New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

George Clooney

Seriously? Doesn't this guy have time to sleep? Between the movies he makes and the ones he just stars in, the red carpets he walks and the chicks he gets into bed by just winking at them, Clooney is a busy man. In addition to Clooney's starring role in The Descendants, Clooney has a prominent supporting role in his own film The Ides of March, as a politician with a dark past. Like Hoffman, Clooney is dependent on his film getting enough attention to push him into the race, and it's virtually impossible that both of them will be nominated. You can't rule out either of them right now, but the Globes and the SAG will determine which of them, if either, will be a serious threat in this race.

Best Supporting Actress:

The Overdue:

Vanessa Redgrave

Between the reigns of Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep, Redgrave was Oscar's first lady, being nominated twice in the '60s, twice in the '70s (including a Best Supporting Actress win for Julia), and once each in the '80s and '90s. Long overdue for another Oscar nomination, and has her shot here for her role in Ralph Fiennes' adaptation of Coriolanus. Redgrave might be facing an interesting bias here, considering that that last time an actor was nominated for a movie based on a Shakespeare play was Kenneth Branagh in 1990. Still, considering she is such a legend, Redgrave should have an easy road to a nomination with stops at both the Globes and the SAG to bolster her chances.





Janet McTeer

As an actress who has made her name predominantly on television and on the stage, McTeer is rarely an Oscar contender simply because she doesn't make a lot of movies that are released in theaters. She received considerable acclaim, as well as her only Oscar nomination to date, for her performance in 1999's Tumbleweeds, and since then has not been a factor in the Oscar race. This year, however, she is back in the running for her performance in Albert Nobbs, for which lead Glenn Close is almost assured a nomination. Reviews for the film have been mixed, which will hurt McTeer, as well as the possibility of vote splitting if co-supporting actress Mia Wasikowska steals some of her thunder. You can't call her a favorite, and with Globes and SAG nominations McTeer will be out of the race completely, but with enough support a veteran like her is always a factor.

The Up & Coming:

Octavia Spencer

The Help is very much an ensemble piece, and any of the women in this film could be singled out with a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but it seems that Spencer's performance is the one getting all the attention. As popular as The Help is, it seems almost a foregone conclusion that Spencer will be nominated, which will make her the first cast member from Dinner for Shmucks to earn an Oscar nomination (take that, Kristen Shaal!). Her performance is considerably lighter than Viola Davis', which makes it less award-friendly, but if the Academy decides not to award Davis and wants to give The Help something, Spencer could be the winner here.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5       6