wednesday for their performances.

The Theory of Everything, a look at the romance of Stephen and Jane Hawking, had lead acting nominations for Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.

The Imitation Game landed Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley nominations for portrayals of World War II-era British logicians Alan Turing and Joan Clarke.

Wes Anderson's candy-colored fable The Grand Budapest Hotel received a single nod for its large ensemble cast, including Norton and Adrien Brody.

Notably, Bennett Miller's true-crime drama Foxcatcher was not cited for its overall cast, but lead actor Steve Carell and supporting actor Mark Ruffalo got nods.

Other lead-actress film nominees are Julianne Moore as an Alzheimer's patient in Still Alice; Reese Witherspoon in the soul-searching drama Wild; Rosamund Pike as the missing wife in the thriller Gone Girl; and Jennifer Aniston in Cake.

The SAG Awards will be presented Jan. 25, when Debbie Reynolds will be honored with a lifetime achievement award.