The State of the Race: Updates
By Darren Williams
15th December 2009

Here's some performances that now look like contenders that weren't on the radar when I started this column.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Bridges should have an Oscar by now, we all now this, and playing an emotionally stunted, alcoholic singer could be his path to a little golden bald man. Oscar has a bit of a love affair with country performances (Wins for Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Reese Witherspoon all came in this category) and there seems to be parallels between Bridges here and Duvall in Tender Mercies. His closest competition seems to be Clooney and Freeman and both have won recently. This could finally be the great man's year.

Ben Foster - The Messenger
I think Foster is the least likely actor to make the breakthrough from The Messenger, but the film seems to be turning into a dark horse contender so he has to be in consideration. I still think there's too many powerhouse performance in the leading male category for him to make it in, but things can change.

Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
I'd love for The Last Station to score highly with the Academy. A never nominated Plummer taking on the life of Tolstoy sounds like it should be the frontrunner for the win, but it's barely registering at the moment.

Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man
Like Foster, I remain unconvinced about Stuhlbarg and I think the nomination depends on the film being absolutely loved by the Academy rather than just liked or respected. But there's the air around Stuhlbarg that there was around someone like Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade where he came out of nowhere to be an Oscar contender. Could be somone to watch.

Best Actress

Shohreh Aghdashloo - The Stoning of Soraya M.
Aghdashloo should have won the Oscar in 2003, instead it was stolen from her by Renee Zellweger's Foghorn Leghorn impression in Cold Mountain. Here Aghdashloo plays a woman hoping to expose Sharia law after the execution of her neice. Holding her back seems to be the general belief in reviews that the power of the film is undercut by some silly (some critics claim insulting) typical Hollywood theatrics post-stoning.

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
The title is apt as the film has blindsided everyone with its box-office performance and pushed Bullock into possible front-runner position for the best actress Oscar. Bullock with an Oscar may be an odd thought to many, but she's a more consistent performer than some actresses who already have Oscars and personally I think she should have been nominated for her charming performance in While You Were Sleeping. The film may have been typical fluff, but her performance was in another league, shame she's never done anything remotely as good since.

Magge Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
Maggie should have at least three Oscar nominations and one win to her name by now, here's hoping she finally gets the acclaim she deserves. Her role as the young journalist who Jeff Bridge's alcoholic country singer falls in love with could be a little too much of the stereotypical good woman, but without seeing the film it's difficult to judge. Hearing her name finally called on Oscar nominations morning would be a thrill.

Helen Mirren - The Last Station
With Helen Mirren playing Tolstoy's wife you'd think she should be in a better position than she is at present. She won't win even if she gets in. Her sweep for The Queen was far too recent for her to be awarded again, even if she had more buzz than she currently does. It would be nice to see her nominated again.

Best Supporting Actor

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Harrleson's performance as an alcoholic army captain who travels America, delivering the news of a soldier's death to their family has already won him the NBR and is gaining him career best reviews. He's come out of nowhere to seem like a nomination lock and he could be the biggest competition to Waltz for the win.

Christian McKay - Me and Orson Welles
McKay's performance as Welles has been drawing rave reviews across the board, and portraying a real person has never hurt when it comes to Oscar nominations. McKay also has the benefit of having played Welles on stage, meaning he has a familiarity with the character that few other actors have with their roles. He seems likely to be the film's only major nomination, which could hurt him, but then you have to remember the circumstances when Martin Landau won and think that McKay is in with a good chance.