"Little Miss Sunshine" wins top movie award

LOS ANGELES, Jan 29 (Reuters) The quirky comedy ''Little Miss Sunshine'' won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild awards, giving the underdog film about a family of losers a big boost in the race for the Oscars on February 25.

Forest Whitaker and Helen Mirren won the best actor and actress awards for their portrayals of real life people.

Whitaker won for his role as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in ''The Last King of Scotland'' and Mirren for her work as Queen Elizabeth II in ''The Queen.'' Mirren also won for best actress in a television mini-series or movie for the title role in the HBO drama ''Elizabeth I.'' In a good omen for ''Little Miss Sunshine,'' three of the last four winners of the SAG award for best ensemble have gone on to win the Oscar for best picture.

Last year, the award for best ensemble went to ''Crash'' in a first sign that ''Brokeback Mountain'' did not have a lock on the Oscars, which ''Crash'' later won.

Comedian Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson, a former ''American Idol'' contestant, were named best supporting actor and actress for their performances in ''Dreamgirls.'' Murphy played a James Brown-like singer who falls on hard times in the film based on the rise of a Supremes-like group, while Hudson played a singer expelled from the group.

Mirren was delighted by her two victories on the night.

''I am so proud,'' she said. ''I love this award more than any other, especially being a Brit. American acting has always inspired me.'' Answering questions back stage, she said it was shameful that ''Elizabeth I'' received no award nominations in Britain.

Jeremy Irons won for best actor in a television movie or mini-series for his work in ''Elizabeth I.'' In television awards, ''Grey's Anatomy'' was named best ensemble drama and ''The Office'' won best ensemble comedy.

Two ''doctors'' scored major victories. Chandra Wilson was named best actress in a drama series as a tough-minded doctor nicknamed ''The Nazi'' in ''Grey's Anatomy'' and Hugh Laurie for his work as the brilliant but acerbic physician in ''House.'' Alec Baldwin was named best actor in a comedy series for ''30 Rock'' and America Ferrera won best actress in a comedy for her work in ''Ugly Betty.'' Ferrera, who plays a homely office worker, said she thought television was becoming more realistic in its acceptance of minorities and less than beautiful people as role models.

The Guild awards had assumed greater importance than usual this year because the fight for its top award -- best cast ensemble performance -- was too close to call.

SAG members choose between five films for best ensemble performance: ''Babel,'' ''Bobby,'' ''The Departed,'' ''Dreamgirls'' and ''Little Miss Sunshine.'' In addition, 19 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars this year were up for SAG awards -- showing once again that the actors' choice will be a strong indicator of what happens at the Academy awards on February 25.

Actors make up about 22 percent of Oscar voters, making them the biggest single voting group for the awards.

Reuters AKJ GC0942