Fall Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

While Best Supporting Actor still remains a mystery past Simmons and Norton (having now seen Foxcatcher, I'm not so certain of Ruffalo's place among the final five. But he could still get in due to a lack of competition), Best Supporting Actress is definitely starting to take shape a little more firmly. And unlike Best Actress which seems to also have fewer viable options, this category has about 8 actresses that could all conceivably find themselves with nominations. It has always been a category to welcome newer, younger actresses (see last year's Lupita Nyong'o) alongside more seasoned actresses and this year's contenders are no different. There are some actresses looking for their first nominations and it wouldn't be the Oscars without Meryl Streep looking for a nom...

But the biggest breakout story of the year may just be an actress that has already been working for more than 25 years and in a film that was 11 years in the making. Most of the praise for Linklater's decade-spanning film has focused on Patricia Arquette's nurturing and grounded performance as Olivia, the mother of two children. The film may be called Boyhood but it's as just much about her own growth and maturity from a young, single mother trying to raise children while finishing her degree, to become a woman that has lived through hard times (her choice in men is a little questionable) and come out wiser for it all. It's even more fascinating watching Arquette age onscreen as we begin to see the progression of an actress coming into her own as a woman. And her speech towards the end of the film is perhaps the film's most poignant moment. There had been debate early in the summer about which category to place her in, but in Supporting she is guaranteed a nomination and even a possible win.

That Jessica Chastain is mentioned again for Oscar consideration is no surprise, she's been nominated twice before (Best Supporting Actress for 2011's The Help and Best Actress for 2012's Zero Dark Thirty). Nor is it a surprise that the actress will once again be competing with herself for a nomination from multiple performances in the same year. Her breakthrough year in 2011 consisted of 5 different films (I still say her best work that year was in Take Shelter) and this year, again, she has work in 4 different films to contend, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie (which is receiving a week-qualifying run), Interstellar, and the film that is most likely to bring about a nomination, A Most Violent Year. There's been controversy about the fact that Chastain has been prohibited from campaigning for J.C. Chandor's 80s-set film until December, due to her contract for Nolan's Interstellar, but it is really the only performance that has an actual chance to bring her another nomination and the publicity just may help her in scoring the nomination for Chandor's film. The Academy seems to be a fan or her work. It seems like a safe bet to see her name among the 5 nominees.

Even though Keira Knightley has been nominated once before for an Oscar (Best Actress for 2005's Pride and Prejudice), I was beginning to think the Academy wasn't quite as enamored with her work as I thought, after passing over her Oscar-worthy performances in A Dangerous Method and Anna Karenina. But it seems that she may once again be in their favor again this year for her work in The Imitation Game. Knightley is having a fantastic year as well with her amazing work in the musical Begin Again (which should hopefully bring her a Golden Globe nomination) and her strong comedic performance in the indie comedy Laggies. Her work in both will be a strong case to bring her one of those nominations that represents a good year for an actor. And the Oscar-bait, period-set, biopic about the man that cracked the Enigma code to defeat the Germans in WWII, seems like just the sort of film the Academy gravitates toward. It seems like a reasonable assumption that Knightley, as the only woman in the film apart of the code breaking team, will finally score her second nomination this year.

Since her Golden Globe-nominated breakout in 2010's Easy A, Emma Stone has been a big, young star. The Academy, always quick to acknowledge stars of the moment, seems to recognize when it's someone's "time" and right now seems right for Stone for her work in Birdman, a film that has the potential to score multiple nominations. In my Year In Advance predictions, I assumed that a nomination would be coming her way this year. I just got the category and film wrong. Her work in Birdman is strong (I've previously written about it over at The Film Experience) and her first nomination seems like a done deal.

There are a couple of actresses looking to fill that final 5th spot. Laura Dern hasn't received a nomination since her Best Actress nomination for Rambling Rose over 20 years ago and she's a strong competitor for her role in Wild. And her appearance in the successful The Fault in Our Stars this summer could also booster her visibility. The late-breaking Martin Luther King, Jr film Selma just showed this past week at the AFI Festival and its performance from Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King could be a threat to break into the race. But I think the last nomination will come from a film that still hasn't been seen but has had Oscar buzz surrounding it before cameras even starting rolling, the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's fairy tale musical Into the Woods. Oscar-nominee Anna Kendrick as Cinderella (in an actual supporting role) could find her way here, but you can never bet against Oscar's favorite actress Meryl Streep. In what would be her 19th nomination, Streep is a reliable mainstay and her role as the Witch (which at one point was considered lead, but moved to supporting), previously played by Bernadette Peters, Vanessa Williams, and Donna Murphy on stage, has always been a favorite from the show. To not include Streep among the eventual Oscar nominees, even sit unseen, seems like a mistake.  

My Predictions

Patricia Arquette Boyhood

Jessica Chastain A Most Violent Year

Keira Knightley The Imitation Game

Emma Stone Birdman

Meryl Streep Into the Woods

My Favorite Best Supporting Actress Performances (I've what I've seen so far)

Julianne Moore Maps to the Stars

Rene Russo Nightcrawler

Tilda Swinton Snowpiercer

Uma Thurman Nymphomaniac Vol I

Marisa Tomei Love Is Strange

St. Patty's Day Showdown: Battle of Hollywood's Redheads

Happy St. Patrick's day to you all! Hope everyone is drinking their weight in green beer and shamrock shakes. Last year we celebrated with a list of Cinema's 10 Best Green Looks. This year, I've decided to give the ladies of Ireland a turn. Well, honorary ladies of Ireland. Hollywood has given us many memorable redheads over the years and now it's your turn to vote for your favorites!

Battle of the English Rose

Greer Garson vs. Deborah Kerr

Greer Garson was one of the biggest box office draws in the 1940's. She received 7 Best Actress Oscar nominations and won for 1942's Mrs. Miniver. From 1941 to 1945, she received 5 nominations back-to-back, a feat matched only by Bette Davis. She is also credited for having the longest Oscar acceptance speech at over 5 minutes long.

Deborah Kerr is probably best known for her make-out session on the beach with Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity. She was nominated 6 times for the Best Actress Oscar but never won. She is tied with Thelma Ritter and Glenn Close for the dubious title of Most-Nominated Actress Without a Win. However, in 1994 she was awarded an Honorary Oscar.

poll by twiigs.com

Battle of the Classic Screen Beauty

Maureen O'Hara vs. Rita Hayworth

Maureen O'Hara is the only one on this list that is actually from Ireland. She came to Hollywood in the 30's, but is probably best known for her collaborations with director John Ford. The two filmed 5 films together including the Oscar winner for Best Picture, How Green Was My Valley and The Quite Man co-starring John Wayne. Her work in such family classics as 1961's The Parent Trap and 1947's Miracle on 34th Street has made her known to generations of children.

The Latina Rita Hayworth started off her career as a dancer with her original name of Rita (Margarita) Cansino. Tired of being cast in only "exotic" parts, she went through a Hollywood transformation that included getting rid of her widow's peak and coloring her hair red. She was suddenly a glamorous star and became the most popular pin-up during WWII. She was married to Orson Welles and later, briefly, was a real-life princess. The role that will be forever associated with her is the title role in Gilda. 

poll by twiigs.com

Battle of the Comediennes

Lucille Ball vs. Shirley MacLaine

Lucille Ball began her career in the 30's as a model and chorus girl on Broadway. When she moved to Hollywood she was given bit parts and became known for roles in B-films. It wasn't until the 50's with the new medium of television that she found her place (and success) as an actress. She displayed her natural gifts for comedy on her sitcom I Love Lucy and has since become a comedic legend. She was nominated 13 times for the Emmy in acting (tied only by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) and won 4 times.

Shirley MacLaine (sister to movie star Warren Beatty) began her career as a singer and dancer on Broadway. She caught her big break when she was the understudy to the lead in The Pajama Game. When the lead broke her ankle, Shirley continued in the run of the show. A producer saw her on stage and signed her to a contract to Paramount Studios. She was nominated 5 times for the Best Actress Oscar and won for 1983's Terms of Endearment. In a career that has spanned 7 decades (and countless previous lives), she has most recently appeared on the popular show Downton Abbey.

poll by twiigs.com

Battle of the Modern Movie Star

Susan Sarandon vs. Julia Roberts

Susan Sarandon has come a long way since her early work in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture  Show. Who could have guessed that the girl in her underwear would be known for her fierce intelligence and activism in addition to her work as a dramatic actress. On her 5th Best Actress nomination, she finally won the Oscar for 1995's Dead Man Walking.

With her trademark smile and infectious laugh, Julia Roberts became one of the biggest (and highest paid) movie stars in Hollywood. Despite having already received an Oscar nomination for Steel Magnolias, it was her breakout role in the hit film Pretty Woman that launched her to fame–and a second Oscar nom. She won the Best Actress Oscar for her work as the titular Erin Brockovich in 2000. She and Sarandon appeared together in the film Stepmom.

poll by twiigs.com

Battle of the Auteur Screen Goddesses

Julianne Moore vs. Nicole Kidman

Julianne Moore may have started off her career in soap operas (winning a Daytime Emmy in the process), but when her career really took off was her work in independent films with directors Todd Haynes and Paul Thomas Anderson. Both have directed her to Oscar nominated performances in Anderson's Boogie Nights and Haynes's Far From Heaven. She has received 2 additional nominations and is one of 11 actors to receive 2 nominations in one year, but has yet to win. Her recent work as Sarah Palin brought another Emmy. And her experience growing up as a redhead has inspired a series of children's books she wrote called Freckleface Strawberry. 

Australian Nicole Kidman first came to the attention of America in the film Dead Calm and than as Tom Cruise's wife. Despite a breakout performance in Gus Van Sant's To Die For, she didn't come into her own as actress until her divorce from Cruise and the banner year of 2001's Moulin Rouge! and The Others. Since then she has been known for her bold choices and her wish to work with such artistic directors as Lars von Trier, Noah Baumbach, and John Cameron Mitchell. Nominated 3 times for the Best Actress Oscar, she won for her transformative portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours. A film that co-starred Julianne Moore.

poll by twiigs.com

Battle of the New Oscar Darlings

Amy Adams vs. Jessica Chastain

Despite being a natural blonde, Amy Adams has said that her career really didn't take off until she colored her hair red. And with the combination of her Oscar-nominated turn in Junebug and her role as a Disney princess brought to life in the hit film, Enchanted, Adams was suddenly an A-List actress. With those roles it seemed she specialized in naive, innocent characters. But has since been able to show her range with her gritty work in The Fighter and The Master. Although nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar 4 times now, she has not won. 

Even after training at the prestige Juilliard school, Jessica Chastain didn't break-out onto the scene until 2011 with her roles in 5 very different films, including her Oscar-nominated role in The Help. This past year she was nominated for her second consecutive Oscar for work in the film Zero Dark Thirty. And this past fall she made her Broadway debut in The Heiress. In just a few short years she has already become the go-to actress for strong, dramatic roles.

poll by twiigs.com

Stars of Stage and Screen

I know. I feel the same way.

~Just like the 1930's search to find the perfect actress to portray Scarlett O'Hara (even Lucille Ball auditioned), the world has waited with bated breath to find out who would be cast as Eponine in the film version of Les Misérables. The world now lets out a collective sigh- and perhaps a, what the hell?!- as it has been confirmed that Taylor Swift has been offered the role. So...congratulations? I thought Lea Michele had this in the bag. I'm sure she thought so as well. I bet tensions have been pretty high on the set of "Glee" these past couple of days:

"Hey Lea. Great job on that song."

"Thanks. But I guess not as good as Taylor Swift, huh?" and <scene>

Luckily, there is good news. Actual actress, very good singer, and downright beauty, Amanda Seyfried, was offered the role of Cosette. I actually had her in mind for that part when I was casting this in my head. So, good job for reading my thoughts on that one, casting directors. Now, if we could make just one small change to the rest of casting...

~Taylor's future costar, Tony Award Winner, Hugh Jackman, just finished the ten week run of his one man show on Broadway. But he's already booked his return engagement. Jackman has signed on to play the title character in a new Broadway musical about the life of Houdini. The musical is aiming to come to Broadway in the 2013-14 season and will feature music by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked) and book by Oscar winner, Aaron Sorkin. I'm especially excited about the inclusion of Sorkin. He's such a smart, fast-paced writer, I'd be interested in how he can bring that to the world of musicals.  And Jackman is becoming quite the go-to musical theatre performer lately. I'm actually loving that the man who plays Wolverine in the X-Men movies is just a song and dance man. And who doesn't love a singing magician?

~Does Jessica Chastain ever sleep? In addition to starring in every movie that came out in 2011, it was announced today that the eventual Oscar nominee would be coming to Broadway in a new revival of The Heiress in the Fall of  2012. The play, based on the Henry James novel Washington Square, and the character of Catherine have always been an awards magnet. The most recent revival won a Best Actress Tony for Cherry Jones and the 1949 film version of the play brought Olivia de Havilland a Best Actress Oscar. I bet the Juilliard trained Chastain is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut. If Scarlett Johansson can win a Tony, Chastain better start clearing out her trophy case now...


~And, finally, just cause he's so darn cute, "Glee" star, Darren Criss, in the poster for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Criss took over last night for a three week run in the role previously played by Daniel Radcliffe. Apparently, he's no Harry. But a Jonas Brother will be taking his place shortly, so choose your tween heartthrob wisely...

Alternate Oscar Ballot

As much as I love the Oscars, wouldn't it be exciting to see them give out awards to the categories that really matter. Like, Best Kiss or Best Action Scene. What's that you say? Those are categories at the MTV Movie Awards? Well, maybe they're on to something...Behold the Alternate Nominees of 2011:

Worst Performance By a Previous Oscar Winner 

Nicolas Cage Trespass, Drive Angry, Season of the Witch

Jodie Foster The Beaver

Tom Hanks Larry Crowne

Nicole Kidman Just Go With It, Trespass

Natalie Portman No Strings Attached, Your Highness

Best Jessica Chastain Performance

Jessica Chastain Coriolanus

Jessica Chastain The Debt

Jessica Chastain The Help

Jessica Chastain Take Shelter

Jessica Chastain The Tree of Life

Hottest Actor: Male

Michael Fassbender Jane Eyre, X-Men:First Class, Shame

Chris Hemsworth Thor

Ryan Gosling Crazy, Stupid, Love; Drive

Chris Evans Captain America: The First Avenger

Glenn Close Albert Nobbs

Hottest Actor: Female

Mila Kunis Friends With Benefits

Rachel McAdams Midnight in Paris

Michelle Williams My Week With Marilyn

January Jones X Men:First Class

Meryl Streep The Iron Lady

Most Stylish

The Gods in Immortals

The Driver's satin bomber jackets in Drive

Lisbeth Salander's punk looks in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (It even inspired an H&M line)

Emma Frost's all white 60's ensembles in X-Men:First Class

J.Edgar Hoover in his mother's dress and pearls in J.Edgar

Best Performance by a Non-Human, Best Scene Stealers, and more after the jump

Video Links: Hobbits, Actresses, and Drunk Santa

~Damn internets. We just got the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises yesterday and today brought the trailer for Peter Jackson's next chapter in The Lord of the Rings franchise- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Which is the first of two planned movies. Cause that seems necessary. I do enjoy the Trilogy. In fact, every year at Christmas time, my family watches the extended version of all three films in one day. 10 plus hours of Orcs, Enya/Annie Lennox easy listening, and Liv Tyler's British accent. I don't think anyone has made it through all three without a nap here or there. But watching the trailer, released 10 years almost to the day that Fellowship of the Ring was released in the theatre, I wasn't getting excited. Instead I had this feeling of déjà vu. It has the exact same look and feel as the other films. It seems a little pointless. Maybe something fresh could have been created if Guillermo Del Toro had directed it as intended. Oh, well. It'll make tons of money and I guess that's the real reason it was made...

~Oscar hopeful, Carey Mulligan, is on the cover of 'W' Magazine. Their website also has a great video thats part of Lynn Hirschberg's Screen Test series in which Carey talks about Shame and how she got the part. She's so cute. I love seeing her all dolled up. I saw her this summer when she was getting out of a show she was doing Off-Broadway and let's just say she dresses like a serious actor-complete with clogs and page boy hat.

~Speaking of serious actors, Meryl Streep was on 60 Minutes this past Sunday. It seems like she's everywhere lately. She likes to pretend that winning a third Oscar isn't that important to her, but you just know it is. But is The Iron Lady gonna hold up next to her wins for Sophie's Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer? Although Margaret Thatcher holds a little more heft that Julia Childs. So, maybe this could be the year...

~Did you see any movies this past year? If you did, chances are Jessica Chastain was in it. The Juilliard grad appeared in five films this year (The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, Take Shelter, and Coriolanus.) She just received SAG and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress for The Help and an Oscar nom for that film seems inevitable. But, Fox Searchlights, the studio behind The Tree of Life, thinks she should be nominated for her work in their film. And no For Your Consideration print ad in the trade papers will do-how Miramax 90's. They have put together a video campaign that is much classier than it sounds.

~And finally, in honor of the holidays, Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Jim Carrey as Santa in Funny or Die's Drunk History: Twas the Night Before Christmas.