Best Actress 2013: Potential nominees from Keira Knightley to Quvenzhané Wallis
Surveying the year's leading ladies as the season commences
Keira Knightley, Quvenzhané Wallis and Marion Cotillard, three of the names vying for Best Actress this year.
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It's an annual (if not always accurate) complaint: the Best Actress category is so much weaker than its male counterpart. Even when that does seem to be the case, however, that statement doesn't paint the full picture. Every year, there's an abundance of rich, challenging female lead performances to be found -- just not always in the kind of film Academy members are generally willing to consider. Blame them to some extent, but also blame Hollywood for ensuring that so many gifted actresses have to look to the indie and arthouse fringes for opportunities to shine.
Earlier this year, pundits suggested that the Best Actress field was looking even thinner than usual. As we crawl closer to awards season, picking up festival discoveries and critical favorites along the way, it's looking increasingly competitive -- with only one name, I'd venture, assured a spot on the ballot. Thanks to the trend described in the above paragraph, it's a varied an unusual field, with frontrunners ranging from a red-hot Hollywood ingenue to an 8-year-old amateur to not one, but two, marvelous French-language Cannes sensations. Check out the gallery below as we weigh up their individual pros and cons. You can also keep up with the ups and downs of this race at In Contention's Best Actress Contenders page.
2012-2013 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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October 10, 2012 at 12:54PM EST Reply to CommentI find it weird that Cotillard is a possible frontrunner and that Matthias Schoenaerts who was just as good and in the same movie isn't even an farfetched, unlikely option.
Guy Lodge We did include him in last week's Best Actor gallery! But I agree he's every bit as good as she is, if not better.
October 10, 2012 at 1:36PM ESTStill, it doesn't take a scientist to work out why she's got more buzz.
/3rt
October 10, 2012 at 1:43PM EST Reply to CommentI feel bloody awful Viola Davis doesn't have a plausible chance for Won't Back Down in a "weak" Best Actress year.
October 10, 2012 at 2:29PM ESTLiz Just out of curiosity, did you actually see Won't Back Down? I did, and while Davis is perfectly fine (as always), I can't really see anything Oscar-worthy about her performance.
October 10, 2012 at 3:02PM ESTAndrej
October 10, 2012 at 2:04PM EST Reply to Comment"Plus, nobody's ever been nominated for reprising a character when they didn't get recognized the first time round."
... except Sigourney Weaver, for Aliens. Dunno if there's anyone else, though.
Guy Lodge Well caught!
October 10, 2012 at 2:35PM ESTEdward L. I've thought of another one: Talia Shire in The Godfather Part II. (I love putting my mind to these geeky searches!!)
October 10, 2012 at 5:53PM ESTsomeperson
October 10, 2012 at 2:28PM EST Reply to CommentNothing appears for Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook. Is this a mistake, or did you just say what you needed to about her in the Hunger Games entry?
Guy Lodge An error, I'm sure.
October 10, 2012 at 2:37PM ESTTom
October 10, 2012 at 2:42PM EST Reply to CommentMarion Cotillard is definitely a front-runner she is astonishing in "Rust & Bone" and at least a nomination could send a good message Hollywood on what kind of movies they should do, what kind of role Hollywood's actresses should accept to do! And after all, they own her pretty big after totally ignoring her past work on "Nine", "Inception" and "Midnight in Paris". Plus she already has "The Hollywood Actress Award and two tributes (At Telluride and Gotham). She definitely has Hollywood behind her.
Liz She was ignored for Midnight in Paris? Did that performance really merit awards consideration?
October 10, 2012 at 3:14PM ESTSJG I still can't believe she wasn't nominated for "Public Enemies", which I consider one of her best English language performances. Especially when you consider that somehow Penelope Cruz managed to ride the good will for her previous win to a nomination for a mediocre performance in "Nine".
October 10, 2012 at 5:32PM ESTTom Yes i do.
October 10, 2012 at 6:51PM ESTJo Tom
October 10, 2012 at 7:15PM ESTI agree with you, Cotillard was, at the time of the shoot, already committed to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises, in between two sets and many diapers – she had just given birth to her first child Marcel, and was still breast-feeding him while her spirit was on both Audiard’s and Nolan’s assignments. She is the best actress working today
Liz
October 10, 2012 at 3:17PM EST Reply to CommentI know she doesn't have a chance, but I'm thrilled to see Rosemarie DeWitt in the gallery. Hers is still one of my favorite performances this year, and she would have easily made my own ballot for Rachel Getting Married as well. I've been a fan ever since the first season of Mad Men.
jp Liz, I agree. Rosemarie deserved a nomination with her co-star, Anne Hathaway. Also, Debra Winger deserved a nomination as well.
October 10, 2012 at 4:34PM ESTAlex_B
October 10, 2012 at 3:57PM EST Reply to CommentI'm sooo glad somebody took notice of Leslie Mann. I think she was robbed from a nod for Knocked Up.
satur92002
October 10, 2012 at 4:37PM EST Reply to CommentI know there's 0.0001% chance of her being nominated, but I thought Ann Dowd was fantastic in Compliance.
Guy Lodge I think she'll be campaigned in supporting -- in which case, I wouldn't count her out entirely, if the critics' awards latch on to her.
October 11, 2012 at 8:00AM ESThmmmm
October 11, 2012 at 10:18AM EST Reply to CommentWhere is Gerwig? Oh, wait. IFC is downright foolish and releasing France Ha next May. She'd have the Globe in the bag.
G
October 11, 2012 at 1:04PM EST Reply to CommentIs Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha a possibility? (Is that movie even coming out this year?)
John
October 11, 2012 at 1:33PM EST Reply to Comment22 actresses and there isn't room for Rachel Weisz in The deep blue sea? She doesn't have a chance but I imagine she has more chances than almost half of those 22 actresses.
That said, I believe Jennifer Lawrence, Wallis, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep are the best positioned right now. And people is silly to underestimate Meryl Streep, she was nominated before for worst films and performances than Hope springs, and in more strong years like 1999 or 1998.
JJ1 "Meryl Streep, she was nominated before for worst films and performances than Hope springs, and in more strong years like 1999 or 1998."
October 11, 2012 at 4:21PM ESTVery interesting point.
emma
October 11, 2012 at 3:09PM EST Reply to CommentI hope marion cotillard will be nominated again, she deserves it! She is amazing in Rust and Bone
morganisaqt
October 11, 2012 at 6:43PM EST Reply to CommentI get so angry when you constantly refer to it as a weak year. ITS NOT. it just doesn't have obvious players, which is way more fun anyway. GRRR