2009 Oscar Best Contenders Part 4: Best Supporting Actress

I feel that many people are often confused by what constitutes a supporting actress as opposed to a leading actress. Why do I say this? Well, for one, Kate Winslet won a Golden Globe this year for her performance in The Reader. The award? "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture." It may have something to do with the fact that she was also nominated in the Leading Actress category for Revolutionary Road, but I find it confusing that she could be nominated in the Leading Actress category at the Academy Awards for the same role in The Reader that netted her a Supporting Actress award at the Golden Globes. I'll talk more about that, however, when I get to the Best Actress section. Onto the nominees:

Amy Adams, Doubt - Adams gave a strong performance in this film, which was difficult to do alongside the combined scene-stealing power of both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. The two played off each other brilliantly, and Sister James (Adams) was the mediating center between the firey passion of Father Flynn and the icey heart of Sister Beauvier. She's a strong contender for the win in this category.

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Cruz has already snagged a few awards from other festivals for her supporting performance in this film. This is her second Oscar nomination, the first being for 2007's Volver. There are two other nominees in this category more deserving. She gets the nomination, but she won't get the Oscar.

Viola Davis, Doubt - With what little screen time Viola Davis had in Doubt, she definitely made her mark as the concerned mother of the child taken under Father Flynn's wing. Despite this effoer, however, she was overshadowed for most of the film by the enthralling dialogue between Hoffman, Streep, and Adams. It's unfortunate, but she won't win this category.

Taraji P. Henson, TCCOBB - Henson's supportive performance as the nurturing mother of Benjamin Button earned her a nomination this year, and I actually wonder why. TCCOBB was such a giant film, and Henson's character often fell into the background among the epic story, the makeup, the costumes, and the love story in the film. She was a small rock tossed into the ocean of this film, making tiny ripples amongst the giant waves. Don't get me wrong, she did a fine acting job, but the film was just too big for her to deserve a nomination.

Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler - This will mark Marissa Tomei's third nomination for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in her career. She won in 1993, playing the Mona Lisa Vito, the streetwise fiance of Vincent Gambini in My Cousin Vinny. Can she repeat her success over 15 years later?

Conclusion: Look for Tomei to claim her second Supporting Actress Oscar at this years awards. Unless they hate strippers.