"The King's Speech" won top prizes over the
weekend from Hollywood actors and directors, securing its standing as the film
to beat at the Feb. 27 Oscars, whose winners mostly look like foregone
conclusions.

Front-runners coasted to victory at Sunday's Screen Actors
Guild Awards — lead performers Colin Firth as Queen Elizabeth II's stuttering
dad in "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman as a ballerina going
off her rocker in "Black Swan," plus supporting players Christian
Bale as a boxer on the skids and Melissa Leo as his doting but domineering
mother in "The Fighter."

"The King's Speech" also won the SAG award for
overall acting ensemble. A day earlier, the film was an upset winner at the
Directors Guild of America Awards, where its filmmaker Tom Hooper triumphed
over David Fincher, who had been considered the favorite for "The Social
Network."

While Fincher's Facebook chronicle dominated at the Golden
Globes and critics' awards early in the season, momentum abruptly shifted to
"The King's Speech" in barely a week.

"I'd like to thank security for letting me into the
building," Firth said as he accepted his SAG trophy.

His joke points up how quickly "The King's Speech"
usurped front-runner status from "The Social Network," which appeared
to have a smooth ride toward a best-picture and director win at the Oscars.

The previous weekend, "The King's Speech" was a
surprise recipient for the top award from the Producers Guild of America. Last
Tuesday, the film led Oscar contenders with 12 nominations.