Oscar@ Statues
[Editor's Note; The Poll Will Change When A Different Oscar@ Category Is Posted.]
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Sam Juliano’s Sums Up Why He Predicts Mo’Nique Will Win…For Best Supporting Actress.
By Sam Juliano…
The nominees for the 2009 Best Supporting Actress category were practically a foregone conclusion with the possible exception of the omission of veteran
Julianne Moore, who gave a moving performance as…”Charley,”…a close friend of”George” (played by Colin Firth) in A Single Man….Ms. Moore, who was a nominal favorite to land a berth, lost out to…Maggie Gyllenthal,
…who was a mild surprise for her turn in Crazy Heart.
Hence, the final five here were in a general sense widely anticipated, and one would be hard-pressed to point to any nomination injustices outside of Moore.
…As
Alex Goren in Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air, Vera Farmiga…portrays a frequent flyer opposite George Clooney, who is also a successful and confident woman who complicates Clooney’s life in more ways than one. She’s a love interest who plays by her own rules, and makes men follow her and not the other way around.
Farmiga has won considerable critical praise for this performance, but even if this were a category without a clear favorite (which is not the case) her chances are weakened considerable by the nomination of her co-star…
…Anna Kendrick,as in such situations the votes usually split and another nominee prevails. This is Farmiga’s first nomination as is the case with all the others in this category save for
Penelope Cruz.
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air’s other nominee in this category, plays Natalie Keener, an ambitious young woman who is pushing a plan to cut costs by having employees stay grounded and conduct layoffs over the internet. Ms. Kendrick has received several critics’ organizations awards as Best Supporting Actress for her performance, but in the end she has the same problem as her co-star Vera Farmiga, in that multiple nominees from the same film usually cancel each other out.
Maggie Gyllenthal, a talented star, plays a journalist named Jean Craddock, who has a brief affair with Bad Blake, the hard-drinking country music star, played by
Jeff Bridges, in Crazy Heart. Although Gyllenthal’s nomination was a mild surprise, as it turns out she is really the only candidate who has a long-shot chance at beating out the category’s heavy favorite,
Mo’Nique.However, with Bridges almost a sure thing to capture the Best Actor prize, it is extremely doubtful that voters will give yet another award to Crazy Heart.
The only actress in this category to have been nominated before, the beautiful and gifted Penelope Cruz, was honored for playing “Daniel Day-Lewis’ “mistress” in the musical Nine, a film that was otherwise ignored. Cruz earned her nomination with an impressive and diversified turn here in Rob Marshall’s glitzy flick, but this is a case where the “nomination is the prize” rather than there being any realistic expectation for Cruz to come home with the big prize.
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The Nominees For Best Supporting Actress…
Nominated Role…
The Nominees For Best Supporting Actress…
Nominated Role…
Penélope Cruz portrays Carla, the passionate “mistress” of a married film director.
In The Musical Nine
Ms. Cruz…Academy Awards History
This is the third Academy Award nomination for Penélope Cruz. She was previously nominated for:
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (2008) — Winner, Actress in a Supporting Role
VOLVER (2006) — Nominee, Actress in a Leading Role
Nominated Role…
As Alex Goran, Vera Farmiga plays a business traveler who begins a no-strings-attached affair with a man she meets in a hotel bar. In “Up in the Air.”
Ms. Goran…Academy Awards History
This is the first Academy Award nomination for Vera Farmiga.
Nominated Role…
Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Jean Craddock, a journalist whose love and admiration for a broken-down country-western singer may change his life…In “Crazy Heart.”
Ms. Gyllenhaal…Academy Awards History.
This is the first Academy Award nomination for Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Nominated Role…
As Natalie Keener, Anna Kendrick plays an ambitious but inexperienced young woman who is sent on an eye-opening series of trips with a veteran colleague. In “Up in the Air.”
Ms. Kendrick…Academy Awards History
This is the first Academy Award nomination for Anna Kendrick.
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Sam Juliano…Predicts The Winner Will Be…
According to Sam Juliano…That leaves Mo’Nique, who played conflicted and abusive Mary, mother of a violated Harlem teenager named “Precious” (Gabourney Sidibe was nominated as Best Actress for her role here). The impression that Mo’Nique leaves is one of shock and horror, and the actress takes full advantage of this ‘feast of a role’ which won her many awards from critics’ groups as well as the vital SAG (Screen Actors Guild), the Golden Globe, and most recently the BAFTA (British Academy Award). The fact that she really knows how to speak too, having delivered moving acceptance presentations at the Globes and SAG, also endears her to many, and coupled with her electrifying performance in a showy role, her win here is really a no-brainer, and one of the night’s true “locks.”
Sam Juliano…Predicts The Winner Will Be:
Mo’Nique, in Precious
Sam Juliano…Personal Choice:
Mo’Nique, in Precious.
Note: I wasn’t the biggest fan of the film “Precious” but I’ll admit that Mo’Nique was a powerhouse.
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Nominated Role:
Mo’Nique portrays Mary, an abusive mother whose cruel behavior has had a devastating effect on her pregnant teenage daughter.
Ms. Mo’Nique…Academy Awards History
This is the first Academy Award nomination for Mo’Nique.
Once again…Now that Sam Juliano, have announced his prediction…Now it’s your turn to go over to the poll and vote too!
Do you agree with Sam Juliano’s prediction? If not, tell the Wonders in the Dark readers, Why not…or tell them why you do agree with Sam Juliano’s prediction?
Thanks,
The images are courtesy of Oscar@.com
A safe bet Sam. She was convincingly nasty in this film.
Oh absolutely John! As horrifying as any on-screen character. She is the one to go with!
Great write-up, Sam. I think Supporting Actress is one of the weaker categories at this year’s Oscars, maybe because its conclusion seems so foregone. I certainly agree that Mo’Nique will win (never bet against a person who’s, like, won every film award in existence). It’s the kind of supporting performance that includes one powerful monologue that wins awards, which is why I’m immediately wary.
Maybe I’m inadvertently skewed because I saw “Precious” so late in the awards season (and like you, didn’t care much for it). It’s not that Mo’Nique isn’t good; she is, and when she wins, I’ll be perfectly content. But it doesn’t strike me as a great performance because it’s all surface—surface anger, surface jealousy, surface regret. I see her character and experience her emotions as a viewer but I never felt as if I was experiencing her character internally experience her emotions. Gabourey Sidibe in the same film is a good point of reference; instead of being explosive and evil, she’s injured and inward. When I saw Sidibe’s face playing Precious in the film, I saw a face with a constant stream of emotions flowing beneath it and a constant fight to suppress those emotions. It’s the better performance in a film that, as you say and I agree, wasn’t that great.
But the point is moot, I suppose. She’ll win, and I’ll applaud and beam and feel great for her, all the while never having an interest in seeing her performance again.
T.S., thanks for that fabulous (dead-on) assessment, which I also happen to agree with! Yes, alas, this seems to be the weekest of the four acting categories this year, certainly not as formidable as the lead actresses, where several great performances weren’t even nominated. (i.e. Catalina Saavedra in THE MAID, Abbie Cornish in BRIGHT STAR, Yolande Moreay in SERAPHINE, Charlotte Gainsborough in ANTICHRIST) Outside of the five supporting performances that were named, only Julianne Moore was actually left, so they basically nominated the only valid performances out there, which of course shows the available choices were extremely limited. As far as Mo’Nique, T.S., at least we know we’ll get a touching acceptance speech!!!
How are you my friend? It’s great to see you around! I know you’ve been busy with work and real life, but I still hope you’ll be getting back to Buster and company when time is available. You and your superlative writing is sorely missed in the blogosphere!
I’m doing well, thanks for asking! Yes, as you say, I’ve been swamped as ever. I’m a very poor multi-tasker, and devoting myself to short fiction for my thesis typically drains me of energy to write about film. I wanted to be on track to publish a best-of-09 next week, but I’ve too many films left to see.
I have, however, kept up with the Oscar films and will have predictions/preferences coming ahead of the show. I missed “A Single Man” when it was playing locally (drats!), but I’ll be catching the short films — live-action and animated — this weekend. In a strange turn of events, I probably won’t be able to watch the Oscar ceremony because my wife and I will be at sea (literally) at that time. Looking forward to more here, plus a return to regular blogging soon.
T.S., I’ll be watching closely for your return, and of course for your pre-Oscar analyis! Good Luck with that short-fiction thesis, which admittedly at this time is far more important than film writing!!! But we’ll be here when time allows you to compose. That’s too bad that you will be “out at sea” on Oscar night, but I think you and I both know how most of this will be panning out. So have a great trip!
Lucille and I and three of the kids are heading to a local theatre tonight to see the ‘Oscar nominated animated shorts.’ Tomorrow night we will be seeing the Oscar nominated live shorts with our friend, so this will at least enable me to have my own opinion. I’ve not seen any of these yet. Hopefully we’ll be able to compare notes, my friend. Thanks again!
MONIQUE is such a lock that the only thing that could keep her from clutching the award Oscar night would be a Taliban sniper positioned with rifle on the red carpet, or she would have to be abducted by UFO’s. Interesting, though, Gyllenhaal who was basically considered for an outside chance of a nomination IS really the only one that could best Monique should the Academy run wild. Now, should the Academy pull Gyllenhaals name from the envelope; then George Clooney for UP IN THE AIR will frag CRAZY HEART favorite, Jeff Bridges, for the BEST ACTOR prize. Crazy, I know, but that’s the kind of Rubix Cube mentality the Oscars adhere’s to. I fully agree with Sam’s prediction here. NICE LAYOUT, DEE-DEE!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha! Dennis! Good one! This year’s ceremony will probably be the most predictable on record, which in a sense is rather a bummer. But this category has absolutely been spoken for!
Couldn’t she still win posthomously, ala Peter Finch?
Yeah, I think that Mo’Nique is pretty much a lock for this one. I was really surprised at Maggie Gyllenhaal’s nomination. While I like her a lot I didn’t feel that her turn in CRAZY HEART was really all that Oscar-worthy. Certainly not as impressive as Julianne Moore’s in A SINGLE MAN. And speaking of Moore isn’t she about due for an Oscar? I always felt that she should’ve won a Best Supporting award for MAGNOLIA.
Ah J.D., I also LOVE Julianne Moore, and indeed she was great in MAGNOLIA and BOOGIE NIGHT, and could have rightly one for either. But as you may recall she was actually the “favorite” to win BEST ACTRESS in 2002 for FAR FROM HEAVEN, but was overtaken by Nicole Kidman for THE HOURS, a decision that had me yelling expletives at the television screen! Yes, I also agree that Ms. Moore deserved the nod over Ms. Gyllenthal, and in fact several others in there.
Thanks as always J.D. for the acute insights!
Hi! Sam Juliano,
I guess that I have to second your notion…when it comes to your prediction here too…for best supporting actress.
DeeDee
Cont…
Absolutely Dee Dee.
Once again, your presentation here with the pictures and the lay-out and the use of bold captions was spectacular and I thank you so much for it! The time you’ve put into this project was remarkable, but typical for someone as generous and gracious as you. My deepest thanks! And of course Tony again came through on the side-bar!! Many thanks to him as well!
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Hi! Dennis,
I hope that you don’t “flip”…after reading this…but
thank-you, for the compliment…and the “shout” out!
DeeDee
LOL Dee Dee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are the best.
Thank you DEE DEE
Sam,
Do you have this much snow in New Jersey…yet?
Still Snowing
By the way, Thanks for the compliment too…I “bow” Oops! I mean “curtsy” to you…too!
Definition of: To bend the knees, with one foot behind the other, as a gesture of respect. Women curtsy in formal situations where men bow, e.g. when acknowledging the applause of an audience after performing on stage, or when meeting royalty.
DeeDee
Dee Dee: The snow has finally stopped, and the plows have done a great job, so that almost all accessways now are black-topped. Rumour is that on Tuesday th etemperature will rise into the 40′s, so that much of what is left will be further melted down. But this was an incredible storm that during peak hours was dropping two inches an hour! Thanks so much for asking!
Your definition of “curtsy” my friend, has me smiling from ear to ear!!!
At last count, DEE DEE, we clocked three feet of snow. While the roads have finally been cleared and black-top is showing, the immediate landscape looks like something out of Stanley Kubrick’s movie THE SHINING. There’s white stuff piled up as tall as ten feet from people shoveling off walk ways, digging out cars (fortunately I don’t own one) and plowing drive-ways and parking lots. Sam was asked not to wear his brown coat today as, should he be walking outside, Lucille was worried he would be mistaken for the ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN and shot on site. The local ELKS club has been looking for a new head for their mantle piece and we were all worried Sam’s head would be mistaken for their grand prize! In any case, we’re all staying in-doors, drinking cocoa and waiting till the sun comes up.
THE SHINING? Yes indeed Dennis, though three-feet is a bit overastated. But this was a MAJOR storm for sure!
DEE DEE and readers at WITD. Julianne Moore is often the bridesmaid but never the bride. She pretty much reamed through the critics prizes for her turn in FAR FROM HEAVEN, but was unfairly trumped by Nicole Kidman after HER wins at the Gilden Globes for her work in THE HOURS. The Globes sealed the deal on Kidman at the Oscars. We had hope that Moore would stronghold it though but, alas, Kidman’s popularity was too much to get around. Sam stormed through the house when Kidman’s name was pulled. He threatened mass murder on the Academy and anyone else within an arms distance. Lucille had to hold him back from kicking in the television at one point, and the rest of the crowd filed out of the house afraid that Schmulee was gonna try to drown one of them in a pot of escarole and beans sitting on the buffet table. He was a broken man after that fateful night. There’s a shrine to Julianne Moore in one of the closets of the main floor of his house. He crosses himself and says the LORDS PRAYER every time he passes.
LOL Dennis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dennis said,”While the roads have finally been cleared and black-top is showing, the immediate landscape looks like something out of Stanley Kubrick’s movie THE SHINING. There’s white stuff piled up as tall as ten feet from people shoveling off walk ways, digging out…”
Hi! Dennis,
Wow…From your description can that officially be called a…
white-out?
…”In any case, we’re all staying in-doors, drinking cocoa and waiting till the sun comes up.”
Hmmm…
…My advice would have been…stay inside, keep warm and drink plenty of cocoa,(and eat croissants…Well, I don’t know if you will eat croissants. ) but it’s obvious that you are doing that already!
Take care!
DeeDee
Coffee and croissants is always a winning combo during weather like this Dee Dee!! Of course I can never seem to stay put, and I am leaving the house in maybe 40 minutes (without having finished the Actress round-up, though I will rectify that situation during the day hours tomorrow) with Lucille and afew of the kids to see the Oscar-nominated animated shorts!
Thanks, as always!
See, DEE DEE, you can’t keep Sam down. Does it matter that by the time he gets out to Montclair the theatres will already be closed due to minimal attendance? NO! Does it matter AT ALL, that the roads are still slippery and it’ll take twice the time to get out there? NO! Has he even considered that he’ll probably find no parking in Montclair, park illegally on a main road and probably find the car towed when he gets back to it? NO! This is Schmulee. Things like this never cross his mind. Although I’ll laugh my ass off if he ends up stranded in Montclair!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!! Best part is, knowing those kids, they’d probably rather stay at home with PLAYSTATION!!!!!! Why just last week, they had a celebration because Dan (Sam’s little Psycho)n beheaded and tortured more cops on GRAND THEFT AUTO in the history of the game. To celebrate, Lucille put out a spread. Potato Chips, Soda, Ice Cream and a plate of Bullets for everyone to knosh on. A truly great American Family.
Yes, DEE DEE, this is considered a WHITE OUT. Governor Christy declared the storms results as a STATE OF EMERGENCY and ALL DPW workers are plowing and sanding round the clock. Both PSEG and VERIZON are out in force to tend to the many power and telephone outages that have been occuring due to fallen trees and branches. Sam stood over Lucille and the kids for an hour, dressed in Roman smock and sandles, whip in hand, to make sure they dug his car out to HIS specifications. He tossed them crumbs from his tuna sandwich asa reward for their labor. Other than that, everyone is really keeping inside. The main roads are seeing construction plows and dump trucks lifting and moving the giant piles of snow. Mass transit is slowly but surely coming back on schedule. Of course, Sam is out and driving. I caught him piling senior citizens at the local supermarket into his van and taking them home. FOR 25 DOLLARS A HEAD!!!!!! I tell ya, Sam’s a pillar of the community….
SAM-I disagree, slightly, with your statement. Julianne Moore WAS NOT the only Supporting Actress that was left out. Penelope Cruz/Anna Kendrick gave serviceable performances at best. They could have easily been replaced by MOORE. But, there was also the terrifically dramatic SAMANTHA MORTON (always formiddable whenever she makes a film, a GREAT character actress) in THE MESSENGER. And, as an AVATAR fan, I’m surprized that you forgot to mention the very good SIGOURNEY WEAVER. Her performance in that film was one of the emotional strengths in a story reliant on emotional strengths. Personally, if I had to pick an actress from NINE, I would have chosen MARION COTILLARD as the directors suffering wife. She balanced the musical nuances perfectly (she’s a veteran of musical portrayals-OSCAR WINNER 2007 BEST ACTRESS-as Edith Piaf in LA VIE EN ROSE) with the dramatic moments. I think some of the nominees in this category could have been displaced for better choices. Still, no matter, MONIQUE wins anyway.
I don’t think there is any question that MONIQUE will prevail, but the others nominated here should feel as if they were winners to make the short list. The acting races really do look like they are decided.
Monique in a landslide.
Dee Dee’s work here with the pictures and statistics is most impressive.
I’m still not 100% sold on EVERY acting category. I agree that MONIQUE, CHRISTOPH WALTZ and our dear JEFF BRIDGES are locked into place. However, the BEST ACTRESS category could yield a surprize. Sandra Bulloch may have the GLOBE and SAG, but she landed NONE of the critics prizes as they were split between MERYL STREEP (JULIE AND JULIA) and CARY MULLIGEN (AN EDUCATION). Mulligen got the best notices of any Actress in this category and Streep is widely regarded as the greatest actress alive. I don’t know. I think Bulloch will PROBABLY prevail as she’s been wining and dining everyone under the sun in Hollywood. However, her performance in THE BLIND SIDE is pedestrian at best, and she’s no great actress. If her POPULARITY fails, a long shot, then prepare to see Cary Mulligen snag it. Streep is out, the Academy hates her for so much early success.
Hi! Peter.
Peter said,”Monique in a landslide.”
I agree with you…
…Dee Dee’s work here with the pictures and statistics is most impressive.
…Merci, beaucoup!
(Thank-you much!)
Hi! Dennis,
Let me chime in with my two cents again…
…Dennis said,”I’m still not 100% sold on EVERY acting category. I agree that MONIQUE, CHRISTOPH WALTZ and our dear JEFF BRIDGES are locked into place.”
I agree with what you say here…
…However, the BEST ACTRESS category could yield a surprize. Sandra Bullock may have the GLOBE and SAG, but she landed NONE of the critics prizes as they were split between MERYL STREEP (JULIE AND JULIA) and CARY MULLIGAN (AN EDUCATION)…”
…Once again, I agree with you, I don’t think that actress Sandra Bullock, have the “win locked in place” neither…Because I have overheard some people out there in the blogosphere, predicting that actress Meryl Streep, may take home Oscar@ gold and the reason…Streep, portrayal of French cook Julia Childs, was right “on target” and hit the “bulleye” and you know how much
(H)ollywood like to give the award to actors/actresses, who take on the persona of another person.
For instance, Sissy Spacek,(singer Loretta Lynn), Jamie Foxx (singer Ray Charles), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (author/writer Truman Capote), Charlize Theron, (portrayed the killer…and once again it brings me back to snapping my two fingers…together!),
but here is were we part company…(Just around the edges…)
Dennis said,”Mulligan got the best notices of any Actress in this category Streep is out, the Academy hates her for so much early success.”
I don’t think that the Academy (of her peers) “hate” her (Streep)…or she would have never taken home those two Oscars@ and placed them on her mantle. (Unless of course, you are privy to some behind the scene information that we aren’t aware of… If so, please share!) ( I’am Smiling!)
DeeDee
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