Counting down to Oscar: Best supporting actress nominees

Already owning an Oscar for As Good As It Gets, a dramedy, Hunt moves further away from her comedic roots, as a sex surrogate, employed by a poet and author forced to live in an iron lung, who wants her to assist him in losing his virginity.  But as she gets to know the unique man that he is, feelings can't help but get involved.As Fantine in Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway brings raw emotion to a role that was one of the most coveted in recent Hollywood memory.  After surviving the process, she delivered what is arguably the performance of her still surging career. Whether that transfers to Oscar gold remains to be seen. The most experienced and acclaimed actress on this list, Field has two Oscars for roles in Places in the Heart and Norma Rae and this could very well be her third.  As Mary Todd Lincoln, she is the epitome of strength for her husband - Pres. Abraham Lincoln - and vulnerability.  She literal possesses two distinct faces. View the list »
Amy Adams portrays the woman behind a meglomaniacal cult leader who has more power than she lets on in this subtle, yet substantial portrayal in The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson's most recent film. Her resume includes nominations for The Fighter, Doubt and Junebug.

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Film geeks rejoice: the Academy Awards are nigh.
Hollywood’s biggest night arrive Sunday and the field has never been as wide open as this year – or so it appears. The movies and actresses represented in the supporting role category are a wide range of acting experience. Two of the five actresses – Helen Hunt and Sally Field – own three golden statuettes between them. The others have all been nominated. Jacki Weaver, has one Oscar nomination to her name and though her name may not be familiar, the face is. Anne Hathaway has been a recognizable face since she enjoyed success in Disney films during the mid-90s and also owns a nomination for Rachel Getting Married in 2008. To say that’s she’s grown up would be a bit of an understatement. And Amy Adams receives critical acclaim, as her previous three nominations attest, for every role in which she appears, even if the movie is of dubious quality. We wait until Sunday beginning at 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Channel 5 locally) to see who takes the Oscar.

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  • Amy Adams portrays the woman behind a meglomaniacal cult leader who has more power than she lets on in this subtle, yet substantial portrayal in The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson's most recent film. Her resume includes nominations for The Fighter, Doubt and Junebug.
  • The most experienced and acclaimed actress on this list, Field has two Oscars for roles in Places in the Heart and Norma Rae and this could very well be her third.  As Mary Todd Lincoln, she is the epitome of strength for her husband - Pres. Abraham Lincoln - and vulnerability.  She literal possesses two distinct faces. 
  • As Fantine in Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway brings raw emotion to a role that was one of the most coveted in recent Hollywood memory.  After surviving the process, she delivered what is arguably the performance of her still surging career. Whether that transfers to Oscar gold remains to be seen. 
  • Already owning an Oscar for As Good As It Gets, a dramedy, Hunt moves further away from her comedic roots, as a sex surrogate, employed by a poet and author forced to live in an iron lung, who wants her to assist him in losing his virginity.  But as she gets to know the unique man that he is, feelings can't help but get involved.
  • Weaver is a working actress' actress.  She's worked in movies and television on a regular basis, but it's a sure bet that she'll get more looks in supporting film roles because of her portrayal of a Philadelphia mother trying to help her bipolar son ease back into life after his return from a mental institution while helping him and his father get closer.  
View the list

, Cleveland Movie Examiner

George M. Thomas reviewed movies and covered the business of movies for area newspapers for 12 years. For seven of those years, the Knight Ridder Tribune news service syndicated much of his work, including two columns. An eight-year member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), he’s...

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