Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Two Tickets For... Our Oscars Analysis & Predictions: Best Supporting Actor & Best Supporting Actress


Andrew: Hello readers! We're back with day three of our analysis and predictions for this Sunday's 85th Academy Awards! Yesterday we covered the two screenplay categories and BestDirector, and today we're going to dip our toes into the acting categories by discussing Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. 

Sarah, one of these categories is 100% more up in the air than the other, so let's start with the one that's more of a sure thing and get it out of the way. 


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress are:

- Amy Adams, The Master
- Sally Field, Lincoln
- Helen Hunt, The Sessions
- Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
- Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables



A: Sarah, which one is the shoo-in for the little golden man?

S: This really isn't a fair category. The Academy knows it, heck, even all the women in the category know it! Anne Hathaway is taking home the Oscar and there's nothing anyone can do about it! And she totally deserves it! 

Her role as Fantine in Les Miserables was powerful and moving, probably bringing most audience members to tears with her live performance of "I Dreamed a Dream." Anne is in good company though. All these other women gave amazing performances as well, but they just picked the wrong year to give it their all. If Anne doesn't win it will be the biggest upset of the night, but let's be honest, that's not going to happen.

A: If Anne doesn't win it will certainly be a shock, because the only person with a more assured victory is a dude named Day-Lewis. Hathaway's performance was heart-breaking and she should win the award solely for her amazing rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream," which she performed live on the set. 

She probably could have won the award even if Tom Hooper had decided his cast would record their songs in studio first and lip-sync to them when filming, but his decision to do all the songs live and Anne knocking her's out of the park guaranteed her victory. Hell, she's already won the SAG award, the Golden Globe and the BAFTA along with about 30 other awards. The other actresses did fine jobs this year, but they got no chance.

S: I think it's pretty obvious who we think will win. Anne's got this one in the bag. The next category, however, is a toughie. Right, Andrew?


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The nominees for Best Supporting Actor are:

- Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
- Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
- Alan Arkin, Argo
- Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master



A: You're absolutely right, my dear. The toughest acting category to choose from, in my opinion, and simply because each and every one of these gentlemen put up phenomenal performances and deserve this recognition. This is also the only time in Academy Award history that a category is comprised of nominees who are all previous Oscar winners. I'm curious though, tell me - which actor or actors do you think SHOULD win the award, and then I'll tell you mine.

S: I'm a little torn on this one because I really think that Leonardo DiCaprio should be in this category and should win it, but since he wasn't even nominated I'm going to go with his Django Unchained co-star, Christoph Waltz. Waltz's Dr. King Schultz was inspired, funny and lethal all in the same character. 

While I think he should win the award, De Niro also gave a powerhouse performance and different from anything that I have seen him in before. There is one definite scene between he and Bradley cooper that really was uncomfortable and powerful at the same time. But I'm still going to go with Waltz.

A: Let me start by saying that I think Robert De Niro should win. He was heartbreaking as the elder Pat Solitano in Silver Linings Playbook and it was his best performance in years. I also think that of the actual nominees, Christoph Waltz deserves to win as well because his performance as Dr. King Schultz was on the same level as his Oscar-winning performance as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds.

But as for who I think will win, it comes down to two men - Waltz and Tommy Lee Jones. And I say this because they're the two men who have been splitting the awards leading up to the Oscars. Waltz won the BAFTA and Golden Globe, which don't necessarily translate into Oscar gold, but they're still pretty good indicators. Jones, on the other hand, won the Screen Actors Guild award for this category, and the actors branch is the largest voting bloc in the Academy.

S: I think Jones will actually win. He has really captured the heart of voters this year and I just don't get it. Sure he was good and sure he played opposite the man who will win the Best Actor category (we'll get to that later), but he just didn't do anything for me. He had like...one scene where he gave his obligatory speech, but it was done in the same, dry Jones tone that we have seen him do everything else in. I'l be bummed if and when he wins the award.

A: Much to my chagrin, I'm going to agree with you here and say that I believe Tommy Lee Jones will win his second Oscar, too. I'm rooting for Waltz and De Niro, but my brain is telling me to go with the SAG winner and that's Jones.

Okay, that's all for today's installment, readers! Tomorrow we'll tackle the other two acting categories, one of which is a sure thing, the other a little more up in the air. And remember that on Sunday night we will be LIVE-BLOGGING the Oscars! So come back Sunday night while Sarah and I (and maybe a guest or two) will be live-blogging our running commentary and analysis of the night's proceedings. And as always, thanks for reading!


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