Sometimes it's hard to be a woman...
Best Actress:
2005 will surely be remembered as one of the worst years in living memory for actresses in Hollywood. There is a frightening dearth of decent roles this year, the weakest in over a decade.
Even in recent years, where there was some competition, the eventual winners were all beautiful actresses who had to 'dress down' or 'go ugly' in order to win. Hilary Swank won her first Best Actress Oscar for playing a transexual in Boys Don't Cry (1999) ; Halle Berry scrubbed down for her role in Monsters' Ball (2001) ; Nicole Kidman famously donned a prosthetic nose to play Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002) and Charlize Theron underwent a remarkable transformation for her Oscar winning portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003).
The miserable selection of performances that could be considered legitimately award worthy means that just about any female performance could sneak in this year.
Rom-com queen Reese Witherspoon is the early favourite for her role as long suffering June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, a performance that has comprehensively silenced the critics who said Witherspoon couldn't do drama. The awards recently have all gone to young actresses so she could well be crowned this year.
Former winners Charlize Theron and Gwyneth Paltrow are potential nominees for movies that have not exactly overwhelmed critics - Theron as a striking miner in North Country and Paltrow for the adaptation of stage-play Proof. Similarly Desperate Housewife Felicity Huffman has received good reviews for playing a transexual in Transamerica, a road movie that has divided critics. Huffman has the gargantuan Miramax publicity machine behind her plus an Emmy winning role in a high profile TV show so she stands a good chance.
Another youngun, Claire Danes, has gotten raves for her role opposite Steve Martin in Shopgirl as has past nominee Joan Allen for The Upside of Anger. The Brits will be angling for nominations for The Jaw aka Keira Knightley for Pride and Prejudice (which has gone done a storm on both sides of the Atlantic) and for perennial nominee/winner Dame Judi Dench for the so-so Mrs Henderson Presents. In light of the anaemic competition, the studio might well bump Rachel Weisz up to lead status for her superb performance in The Constant Gardener. Naomi Watts is suddenly a contender for the scream queen role in King Kong - yes, that's the kind of year it's been for actresses.
Best Supporting Actress:
The Supporting category is a bit more hopeful than the Lead one. Weisz would be a strong contender here but if she's competing as a Lead, the field is left wide open. Old-timers Shirley MacLaine and Diane Keaton have the kind of scenery-chewing roles in their respective movies In Her Shoes and The Family Stone that walk off with Supporting awards. Past winner Frances McDormand could get in for North Country as could the brilliant Laura Linney for The Squid and the Whale.
The indie favourites should feature strongly here too. Amy Adams is building support for her role in Junebug and Hope Davis could sneak in for Proof. Catherine Keener stands a great chance for playing 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author Harper Lee in Capote. Dawson's Creek alum Michelle Williams has received remarkable reviews for her turn in Brokeback Mountain and Sandra Bullock could break through into Hollywood respectabilty by way of her against- type performance in Crash.
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