Movies
My Rankings Of The Five Nominees For Best Supporting Actress
My Rankings Of The Five Nominees For Best Supporting Actress
No. 5
America Ferrera – “Barbie”
Respectfully, it is rather shocking that America Ferrera is nominated for her part in Barbie. That may turn off any die-hard Barbie fans reading this post, but c’est la vie.
Ferrara plays the part of Gloria, the parent of the petulant teenager Sasha who is throwing the idea of Barbie to the side. Margot Robbie’s version of Barbie discovers that her visions are actually about Gloria, which inevitably leads to the escapade back into Barbie Land and the task of saving it from the newly established patriarchy.
What irks me most about this nomination is that her Oscar moment is going to be her speech to all the ladies when hope seems lost. Those who have talked to me about the movie know that I did not like that speech and it remains one of my least favorite parts of the film.
How people like Julianne Moore, Tracee Ellis Ross or Tilda Swinton (my personal touch) miss the opportunity to walk the red carpet is bonkers to me.
Barbie is a pretty damn good movie, but America Ferrara and the character of Gloria within the story is one of its weakest plot points. It’s a confusing decision.
This is Ferrara’s first Oscar nomination.
Barbie was nominated for a total of eight Academy Awards: Best Original Song (2x), Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
No. 4
Danielle Brooks – “The Color Purple”
Before The Color Purple, the only thing I knew Danielle Brooks from is the HBO Max show Peacemaker and Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black.
But respect to Danielle Brooks. Within the flawed movie The Color Purple, Danielle Brooks is one of the bright spots. Her character is an easy one to root for within the lens of the story, and the performance is filled with a vibrant energy that fuels the movie.
The character of Sofia fights for what she wants and is a voice for the voiceless. There is a moment in the film where her enthusiasm for life is vanquished, but it comes back in short order. The speed at which The Color Purple progresses through her character change shrinks the dramatic impact, but it benefits the movie ten-fold when Brooks is allowed to put a smile on Sofia’s face again.
Brooks brings lots of experience to the role of Sofia. In 2015 she won the same role in the stage revival of the play and at the end of its run, Brooks was Tony nominated. She has poured a lot into this character, and she states in a New York Times article that this award process has been hard for her saying a final goodbye to a character she thought she would never play again.
This is Danielle Brooks’ first Academy Award nomination and the only nomination for the film The Color Purple.
No. 3
Jodie Foster – “Nyad”
After Nyad, I felt like a genius. I had no idea there was any sort of acting buzz around the film. I was told to watch the film by my parents (even though they don’t remember that), and after the fact I was pleasantly surprised. The movie itself is good, not grand, but I was blown away to see this version of Jodie Foster. Typically the two-time Oscar winner plays a hard-nosed, dreary and non-smiling type of character.
In Nyad, Foster plays an encouraging, self-assured but selfless Bonnie Stoll. She plays the coach to Diana Nyad, who is played by Oscar nominated Annette Benning.
So why did I feel like a genius? I shut off Nyad and immediately went to my own personal Oscar nominations and jotted her down for Best Supporting Actress. I go and check Variety as to the shortlist of performers for the category, and holy she they had her in there.
It’s a rare moment where I went in blind and walked away surprised and with a critical take that is shared by many. I felt like I belonged, for a split fleeting second.
This is Foster’s fifth Oscar nomination. She was nominated as a youngling for her part in Taxi Driver (1977). She won in 1989 for The Accused (1988) and 1992 for Silence Of The Lambs (1991). Foster was also nominated in 1995 for Nell (1994).
Nyad is nominated for two total Academy Awards; Foster for Best Supporting Actress and Benning for Best Actress.
No. 2
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – “The Holdovers”
I am terribly sorry, but I just don’t quite get the buzz around Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s performance in The Holdovers. She is good, and perhaps she is deserving of a nomination, but her name being considered atop the polling doesn’t match with my personal viewing experience.
Damn, I suppose my thoughts on the Supporting Actress category are far more dower than other categories I’ve reflected on thus far.
Joy Randolph won the award Screen Actors Guild recently, beating out Penélope Cruz for Ferrari, and fellow Oscar nominees Emily Blunt for Oppenheimer, Danielle Brooks for The Color Purple and Jodie Foster for Nyad. That is a massive badge to wear heading into the final Oscars push. Thus far she has A Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a BAFTA to go along with her SAG trophy.
Based on interviews, it was Alexander Payne and a select few people who came forth demanding that Joy Randolph be the one who is cast alongside Paul GIamatti and Dominic Sessa. Her work in My Name Is Dolemite (2019) is what convinced those important people that Joy Randolph had the acting hootspa to balance both comedy and drama.
To that effect, she accomplishes the mission. She does it really well, but alas I am not blown away by her performance.
This is Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s first Oscar nomination.
The Holdovers is nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing.
No. 1
Emily Blunt – “Oppenheimer”
There is more discourse around Emily Blunt’s role as Kitty Oppenheimer than I would have expected. It’s fair to say that Christopher Nolan doesn’t excel at writing female characters, but to use that to knock down Blunt’s performance in Oppenheiemer seems insane.
There are two scenes where the character of Kitty erupts from her drunken stupor and provides as much explosive firepower as an atomic bomb. The first of which is after J. Robert Oppenheimer discovers that his mistress Jean Tatlock has died. It appears as if she has killed herself, or it’s more nefarious.
Kitty comes in and gives perhaps the most important thematic line of the entire film: “You don’t get to commit sin, and then ask all of us to feel sorry for you when there are consequences.”
Is this about Oppenheimer’s relationship with Jean, or about the creation of the atomic bomb?
Then there is the questioning scene with Roger Robb. Jason Clarke knows how to play angry, but Blunt’s portrayal of Kitty dodges knockout blows and lands a few quick jabs that has fellows on the other side of the table smiling. This is Blunt using Blunt force (yea, I did that).
This is Emily Blunt’s first Oscar nomination.
All in all, Oppenheimer is nominated for 13 Academy Awards: Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
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