Cut the BS Breakdown - Best Supporting Actress

This is an unabashed look at each nominee in the big eight Oscar categories. We will look at all the nominees and the various categories. No prisoners are taken, so take heed and gird your loins.

Nominees:
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Overall Feelings:
Once again, the supporting category gets it right. My personal ballot matched up perfectly except for one. My one complaint is the lack of variation in the roles. Tomei, Henson and Davis pretty much have the same role as a scenery chewing, suffering female in their films. I almost hesitate to include Tomei with them, but it’s fairly accurate. Adams’ role as the quiet detractor is somewhat new, but not revolutionary. Cruz’s role as the crazy/foreign sexpot is almost a stereotype, but she knocks it out of the park, so I don’t have any problems with it.

My Personal Choice:
It’s a two-horse race between Tomei and Davis for my personal award, but the way Viola Davis absolutely crushes her scene is what takes the cake. If you have the chance, watch the scene again. It seems for a while that it will be the informative role of giving some insight into the characteristics of the child, then something happens and Davis turns on a switch a becomes a powerhouse. The few complaints I have with Hoffman and Streep in Doubt come from their inability to convey power in a speech without screaming. Davis can’t be on screen longer than eight minutes, but throws a stick a dynamite into the entire film without raising her voice more than a decibel. Look at Streep during that scene, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her realize she is being out-acted, but that is definitely the case here. This is the best use of screentime in the recent past.

Who Should Have Been Nominated:
The poor ladies of Rachel Getting Married. As much as I like the film, I cannot and will not laud the performance of Debra Winger, who got close to the Worst Performance in a Good Movie nomination. That being said, Rosemary DeWitt was transfixing. Her portrayal as the engaged sister with some underlying unrequited feelings dominates the film just as much as Anne Hathaway’s character. She’s even almost backhanded in the way she presents herself, like announcing her pregnancy right in the middle of a fight. A masterwork.

Who Should Not Have Been Nominated:
Once again, I don’t think any of these nominees are undeserving. The only one of the five nominees that doesn’t have a spot on my ballot is the one who is left out. Amy Adams was nominated for her name. Adams is an adorable celebrity who doesn’t give bad performances, is family friendly and is beloved by the press. All Adams had to do in order to get her nomination was to not screw up. She didn’t screw up, so she got the nomination. I don’t think an actress besides Adams in the same role gets this nomination.

Who Should Win:
Despite my desire for Viola Davis to take home the gold, Penelope Cruz deserves the Oscar. I would argue that Cruz had the most difficult role to excel at. The exotic sexpot isn’t exactly a challenging role, but Cruz perfected it and made it her own. Woody Allen should be getting a lot more credit than he has been for leading actresses to career best performances. If Cruz takes the Oscar home, she deserves it fully.

Who Will Win:
This category is the most competitive I’ve seen in a while. When I think of the most competitive acting category, I think back to Supporting Actor in 1999. Michael Caine took home the Oscar, but Tom Cruise, Michael Clarke Duncan and Haley Joel Osment could have taken it and deserved it just as much. In fact, the only actor who didn’t have much of any chance was Jude Law. In this case, I could see any of the five nominees winning. That is why I feel an upset coming. As much as I would love Davis, Cruz or Henson to have their first Oscars, I don’t see it. As well, I don’t see the Academy giving Tomei her second Oscar (though I could be completely mistaken about their feelings for her). So, I see whoever it is that calls the name, to call the name of Amy Adams. You could give me all these reasons for it not to happen and the reasons she doesn’t deserve it, but don’t say I didn’t tell you so come Sunday.

A Best Supporting Actress Poem:
Davis did no yelling,
And still had the spice,
But if Oscar comes calling,
She can name her own price

Tomei won once,
She could win again,
If she keeps getting naked,
I really need to know when.

Henson was so loving,
She loved an “elderly” Pitt,
If she wins the Oscar,
Imagine the roles she’ll get.

Cruz should definitely win,
We know this much is true,
If she wins, she’ll be excited,
Selma Hayek will go nuts too.

Adams just might be,
The cutest nun around,
On Sunday they will call her name,
And cuteness will abound.