( CNN ) '' Birdman '' won the big prize -- outstanding motion picture cast -- at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards , but it was talk about heritage and diversity that captured the evening . On the TV side , the winners included `` Orange Is the New Black '' -- a series about a women 's prison , created by a woman , featuring a cast that includes a transgender performer -- and black actresses Viola Davis and Uzo Aduba . And the movie winners included Patricia Arquette , who won for a performance in `` Boyhood '' that she filmed over 12 years -- and was n't afraid to show it . Arquette comes from a long line of performers . Her siblings , including Rosanna Arquette and David Arquette , are actors . So was her father and grandfather . She paid tribute to all of them in her speech . `` I 'm a fourth-generation actor , '' she said , visibly overwrought , adding that her family has been performing for more than a century . But it was the wins by Davis , Aduba and `` Orange '' that caught the attention of social media , which erupted 10 days ago when the Oscar nominations put forth a very un-diverse crowd . Complete list of winners . Davis ' speech , in particular , was particularly moving . After beginning with an observation about how she tells her daughter stories , she paid tribute to the producers who thought of her for their `` How to Get Away with Murder '' story . `` I 'd like to thank Paul Lee , Shonda Rhimes , Betsy Beers and Pete Nowalk for thinking that a sexualized , messy , mysterious woman could be a 49-year-old dark-skinned African-American woman who looks like me , '' she said . Several tweeters highlighted her words and their significance . In general , however , the SAG Awards were a relatively quiet and brisk affair . ( Yes , it can happen , even for Hollywood awards shows . ) The film awards generally went as expected , with Arquette , J.K. Simmons ( `` Whiplash '' ) , Julianne Moore ( `` Still Alice '' ) , Eddie Redmayne ( `` The Theory of Everything '' ) and `` Birdman '' taking home the trophies . Only Redmayne was a mild surprise , given that `` Birdman 's '' Michael Keaton has been considered the leader in the best actor race by a number of handicappers . The actors ' branch is the largest bloc of Oscar voters , so the SAG Awards are closely watched for indicators about which way the Academy Award wind is blowing . Still , the SAG Awards had their moments . There were Davis ' and Aduba 's emotional speeches , of course . And there were also a few laughs . Frances McDormand got some chuckles for turning her speech into a cheeky bit of promotion for her film , `` Olive Kitteredge '' ( `` You can stream it -- I do n't know how . You can watch it on an intercontinental flight , I 've been told . You can get the DVDs on February 9 , give it to someone as a Valentine 's Day present ! '' she said ) and the witty Carrie Fisher got off a couple jokes while introducing her mother , Debbie Reynolds , who won a lifetime achievement award . `` Birdman '' took home only one prize in the end , but it was the biggest one of the night . It also won at the Producers ' Guild Awards Saturday . How that will fly at the Oscars , however , is anyone 's guess . How the winners reacted backstage .
Angela Davis ' film , ` ` Orange '' showcase ##s diversity at Academy Awards . ` ` Birdman '' wins big prize for television .