Saturday, January 24, 2009

Supporting Actress Lineup

If you combine all of this year's Best Supporting Actress nominees into one Imaginary Oscar Bait Woman -- why wouldn't you? All the crazy people (i.e. me) are doing it -- you get a 5'5" thirty-eight year old struggling single Catholic mother who moonlights as a stripper and occasionally engages in menage à trois with her ex-husband. And yes, my friends, she has a heart of gold.

They always do.


The Supporting Actress page is updated with info, statistics and "how'd they get nominated?" snark for these five lovely actresses: Taraji P Henson, Penélope Cruz, Viola Davis, Marisa Tomei and Amy Adams. Plus: You can vote in the poll to choose the reader favorite. Make sure to be right here Sunday night for the SAG Live Blogging when four of these women (minus Marisa + Kate) square off for that particular statue. Consider it a warm up to the big show.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/19/sundance-review-push-based-on-a-novel-by-sapphire/

Of Oscars for a minute, but seems like Push is getting a lot of buzz out of Sundance. I know there are some people who say it's over the top, they obviously have never lived in bad neighborhoods, because I have and there are people that suffer more mental and physical abuse ( from their family) than anyone can imagine. I know a woman who had her daughter prostituting when she was 14 ( who was distraught) in order to get money for drugs. So I'm glad this story is being told, I hope it finds a distributor. The Director Lee Daniels is Black and Gay so I'm sure he has endured hardships in his life.

Anonymous said...

Despite my issues with Rosemarie Dewitt being snubbed, along with my other fave Deneuve in A Christmas Tale, this is one HELL of a likeable group. Just saying, it's hard to get mad at any of them.

Guy Lodge said...

Obviously, your Supporting Actress page was fifty flavours of interesting, so sorry to bring up such a banal point, but...

Taraji P. Henson is 38? How is that even possible?! Amazing.

Anyway, I didn't have to think twice about my vote: Marisa Tomei all the way.

Anonymous said...

something tells me davis will upset or tomei,dunno why, hey tomei did it once,vcb had no screenplay nom which must mean something,i just sense the love for cruz is not there.

Sally Belle said...

Penelope all the way.

Taraji as runner up.

Viola Davis third...since Beatrice Straight and Judi Dench both won for cameo roles too.

Amy Adams next because she is a nice person, and although the performance was forced...so was Streep and Hoffman so....

Marisa Tomei for last place because getting naked does not mean you are stripped down. I felt her last scene with Ram didn't work at all..."I'm really here". I just didn't believe her. That last line could have sealed it, just like Streeps' last scene could have sealed it for her. "I have Doubts". Yeah...so do I.

Anonymous said...

I suddenly realized why Kate Winslet isn't here. No heart of gold, that's it.
Hearts of black go all the way to the leading category.
Good for them for this one.

My pick: Tomei, but I'm fond of Cruz as well (and I think Maria Elena does have heart of gold, though she is too crazy to fully show it).
Davis' role, though fantastic, is a little too short for me. Henson and Adams I like very much (and their hearts are soooo much of gold) but they are not that much of challenging roles.

Nick M. said...

I'm still baffled by the love for Taraji P. Henson's character/performance. It makes sense for Oscar to bite (unfortunately), but the public and critical acceptance of such an over-the-top "meestah, meestah" Hattie McDaniel impersonation is absurd. I suppose I'll just delude myself into believing she was nominated three years late for her part in "Hustle and Flow."

As for the remainders, I was pleased--but not deeply effected (or affected)--by Cruz, Davis and Tomei. An odd toss-up in a category where I often feel strongly about one candidate in particular. After the triumph of Tilda last year, I suppose I'll have to wait another five years.

Anonymous said...

At the moment I think it could possibly go to either Cruz, Davis or Tomei, but after SAG tomorrow that will probably change.

Anonymous said...

Nothing will change at SAG. Winslet will win the Supporting Actress award, leaving this race in exactly the same shape.

Anonymous said...

I live in Spain, and I've only been able to see Penélope's performance. I really enjoyed it, but I expect to be carried away by Adams, Davis and Tomei (especially the latter, I love Aronofsky).
About Henson, I don't have any expectations but she looks so cute...

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen doubt and Button yet so I can talkj only for Cruz (good perf) and Tomei. Tomei ftw!

It might change after a week when I will have seen all the nominees.


Jim

Victor S said...

I dont know if there's something wrong with me but of this five the performance that I like the least is Davis. I dont know if hearing everyone sing hallelujahs to her screw my percepetion of her performance but it simply didi work for me.

Ben said...

Yes, nice lineup this year. I prefer Cruz, but this is not a category where anyone winning would make me mad.

Sam Brooks said...

Does nobody remember Amy Adams performing at the Oscars last year?

That had to have something to do with this nomination.

Katey said...

Random trivia time-- how does this lineup compare to years past in terms of ethnic diversity? Two black woman plus one Spanish woman! The only other lineup that compares seems to be 2006, with Jennifer Hudson, Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza.

What? What else are we going to obsess over in this pdead period between nominations and the awards?

Anonymous said...

HOW LONG IS DAVIS SCREEN TIME HOW MANY SCEES INDIVIDUALLY.

NATHANIEL R said...

i don't have a screener so i don't know how long her screentime is but she has one scene that's essentially interrupted once so some people say she has two scenes ;)

anyway it's a short performance but it's the most important scene in the movie.

Anonymous said...

I freakin' love Taraji. Why? See Hustle & Flow.

adam k. said...

2006 had to be the most diverse lineup ever. A black singer, a Mexican acting teacher, a Japanese unknown (playing a mute), an Australian oscar staple (playing a Brit), and a 10-year-old girl. Amazing.

But this year's pretty great, too.

Unknown said...

I think Cruz is the frontrunner, Tomei might surprise but if she has a dark legend for her past win, Cruz has an even darker for all the gossip about her and all the slaughter she suffered since she entered Hollywood. Davis comes third but will surely suffer from vote syphooning from Adams (costar) and Henson (african-american mother, a similar appeal for voters).

So...

1. Cruz

2. Tomei


3. Davis




4. Adams

5. Henson

That I think is the distance between the contenders right now.

Anonymous said...

The scene with Viola Davis is about 12 minutes long, but it's interrupted for about a minute and a half and the camera isn't always on her. So it's just a few minutes.

Guy Lodge said...

"Cruz has an even darker for all the gossip about her and all the slaughter she suffered since she entered Hollywood."

Wow, that sounds horrific. Cruz definitely deserves something for surviving the slaughter ;)

NATHANIEL R said...

jesus --i wouldn't say the Davis & Henson nods have a similar appeal. Very different characters and types and importance to movie.

but that said i think your order is about right except maybe Davis in 2nd

Pablete said...

I hope they wait one year more for a Penelope Cruz's win. She could win in lead for "Broken Embraces", the upcoming Almodovar film.

Adams and Cruz are leading ladies. Even when their characters are supporting, they have all the "glamour", charisma and uniqueness of the best female stars.

Davis' is a true supporting turn by a character actress. Besides, hers might very well be the best performance among all the terrific creations in the "Doubt"'s ensemble.

Last but not least, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" could very well be this year's "The Aviator", and so it should win an acting award. There is a further connection between 2004 and 2008; they are the years of "millionaires": "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) and "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008).

Following on the "millionaires", is this a new glowing era for Hollywood? The Great Depression was a great time for moviegoers and film lovers, should the current, post-modern depression have a similar impact on "The Dream Factory"? Hollywood is not what it used to be, but there are still some surprises to come. "We have to give the people hope"; after all, "doubt can be as powerful as certainty".

Anonymous said...

So, Davis doesn't have a shot of winning?

adam k. said...

I don't think that's the order. I'd say Henson's a bit higher than dead last, since she is in fact in a 13-time nominated film that some people may want to reward.

Also, I don't understand all this talk of "make Penélope wait a year." That makes no sense. First of all, no one knows when she'll be nominated next. No matter what it may seem like now. Lead for Broken Embraces? Really? And how often is it again that foreign language performances win lead acting oscars? How often is it that the same actress gets nommed TWICE for foreign language perfs? Highly unlikely, that one. Volver was quite the coup on its own. Don't expect another one. And who's to say her role in the ensemble of Nine will turn out to be in any way award worthy?

Her role in Vicky Cristina hit the zeitgeist in a major way and looks like it could be her one BIG chance, capitalizing on all her strengths and oozing with timeliness (dual language perf, sexy + funny + unstable, Woody Allen, Javier Bardem working with her & handing her the oscar, Winslet going lead to make way for her, etc.). I say give her the oscar and get it over and done with while you can. She deserves it times 10.

Remember Nicole Kidman in The Hours? With all those people saying they should make her wait, she'll win again next year, etc. etc. Yeah, right. Not quite how it worked out, is it?

Anyway, Cruz for the win. I don't think Tomei is in second at all, she doesn't need two oscars, probably Davis in second but held down by Amy Adams votes, with Tomei and Henson and Adams all way back jockeying for 3rd.

Anyway, this was overly long and maybe came off as mean, but we should all learn the lessons of Nicole Kidman 2002™. Or for that matter, Julianne Moore 2002™ or Glenn Close 198#™. The academy giveth, and the academy taketh away, so stars should do well to just take their oscar and run.

(#= a number of your choice)

adam k. said...

Not to mention, lead actress next year will also feature Michelle Pfeiffer in Chéri, Streep in yet another film, all the other holdovers from this year, and more. So somebody's bound to get screwed. And the cycle continues.

Colin Low said...

If neither of the Milk actors win, doesn't that mean all four acting winners (Rourke, Winslet/Hathaway, Ledger/Downey Jr, Cruz/Davis/Tomei) will be for wholly fictional characters? When's the last time that happened at the Oscars?

adam k. said...

And just on the topic of Best Actress, can we all just take a moment and rejoice at the fact that no matter WHAT happens this year, the Best Actress winner will NOT be from a biopic and will also NOT be deglamming in any significant way? And will also NOT be Hilary Swank, or Halle, or Gwyneth? When your worst case scenario is Meryl Streep, you've got a pretty good race on.

This year is set give us the least gimmicky and most deserving (at least career-wise) winner since Frances McDormand won for Fargo over a decade ago.

And it'll probably be Kate Winslet.

Alright, I'm really done now.

RahulB said...

You should've added for Viola Davis:

7% - Eats her own snot when crying.

NATHANIEL R said...

rahulb -- ha. i did almost mention the snot but chickened out. I LOVE Viola so didn't want to give the wrong impression. Been rooting for her to have a big film career for the past 6 years.

adam -- i agree. don't make people wait when they deserve it. it only causes lots of problems in the future

and isn't it weird that it's really the 80s actresses that got the shaft the worst? I mean there's still 3 big star actresses that never got one (Pfeiffer / Close / Weaver) .... outside of maybe the Bening / Moore problem that doesn't seem to happen as much anymore -- people never getting theres, I mean. (I'm not counting Linney or Allen... I'm thinking more along the lines of big lead stars that do a lot of great work and everyone assumes they'll eventually win only they never ever do and then the time is gone.

argh.

Colin Low said...

Another thought: If the winners' lineup this year is Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger and Penelope Cruz, they'd all be first-time winners!

And the latter three arguably deserved it -- or at least it makes them "overdue" for this year's Oscar -- for 2004 (Eternal Sunshine), 2005 (Brokeback Mountain) and 2006 (Volver) respectively. How crazy is that? The more I think about it the more I love this final lineup.

Glenn said...

I'm going for Cruz and I hope they give it to her. Totally agreed on the "don't make them wait" thing.

Henson's nomination is the only one I have a major issue with, but I'd rather Taraji than Pretty-but-Plain girl from Slumdog Millionaire.

Anonymous said...

Sally, what have you done? You disclozed the last phrase of "Doubt"? Whyyyyyyy?


Jim

adam k. said...

Does eating your own snot count as deglam?

And does she really do that?? I haven't seen Doubt yet (though I've seen the play).

re: "pretty but plain" Freida Pinto... I'm shocked that she was EVER in consideration for ANY kind of award. I literally don't remember her doing ANYTHING in that movie. And I didn't think she was even beautiful enough to just be the object of desire throughout the whole thing and never have to actually act. So yeah, I guess I'm not a fan.

Dev Patel I get since he at least DID THINGS, and was onscreen a LOT, seeing as he's the lead. Plus I guess I'm more keyed in to his adorability, what with my being gay and all. But Freida Pinto I will never understand.

Anonymous said...

I think all the performances were fine. This is surprising given that aside from Cruz and Davis, the ladies did not have a lot to work with.

I think Cruz is more the role than the performance, sort of the same with Davis.

For me its Tomei, she created a character from a cliche. Watch her when she is not speaking (also true of Davis).

Anonymous said...

there is usually a previous winner so that could be strep,penn,tomei or hoffman.

Anonymous said...

More re-thinking (=over analysing) on Bardem-Cruz. Besides being deserved, Cruz winning would close a circle.

- It would be for VCB which is the reunion of Bardem and Cruz 16 years after Jamón Jamón. Somehow the Spanish speaking equivalent to that of DiCaprio-Winslet in RR. How many times can an actor give the Academy Award to his co-star?
- The (hot) couple thing. Though I really doubt there'd be an onstage kiss.
- It would mean having the first Spanish actor winner of an Academy Award giving it to the first Spanish actress receiving it.
- They also share a similar Oscar history. Both were nominated for the first time in the lead category (Before Night Falls, and Volver, respectively) but finally getting it (if happening) the second time, in the supporting category.

I also agree on not waiting for the next year, no matter if it's Cruz, Winslet, Davis or any other. Apart from what you say, I think we are used to seeing multiple nominated actors such as Winslet, Streep or Nicholson as if that was the "normal" thing. But just ask Weaver, Pfeiffer, Pitt or DiCaprio to name a few, if that is the usual thing.

Unknown said...

Something seems to be wrong with the poll results. Suddenly Amy Adamos in taking the lead when she hadn't received more than 8 per cent up until this morning. Who's cheating?

NATHANIEL R said...

yeah. i don't know what to do about the poll situation. this happened last time I tried to do some big polling too. it's a shame because I do love to involve the readers and do things like reader's choice.

(sigh)

Unknown said...

Even of the polls don't work, I find your website really, really good.

Anonymous said...

Penelope Cruz is 34, not 44 (!!!).

NATHANIEL R said...

i know. that's NUMBER OF FILMS not age

Anonymous said...

I honestly belive this is a genuine 3-lady race: Cruz is obviously the frontrunner, but the other two have major dark horse factors; Tomei’s comeback/ possible one-two-punch w/ Rourke and Davis…. come on, in The Year of Obama, doesn’t it make sense they might want to see and African-American go home with a trophy.

Remember people; this is Best Supporting Actress… the most notorious Oscar category for upsets.