Best Supporting Actress. My Ballot
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 1:20PM I'm so tardy with my own awards. I generally get all the major stuff up before Oscar nominations but no such luck this year. I'll try to throw up at least one category per day now so we can finish this month. The actress categories were TORTURE this year because there were definitely more than 5 award-worthy performances per. In fact, the performances were so good this year that it's really too bad they couldn't have been spread out over the past few years when the pickings were slimmer. I'm not finished with lead actress but Supporting Actress was easier. As is the tradition, I only list 12 women as nominees, finalists, and semi-finalists. I could've gone to 20. These are the dozen best in my estimation for the Film Bitch Awards...
Amy & Melissa, Acting Heavyweights for "The Fighter"
- Amy Adams, The Fighter
- Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone
- Anne Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy
- Kirsten Dunst, All Good Things
- Kimberly Elise, For Colored Girls
- Ann Guilbert, Please Give
- Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
- Melissa Leo, The Fighter
- Rosamund Pike, Made in Dagenham
- Mia Wasikowska, The Kids Are All Right
- Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
- Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer
And even then I had no room for fine work from two of my favorite actresses: Dianne Wiest (Rabbit Hole) and Kristin Scott Thomas (Nowhere Boy). Apologies! Awardage is a hair-tearing teeth-gnashing business when you love too many too much and too often.
Who made your list? Do you share the love of these performances?
Reader Comments (48)
In order of preference:
*Dale Dickey
*Charlotte Rampling
*Barbara Hersey
*Mia Wasikowski
*Anne Guilbert
Dale Dickey - Winter's Bone - (My second favorite.)
Barbara Hershey - Black Swan
Mila Kunis - Black Swan - (My favorite)
Rooney Mara - The Social Network (My third favorite.)
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
I was 4/5 on my nomination predictions for you-- I was pretty certain you'd nominate Dunst instead of Elise. Oh well! Nice group anyway!
Kimberly Elise's nomination make me SOOOO glad I kept urging you to see "For Colored Girls." I can't say I disagree with any of your choices, though I have yet to see "Ghost Writer."
I assume the lack of mention of Lesley Manville means you ruled her a lead for your own awards. Care to explain your reasoning for that? I'm having trouble classifying her for my own personal awards.
If I was picking someone from For Colored Girls, I think I'd go with Anika Noni Rose. She was so sweet and captivating in the first half and (despite how crassly manipulative the film laid out her story) she was devastating in the second half.
Also, I think the costumes from For Colored Girls were worthy of a nomination. Really liked them.
And I love the recognition for Olivia Williams and Barbara Hershey. It depresses me that neither of them could get much traction this year.
@Will: I concur. I loved Anika as well.
Awesome, that is person for person my list too. Except for Kimberly Elise, as I haven't seen FCG.
Jonny -- i just felt that Manville takes up too much space to be supporting. She's an energy vampire like Melissa Leo in The Fighter but she's in so many scenes and then she even kind of gets the end to herself.
Troy -- i'm glad i saw For Colored Girls (one more nomination coming up) but it's really quite a mess direction/script wise. A few of hte actors survive looking great but the film isn't helping them. But Elise. WOW. talk about seamless (in a way the other performers couldn't manage in such a crazily uneven film)
What about Mila Kunis in Black Swan?
My 5:
Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Olivia Williams, "The Ghost Writer"
Mila Kunis, "Black Swan"
Barbara Hershey, "Black Swan"
Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"
Too much of a soft spot with Mila to take her out, and thought Melissa Leo overdid it a bit (though she did fine and I've liked her much better in other things).
Mia Wasikowska was a bit meh and strained; I wanted her scenes to be over so we could see more of the Ruffalo-Moore-Bening triangle.
@Nathaniel: I definitely agree. The term that immediately came to my mind upon seeing the film was "beautiful mess." Tyler Perry always seems to get in the way of his actors' performances.
Speaking of Rabbit Hole, has anyone seen or read the play? Izzy (Nicole Kidman's sister) had a MUCH larger part in it and when the movie was announced I was expecting big things (ahem, nominations) for the actress playing her...but then I saw the movie and she's hardly in it. WTF. All of her scenes in the play were hilarious, poignant, and meaningful...does anyone else share my anger/frustration?
oh, and great choices, Nathaniel. Amy, Jacki, and Melissa FTW. Haven't seen Olivia Williams and I avoided For Colored Girls like the plague.
Love Olivia Williams and Jackie Weaver's inclusions...but if Weaver could be expected, Williams is a such good surprise, since, if not really overlooke, she hasn't received her due during the awards season
With due respect to Kunis's Fans. Yes, she did train ballet for almost a year but her performance was like so-so. I got high expectation for her since I read a few articles that she out shine Portmann. It didn't leave "wow" impression on me. Her role was a rebel chick and anybody can pull that off easily.
I have to admit to not seeing Animal Kingdom yet...there is a wait for it on netflix.
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Marion Cottillard, Inception
Rooney Mara, The Social Network
Mia Waikowska, The Kids Are All Right
Dianne Wiest, Rabbit Hole
I was somewhat surprised that KiKi was only a semi-finalist. But yay for her being included.
It thrills me to pieces that you included For Colored Girls as a nominee. Even I could not find room for it in my supporting actress lineup (tho i did costumes, art direction and ensemble), so I kept hoping that others would take up the cry. It's a messy, uneven film, but when it shines it's like diamonds. Kimberly Elise is terribly underrated.
Lovely to see mention of Ann Guilbert and Rosamund Pike.
And nice to see the absence of Mila Kunis.
I loved Kerry Washington in "Mother and Child." She's another actress of color, like Kimberly Elise and Thandie Newton, who never seems to get her due.
My definites would be:
- Amy Adams, The Fighter
- Melissa Leo, The Fighter
- Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
- Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer
And probably Naomi Watts, Mother and Child. (Although Kirsten Dunst and Rooney Mara sure stay with you, and I haven't seen FCG or MID yet.)
Oh, how I wish Dale Dickey got your nomination. It's my favorite supporting role of the year, and the only one that made me go on Google as soon as I got home to find out more about the actress.
Glancing through the comments here has reminded me of a few I would've forgotten otherwise. E.g., Charlotte Rampling gets only 1 scene in Life During Wartime, and she practically steals the whole movie. (She's also good in Never Let Me Go.)
I couldn't agree more with Olivia Williams and Dale Dickey; Rooney Mara did SO MUCH with her sadly limited screen time, and I can't wait to see what she does with a whole movie; I take Mila Kunis over Hershey, though both were outstanding; and finally, I absolutely loved Amanda Peet as the bitchiest of bitches in Please Give. What an ensemble that movie had.
LOVED Mia Wasikowska! So underrated, deserved to be nominated along with Bening and Ruffalo, especially in such a boring category lineup this year.
I'm glad that you didn't forgit Anne-Marie Duff in "Nowhere Boy." Of course Kristin Scott-Thomas was good in that film...she always is. However, what really knocked me out was Duff's performance, which was just so...right for the role.
I just don't get the love for Mila Kunis in BS. I mean, everyone has seen her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, right? Their characters aren't that different.
Raul -- i looked her up too! what a great face.
Dale Dickey - Winter's Bone
Greta Gerwig - Greenberg
Barbara Hershey - Black Swan
Amanda Peet - Please Give
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
My next tier (just misses): Amy Adams (The Fighter), Kirsten Dunst (All Good Things), Ann Guilbert (Please Give), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Rooney Mara (The Social Network)
In order of the best to the less best.
Marion Cotillard
Amy Adams
Melissa Leo
Jacki Weaver
Rooney Mara
Dale Dickey
Tammy Blanchard (Rabbit Hole)
Donna Murphy (Tangled)
I have yet to see True Grit, Another Year, and The Ghost Writer. I have no intention of sitting through For Coloured Girls.
Winona Ryder – Black Swan
Janet Jackson – For Colored Girls
Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
Marisa Tomei – Cyrus
Speaking of Kristin Scott Thomas, did you see this fun photo shoot she did a couple of months ago? http://fashiontography.blogspot.com/2010/12/kristin-scott-thomas-by-max-farago.html (Sorry but I don't know how to post actual links : / )
Her performance in "Nowhere Boy" was definitely in my top 5 supporting, with Anne Marie Duff not far behind. I'm really glad she's getting more work in French films these days. I just wish they'd make it over to the states more quickly.
It took a long time before what, exactly, Dale Dickey pulled off in Winter's Bone kicked in for me. Now I love the performance. I almost missed it because her character is so directly linked to plot developments, but now I see the light.
Or maybe I'm just selfishly trying to give Winter's Bone as many personal nods as I can. I still need to see The Last Exorcism (tonight) and Animal Kingdom (Friday or Saturday) to finalize my list.
@Nathaniel - I haven't seen Winters Bone yet but need to if ONLY because Dale Dickey is in it. I had just finished watching the last season of "My Name is Earl" on Netflix, and Dickey is a comic gem in it: "Patty the Daytime Hooker". I think the producers must have realized it because her appearances became more frequent as the series went along. Makes me all kinds of happy that she's getting work on the big screen.
Wonderful and deserving lineup with delicious commentary. I’m definitely gonna have to see FOR COLORED GIRLS now.
As an aside; “Showboating is appropriate when your character is ‘a character’” Yes! So why is Sharon Stone accused of “overdoing it” for her admittedly effortful but honest embodiment of Ginger McKenna (aka Gerry McGee Rosenthal in real life) in CASINO? I know ’95 was a glorious year for female lead performances (perhaps, even stronger than this year) but Stone’s nomination was richly reserved in my opinion.
Anyway, I’m on pins-and-needles for the Film Bitch Best Actress lineup… Bening and Kidman are obviously in and assuming Portman and Steen are safe, I’m sensing an insanely close 4-way battle between Williams, Hye-Ja, Swinton and Moore for the last two spots.
^ rather, 'last spot'. my bad
my personal ballot:
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (silver)
Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE (bronze)
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN (gold)
Paprika Steen, APPLAUS
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER (bronze)
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER (silver)
Aggeliki Papoulia, DOGTOOTH
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM (gold)
Olivia Williams, THE GHOST WRITER
Marion Cotillard wow'd me and everyday i change my mind between me being Team Amy or Team Melissa. I think Steinfield will take the oscar btw. Jus sayin.
I'm sad there aren't enough Asian film released last year (or every year), otherwise I'm sure both "Confessions" and "Villain" would get tons of Film Bitch Awards noms...
Hao Lei, “The Fourth Portrait”
Mitsushima Hikari, “Villain”
Naomi Watts, “Mother and Child”
Yoon Yeo-jeong, “The Housemaid”
Kimura Yoshino, “Confesssions”
I even liked Kristin Scott Thomas a bit better than Anne Marie Duff in Nowhere Boy. I thought it was fantastic how she made that stiff, initially "unlikable" character so human and complex and moving. Wonderful work. Both her and Duff make my line-up probably, but I haven't seen enough and I wish I could put them to last year like BAFTA did -- there was so much room and they'd easily knock the Up in the Air girls out (well... Farmiga. Kendrick wouldn't be in my line-up anyway.)
Joy -- the Housemaid just opened here!
I really love the potential combinations in this category from such a rich and surprising litany of ladies.
Having not seen Animal Kingdom or The Ghost Writer right now I'm sticking with:
Runner's Up: Anika Noni Rose "For Colored Girls" (One really great monologue) and Dianne Wiest "Rabbit Hole"
Amy Adams "The Fighter"
Marion Cotillard "Inception"
Kimberly Elise "For Colored Girls"
Mila Kunis "Black Swan"
Amanda Peet "Please Give"
Loving this, although I feel so strange not being on the Melissa Leo train. I'm usually so on to performances like hers. I much preferred Amy Adams. Adams would be in my top 5 with Dale Dickey, Elle Fanning, Maggie Q and Jacki Weaver. Very honourable mentions to Julianna Margulies, Mia Wasikowska, Kimberley Elise, Kiersten Wareing and Charlotte Rampling.
Cannot wait for actress. I need it now through IV.
Wasikowska is a co-lead for me. So's Ruffalo and Garfield in The Social Network. Hoping to see Winter's Bone soon.
So far, my personal ballot is:
Weaver
Mara
Williams
Guilbert
Peet
(The Fighter will almost certainly change my opinion. For Coloured Girls, though? I'm unlikely to see any Tyler Perry until either 1. he gets re-evaluated or 2. RT shows a critical quorum has fallen for his latest.)
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone
Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Rooney Mara, The Social Network
I agree that it's really REALLY tough to pick just five...which is a great sign, because there were many fine supporting performances from actresses this year.
I really do respect the ferocious commitment of Melissa Leo's performance and she will be a worthy Oscar winner, but I found her at times to be a bit shrill and over-the-top...and I know that supposedly she underplays the part (compared to the real Alice)...
Dianne Wiest's final monologue in Rabbit Hole nearly brought me to tears. She's wonderful in that role. Olivia Williams is cold calculated brilliance in The Ghost Writer. I also thought both Kerry Washington and Naomi Watts were fantastic in Mother and Child, even if the film was a hot mess for me...
...Even though I love Helena Bonham Carter, I don't find her performance particularly award worthy. I admire the humor and confidence she brought to her underwritten role, but I wasn't particularly wowed.
I have yet to see Animal Kingdom (I know, I should get on that. I need to see what all the buzz is about for Jacki Weaver) and For Colored Girls.
And in my opinion Hailee Steinfeld gave what is unquestionably the most overrated performance of the year. I seriously am baffled by the unanimous praise she's gotten. At times, I even thought she was unwatchable...
@ Glenn. I'm so glad you mentioned Elle Fanning. Totally forgot about her. She was very impressive in Somewhere. Such a natural and unaffected performance...totally mixed well with Sofia Coppola's meditative approach.
Nathaniel, I always look forward to your thoughts on this category, as it's my own personal favorite of the 4.
My Top Ten Supporting Female Performances
1. Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
2. Melissa Leo in The Fighter
3. Rebecca Hall in Please Give
4. Amanda Peet in Please Give
5. Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer
6. Imelda Staunton in Another Year
7. Dale Dickey in Winter's Bone
8. Dianne Wiest in Rabbit Hole
9. Amy Ryan in Jack Goes Boating
10. Ann Guilbert in Please Give