THE KING’S SPEECH Wins PGA, DGA, and SAG

If you would have told anyone closely following the Oscar race that The King’s Speech was going to swoop all of the major guild awards from The Social Network two weeks ago, they’d have all called you crazy. No other film honored so heavily by the critics and the Golden Globes has ever lost its momentum dead in its tracks like The Social Network has. In an unprecedented turn of events, Hollywood has spoken against the critics — and possibly even the mainstream — and seems to be putting their complete support behind Tom Hooper’s biopic about the speech-impaired King George VI.

Tonight, the Screen Actors Guild honored Colin Firth, who won the SAG for lead actor, and the rest of the cast of The King’s Speech with the coveted SAG Ensemble Award. Combined with The King’s Speech’s late-game wins at the Producers Guild Awards and the Directors Guild Awards, winning Best Picture and Director, respectively, The King’s Speech is not only the new front-runner of the Oscar 2011 season, but it’s prepping itself for a sweep in every major category that it’s been nominated in. Looking at its 12 Oscar nominations, the most for any film this year, and increasing momentum in the public mindset, The King’s Speech is the one to beat for the Academy Award, if that’s even possible.

I’m updating my Facebook status to *tipping my hat to The Social Network* in honor of the film’s incredible run and what looks to be the end of the road for the David Fincher classic.