With the Hollywood
Foreign Press and the Screen Actor Guild already pulling back the curtain on
this year’s group of nominees, it will soon be time for the Academy of Arts
& Sciences to do the same. This six part series will look at each of the
main categories and break down the frontrunners and dark horses of this Oscar
season.
The Frontrunners:
Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech”)
Carter has
one nomination under her belt already for 1997’s “The Wings of the Dove,” and
seems to be a lock for another one here. “Speech” is the heavy favorite going
into this season and all three principals will reap the benefits.
Amy Adams & Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”)
A two time
nominee, Adams has been down the awards circuit before for her roles in
“Junebug” & “Doubt,” while Leo is coming off her first nod for 2009’s
“Frozen River.” Both are now once again generating buzz in “The Fighter,” but
Leo is being given the slight edge. It
also can’t hurt Leo that in 2010 she’s been in three high-profile dramas and
turned in an amazing performance in HBO’s “Treme.”
Mila Kunis & Barbara Hershey (“Black Swan”)
“Black
Swan” is another movie featuring a pair of talented actresses that could soon
find themselves competing against each other. At the moment Kunis is the
favorite because of her higher profile, but Hershey is a decorated veteran and
that is one aspect the Academy always seems to take into account.
The Contenders:
Dianne Weist (“Rabbit Hole”)
As with Hershey, Weist is
a talented well-known actress, but Weist already has two statues which
automatically puts her ahead of the pack. The only thing going against her is
that “Rabbit Hole,” a drama about grieving parents, isn’t garnering the same
big ticket nominations as “Black Swan.” Furthermore the studio will probably be
more apt to push Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman who play the leads.
Haliee Stienfeld (“True Grit”)
Going all the ways back
to Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon,” the Oscars have been nothing but kind to young
actresses looking to make a name in Hollywood. Depending on the reaction the
film itself gets, Steinfeld could soon find herself in the company of Anna
Paquin, Abigail Breslin and most recently Gabourey Sibide.
The Dark Horses:
Jacki Weaver (“Animal Kindom”)
Another popular trend
with the Academy is nominating at least one person nobody stateside has ever
heard about. Meet Jacki Weaver, an Australian actress, who already has snagged
a Golden Globe nomination and could be in line for more.
Kimberly Elise, Thandie Newton & Phylicia Rashad
(“For Colored Girls”)
When it was first released, Tyler Perry’s drama with an
incredibly talented African-American cast, was seen as a strong contender, but
then both the movie and its award hopes stalled. Shut out of the races so far, it doesn’t look
very likely it will make a big splash at the Oscars, but the above actresses
are being discussed as its best shot.
