And now it’s finally time to round off this mini-series with the Best Supporting Actress award. We’ve got an exciting list of supporting ladies this year, and all of them have put on great performances, but as with all competitions, only one can win. Without further ado, let’s see who will come out on top and walk away with the prize this Sunday.
The Contenders: Bérénice Bejo – The Artist, Jessica Chastain – The Help, Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids, Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs, Octavia Spencer – The Help
The Front Runner: Jessica Chastain had a very successful year, bringing in huge amounts of positive feedback from her roles in The Debt, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter and of course, The Help. Many feel that she should have been nominated for her role in Take Shelter, but her performance as the ditzy but kind-hearted Celia Foote in The Help was a delight to watch. Chastain punctuated the drama with feel good moments that helped prevent the film from being too melodramatic. Her other great roles this year just prove how much acting talent she has, so there is really no reason why Chastain won’t have a good shot at winning the prize. The biggest competition to Chastain is perhaps her co-star, Octavia Spencer. Those who have seen the film will agree that she was a scene stealer (I’m referring especially to the chocolate pie scene) and it’s nice to see the Academy giving attention to a comedic role. It will be interesting to see which of these two will win, but either actress is a most definitely worthy of the prize.
Worth Mentioning: As the quirky up-and-coming talkie sensation Peppy Miller in The Artist, Bérénice Bejo shares the “rising-star” appeal of her on-screen character. It’s not easy starring in a silent film these days, and Bejo gave a laudatory performance that was both expressive and emotive. Given all the attention The Artist has gotten, it’s not surprising that Bejo is swept up in the Oscar fever surrounding the film. Not only has she got that working for her, her performance is silently exquisite and a great breakout role for her. Even if she won’t be winning the prize, she’s certainly going to be an actress to watch in the coming years. Janet McTeer’s performance has also gotten positive reviews and many said she outshone Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs. It was a brave performance, and McTeer managed to convincingly play the gender-bending role, capturing all of the nuances of a woman who lives her life as a man. The film hasn’t been getting a whole lot of attention, however, and this might work against her on Oscar night.
Probably Won’t Win: As I’ve mentioned previously, comedic roles do not get a lot of attention at the Academy Awards, which makes Melissa McCarthy’s nomination a pleasant surprise. Her performance as the raunchy Megan in Bridesmaids is both fearless and memorable. Her role has gotten several nods from other awards circles, but she has not actually won any of the prizes she has been nominated for (she was passed over for a BAFTA, Critic’s Choice, and Screen Actor’s Guild awards). If this is the case, McCarthy will probably not win the Oscar either, but since nothing is set in stone, anything could happen.
Snubs Galore: As with the other acting categories, there are several snubs in the Best Supporting Actress list including Vanessa Redgrave in Coriolanus, Carey Mulligan in Shame, and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants. Jessica Chastain’s performance in Take Shelter should also be added to the list because while her role in The Help was good, many feel that her performance in Take Shelter was more worthy of the nomination.
