Where we Stand: Best Supporting Actress

No leading man is complete without his leading lady, so why shouldn't that be true for a supporting man? As I said last time, the supporting roles often provide some of the most interesting races (as well as performances/characters) during Oscar season, and this one looks to be no exception. With a host of never-nominated newcomers and veterans racing for Oscar gold this season, it's time we look at the final acting category: Best Supporting Actress.

Though she suffered a minor setback at the National Board of Review, it's hard to think that anyone else is as close to winning BSA as comedian Mo'nique for her performance in "Precious". I wasn't a huge fan of Daniels' directing, but he did know how to get the best out of his ensemble, including Mo'nique, who gives a powerful, disturbing performance as Mary, Precious' monstrous mother. But as much of a monster as she is, the role never delves into caricature, namely in Mo'nique's last scene. Daniels allows Mary to at least give some explanation for herself, even if we aren't supposed to accept it. He uses it for plain understanding, and to help keep a horrible woman grounded in reality.

Second in line is the newcomer who stole Mo'nique's thunder at the NBR awards: "Up in the Air"'s Anna Kendrick. She's had quite the background in terms of education, but so far the biggest film she's been part of is..."Twilight". That's all about to change. Kendrick has received raves for her role and this is bound to be her big break into a bevy of good roles and projects. Though the film has opened, I haven't yet seen it (damn you, end of the semester projects!) so I can't comment on how big of a threat she is in terms of pure quality, but don't be surprised if the Supporting Actress race comes down to her and Mo'nique.

Up next is everyone's favorite Oscar-nominee, Julianne Moore in Tom Ford's "A Single Man". She's been nominated four times, and probably should have won for at least one of them ("Far From Heaven"?). Reviews for her have been strong, and she'll have the sympathy factor in her favor. The only problem though, is that she only has one real scene in the entire film. It all comes down to whether AMPAS wants to reward her for such a small (albeit crucial) role.

It's not uncommon for certain actors to have a brief awards streak in their career, where they seem to be totally on-fire, and have at least two back to back nominations in generally well-regarded films (remember how hot Nicole Kidman was with award-givers from 2001-2003?). At the moment, the person who best fits this description is Penelope Cruz, who appears to sizzle in "Nine". The chances of her winning are slim at this point, given the other front runners as well as the fact that she just won her Oscar for a 2008 film. However, the nomination is more than a strong possibility, with her main internal competition (Cotillard) now being pushed as lead. Her early reviews have been good, even though the film has gotten some overall reviews that were "meh" (don't worry, there have also been raves). At this point, she only has to worry about Judi Dench edging her out, but until we see more awards/nominees, it's hard to tell. She also has "Broken Embraces" coming out in the same month, which can't hurt.

The last of the big five also comes from Reitman's "Up in the Air": Vera Farmiga. Though she's no stranger to being in Oscar nominated films ("The Departed"), the critically acclaimed indie actress has yet to find a role that has garnered enough buzz...until now. Though her role is smaller than Kendrick's, she too shares a number of scenes with Clooney (who is, himself, a strong contender for an acting prize) and apparently knocks the role out of the park. However, unless she pulls a Tilda Swinton, expect her first nomination ever to be her real reward.

Marion Cotillard may be steadily gaining buzz for "Nine", but she has another role that could land her a nomination (or at least help boost her chances for "Nine"). That role is in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" which did well over the summer and earned the French actress a handful of best-in-show reviews. With Johnny Depp and the film's chances fading, Cotillard may be the only category where "Public Enemies" can make a showing, and if she's campaigned right, could upset one of the current five favorites.

She may have only had two full scenes, but don't be surprised if Mariah Carey makes a few appearances this awards season. Though her screen time is dwarfed by Mo'nique and Paula Patton, her scenes are wonderfully acted, especially at the end. If the Academy really goes crazy for "Precious", I wouldn't be shocked if she slipped on in.

Despite her age, Judi Dench's career seems to get better and better as time goes by. She followed her win for "Shakespeare in Love" (1998) with excellent nominated turns in "Chocolat" (2000), "Iris" (2001), "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (2005) and "Notes on a Scandal (2006). She's earned solid reviews so far, though the few credible reviews for "Nine" still place her below Cotillard and Cruz in terms of the women. However, it has been a few years, and if she really strikes a chord with the actors branch (after all, she will be singing and dancing for the first time on a major film) she could slide in.

One woman who I hope isn't forgotten this Oscar season is Melanie Laurent in "Inglourious Basterds". Giving the film's best performance second only to Waltz, Laurent is wonderful to watch. The sight of her fear as she sits next to Waltz, or the look of triumph in her eyes as her face goes up in flames in the spectacular finale, is amazing to watch. The only question is if she's going lead or supporting, which could harm her chances. At this point, if she wants to get in, she needs a campaign, and she needs one now.

The remaining contenders are best summed up in brief. Samantha Morton might have a chance if people suddenly go crazy for "The Messenger" (a film which surprisingly made an appearance on the NBR's top 11 films of the year), but if anyone's going to earn awards, it's likely to be Woody Harrelson. If the reviews continue the way they have been coming in for "The Lovely Bones", don't expect too much love for Susan Sarandon or Rachel Weisz; this is going to be Ronan and Tucci's film all the way. The same could be said for the four remaining women of "Nine" (Kidman, Loren, Hudson, and Fergie), who, though they are earning nice enough reviews as part of the ensemble, are in roles just too small to get nominated (regardless of how stunning Fergie's rendition of "Be Italian" is).