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Best Actor

This year’s field of Best Actor nominees includes two newcomers to the ceremony and three other actors with a rich history at the show.  Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper have each been acting for quite a while, but with their performances this year, they have each properly earned their first Oscar nomination.  Joaquin Phoenix, Daniel-Day Lewis, and Denzel Washington are no strangers to the Academy Awards, having previously won a combined four Oscars on eleven nominations.  With the way this year’s group has rounded out, it is sure to be a dogfight to the end, and honestly, any of these actors would be worthy of the Academy’s highest acting honor.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actor in a Leading Role:

WINNER: Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables)

In Les Misérables, Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valjean, an ex-con on the run from Javert, the determined and relentless French policeman.  Valjean eventually meets a factory worker and agrees to raise her daughter Cosette.  In Tom Hooper’s interpretation of the infamous musical, Jackman leads a group of talented singers and actors, and even though the others provide us with some emotionally charged portrayals, Jackman stands alone as the film’s most valuable performer.  Not only is his singing on point, the dramatic and affecting dynamism he brings to the screen is nothing short of spectacular.  With strong performances from all of this year’s nominees, Jackman demonstrates why he alone gave moviegoers the best acting performance.  Jackman has never previously been nominated for any Academy Awards.

2. Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

In The Master, Joaquin Phoenix plays Freddie Quell, a World War II veteran with an alcohol dependency who struggles to make it in the post-war society.  He eventually comes across Lancaster Dodd, the leader of a religious movement called “The Cause.”  He joins the faction, but his complicated presence among the members of The Cause begins to create issues for everyone, and he becomes dismantled by his own doing.  In Phoenix’s return to dramatic feature films, he prevails tremendously.  After his horribly peculiar fake retirement and subsequent pseudo-documentary I’m Still Here, Joaquin Phoenix gives a tantalizing performance, which reminds us that he is very much still one of the heavy hitters in the realm of acting.  I wish I could give him the Oscar for this performance, but Jackman’s portrayal was far too strong.  Phoenix was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Gladiator (2000) and for Best Actor for his role in Walk the Line (2005).

3. Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

In Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis takes on the role of the 16th president of the United States.  I was never blown away whatsoever by Spielberg’s latest endeavor, but I did respect the amazing acting performances it includes, specifically Day-Lewis’ portrayal of the title character.  Even though he is one of my favorite actors and did a superb job in this film, I truly feel like all of the hype surrounding his performance was due to the makeup department making him look identical to Abraham Lincoln.  If he wins, they should share this award with him.  Also, being that video cameras or audio-recording devices were not around back then, we do not even know what Abraham Lincoln sounded like, so I find it amusing that critics praised his portrayal for his likeness to Lincoln’s voice.  Day-Lewis was previously nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Actor for his roles in My Left Foot (1989) and There Will Be Blood (2007).

4. Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)

In Silver Linings Playbook, Bradley Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a man suffering with a severe case of bipolar disease.  After leaving a mental health institution, he moves back in with his parents and becomes romantically involved with an eccentric woman with some serious mental issues of her own.  In the breakout performance of Cooper’s dramatic acting career, he succeeds in every way possible.  Most known for his roles in comedic films, Cooper provides an exhilarating portrayal of a man trying to survive mentally after a life-changing incident with his wife.  This was one of the top movies of the year, and the performance Cooper gives only adds to its triumph.  Cooper has never previously been nominated for any Academy Awards.

5. Denzel Washington (Flight)

In Flight, Denzel Washington plays Whip Whitaker, an alcoholic airline captain.  Whitaker becomes an overnight celebrity after miraculously landing his plane after it malfunctions in the air and comes to a crashing halt.  Little does anyone know, the day he flew that plane, he was drunk and high.  Washington has a way of taking on the role of complicated characters that you as a viewer want to hate but can’t help but love, such as Alonzo Harris in Training Day and Frank Lucas in American Gangster; in Flight, he has once again provided us with this complex.  Washington is most definitely one of the most incredible actors in the film industry today, and he adds to his illustrious career with this performance.  Washington was previously nominated for five Academy Awards, winning for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Glory (1989) and for Best Actor for his role in Training Day (2001).

Actors snubbed in this category: John Hawkes (The Sessions)

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Best Actress

One of the most talked about categories at this year’s Oscars, and one of my personal favorites, is the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.  This year features one of the most unique fields the category has ever known.  Not only does Emmanuelle Riva (Amour) become the oldest Best Actress nominee of all time (85 years, 321 days), but Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) also becomes the youngest Best Actress nominee of all time (9 years, 135 days).  An even more impressive fact about Wallis’ nomination—she was actually only six years old when the movie was made!  The rest of this year’s group features actresses that have previously been nominated for Academy Awards.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actress in a Leading Role:

WINNER: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

In Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence plays Tiffany Maxwell, an eccentric widow with emotional issues due to her husband’s death.  In every way possible, Lawrence gives a performance that everyone will remember for a long time.  She plays a character that is oddly twisted and severely bizarre, but the emotion and dexterity she brings to this portrayal is something I watched in absolute awe.  In a year with some startlingly remarkable female performances, Lawrence stands out and deserves this great honor.  Lawrence was previously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her breakout role in Winter’s Bone (2010).

2. Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

In Zero Dark Thirty, Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a CIA agent that devotes a decade to hunting down the world’s most dangerous man—Osama bin Laden.  Even though this film has been met with great criticism over the content, one thing that has not received anything but sheer admiration is the performance Chastain gives as the determined agent.  I went back and forth about who I thought truly gave the better performance this year, but even though Chastain would probably win this Oscar in any other year, I concluded that it was not as dominate as Lawrence’s performance.  Chastain was previously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Help (2011).

3. Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)

In Amour, Emmanuelle Riva plays Anna, a retired music teacher that suffers a stroke.  After her incident, she is never quite the same, and the enduring, loving relationship with her husband is tested in every way.  As the oldest nominee of all time for Best Actress, Riva takes on one of the most complex roles of the year.  The role is not just multifarious for the emotional requirements of the performance but also for the physical characteristics that it mandates.  I was more than impressed with her portrayal, and as a fan of film, I am lucky to have seen Riva’s astounding performance this year.  Riva has not previously been nominated for any Academy Awards.

4. Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

In Beasts of the Southern Wild, Quvenzhané Wallis plays Hushpuppy, a 6-year-old girl living with her father Wink in an area known as “The Bathtub” below the levee in southern Louisiana.  A deadly storm is on its way to the region, and Hushpuppy and her father must fight to survive.  Wallis gives one of the brightest performances of any actor or actress this year, and it is amazing to think someone so young could provide us with a gem like this.  Some absolutely stellar performances will more than likely beat out Wallis for this Oscar, but if her future portrayals are anything like this one, she is sure to be back at the Academy Awards many times in the future.  Wallis has not been previously nominated for any Academy Awards.

5. Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

In The Impossible, Naomi Watts plays Maria Bennett, a woman on vacation in Thailand with her family when a devastating tsunami comes ashore and demolishes everything in its sight.  The film is based on the true experiences of the Belón family during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.  While Watts does give an emotional performance, and arguably one of the better portrayals of her career, I was more than surprised when she received a nomination.  She did a good job, but it was nothing spectacular by any means.  There were a handful of non-nominated performances this year that justifiably should have received a nomination in her place.  Watts was previously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 21 Grams (2003).

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Best Original Score

The Oscar for Best Original Score is awarded to a musical composer for the best body of musical work in the form of underscoring for a particular film.  This is perennially one of my favorite Academy Award categories because in my opinion, music is essentially what makes or breaks a film.  A movie is just a bunch of images and words, but with the addition of a musical score, the film develops feeling and emotion in a way that better connects with the viewers.  This year’s nominees include four composers with deep roots at the Oscars and one well-known composer earning his first nomination (Mychael Danna).  Between the four previously nominated composers in this year’s group, they have received 61 nominations in the Best Original Score category, winning six of those.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Original Score:

WINNER: Thomas Newman (Skyfall)

2. Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)

3. Alexandre Desplat (Argo)

4. Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina)

5. John Williams (Lincoln)

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Best Original Screenplay

The Oscar for Best Original Screenplay is awarded to the writer(s) of a particular screenplay that is not based upon any prior published work.  This year’s group of nominees features some established, acclaimed writers and a couple Academy Award newcomers.  Between the nominated writers, they have been nominated for four writing Oscars and have won two.  Although there are some great scripts up for the award this year, one writer has already been sweeping the award shows for his screenplay, winning the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice Award—this year, it just so happens that I am in full agreement with the major award shows on this category.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Original Screenplay:

WINNER: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

Tarantino, also the director of the film, has created one of the greater scripts in modern cinema.  It has created a significant amount of controversy, but it has also been met with rave reviews from the critics—Quentin would not want it any other way.  Even though he did not win the Oscar in this category for Inglourious Basterds, which is by far my favorite movie of all time, he still has penned another masterpiece in Django.  Tarantino has a knack for creating some of the most remembered characters in the history of film, such as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, and Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, and in Django, he does not disappoint, creating unbelievably dynamic characters like Dr. King Schultz and Calvin Candie.  I will never know how the inner workings of Tarantino’s mind operate, but I am most unquestionably thankful for the written work he has given us.  Tarantino was previously nominated for two writing Academy Awards, both in the Best Original Screenplay category, and he won for Pulp Fiction (1994).

2. Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)

Wes Anderson, also the director of the film, and Roman Coppola have collaborated for their second screenplay together—their first was The Darjeeling Limited, a film they also co-wrote with Jason Schwartzman.  The end result of their most recent work together is an incredibly hilarious, wildly entertaining script.  This screenplay has the best shot among the other nominees to upset the heavyweight Tarantino, and if things fall correctly for Anderson and Coppola, they just may find themselves raising the Oscar statute.  This story is one of a kind.  It tells the story of young love from a unique perspective that only Anderson, one of the most distinctive writer-directors of our time, could do.  It is a refreshingly different film, and it has quickly become one of my favorites of all time.  Anderson was previously nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).  Coppola has not previously been nominated.

3. Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

After Anderson and Coppola, Mark Boal has the next best chance to knock off Tarantino at the top in this category.  This is only Boal’s second screenplay, but just like his previous one for The Hurt Locker, it is action packed and beaming with award-winning quality.  Boal tells the story of the decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden, the most dangerous man on earth.  The Kathryn Bigelow/Mark Boal collaboration may not be quite the masterpiece it was for The Hurt Locker, but it is most assuredly not far behind.  I was on the edge of my theater seat throughout the entire film, and a lot of this is due to the spellbinding script Boal has written.  Mark Boal was previously nominated and won for Best Original Screenplay for The Hurt Locker (2009).

4. Michael Haneke (Amour)

Michael Haneke, also the director of the film, has finally been nominated by the Academy for his superb writing abilities.  Haneke is one of the most unknown writer-directors to the general public in the United States, but I have been aware of his work for quite a few years now.  The biggest film festival in the entire world is the Cannes Film Festival, and the top award at this festival is the Palme d’Or, an award given to the top film of the festival.  Only seven filmmakers have won this award twice since 1939—Michael Haneke is one of those (The White Ribbon, 2009, and Amour, 2012).  Haneke’s French-language film is intriguing, matchless, and invigorating.  The words he penned for this film not only earned him an Oscar nomination, but it also resulted in lead actress Emmanuelle Riva being nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.  Haneke has not previously been nominated for any Academy Awards in either of the two writing categories.

5. John Gatins (Flight)

Gatins is an established screenwriter, but to be completely honest, none of his scripts have been anything close to award worthy.  His screenwriting filmography includes Summer Catch, Hardball, Coach Carter, and Real Steel, but his big break finally came with the 2012 film Flight.  In this film, Gatins uses an incredibly entertaining story line to keep our attention, but it is the complexities he has created in regards to human morality that truly sets his script apart.  I am surprised that he received a nomination, but after seeing the film, it is definitely justified.  Gatins has not previously been nominated for any Academy Awards in either of the two writing categories.

Writers snubbed in this category: Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)

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Best Adapted Screenplay

The Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay is awarded to the writer(s) of a particular screenplay adapted from another source, such as a book or play.  This year’s nominees are writers who, for the most part, have little history at the Academy Awards; in fact, between the nominees, they have only received two previous Oscar nominations in writing categories.  Some marvelous screenplays are nominated this year, but it is still pretty up in the air in regards to who will win—David O. Russell has won the BAFTA in this category and Tony Kushner has won the Critics’ Choice Award.  After seeing each of the nominated films, I have my produced my own assessment of the nominees; thus, the following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Adapted Screenplay:

WINNER: David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

David O. Russell, also the director of the film, adapted this screenplay from Silver Linings Playbook (2008), the debut novel of author Matthew Quick.  The film itself is among the best of the entire year, and much of the acclaim is directly due to Russell’s unblemished screenplay.  The screenplay is entertaining and captivating, and Russell’s words led to Academy Award nominations for each of his principal actors and actresses (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Jacki Weaver).  David O. Russell faces stiff competition from a year of astounding adapted screenplays, but I believe his work stands alone among this group of heavy hitters.  Russell has not previously been nominated for any Academy Awards in either of the two writing categories.

2. David Magee (Life of Pi)

David Magee adapted this screenplay from Life of Pi (2001), a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel.  The original novel has received a great deal of critical acclaim, including the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and Magee uses a spectacular screenplay to help director Ang Lee recreate this remarkable story.  Even though the film utilizes some extraordinary special effects, the movie would be nothing without the superb script from Magee.  David Magee was previously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Finding Neverland (2004).

3. Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Lucy Alibar and director Benh Zeitlin adapted this screenplay from Juicy and Delicious, a one-act play originally written by Alibar herself.  The film has received a high level of critical praise, including a nomination for Best Picture, and that says a lot about the script considering the film features a group of amateur actors with little to no previous acting experience.  The biggest advantage for the writers is the fact that Alibar wrote the original play, giving her a much more in-depth perspective for the feature-film version.  Neither Alibar nor Zeitlin have been previously nominated for any Academy Awards in either of the two writing categories.

4. Chris Terrio (Argo)

Chris Terrio adapted this screenplay from a 2007 magazine article by Joshuah Bearman, detailing the true events of the covert mission “Canadian Caper” during the Iran Hostage Crisis.  Terrio is a little-known personality in the film industry—his only major involvement with a full-length feature film was as the director of the 2005 movie Heights.  In my opinion, Argo is not one of Ben Affleck’s strongest directorial efforts, but the film is carried throughout by a solid script.  The root of the drama and emotion in the film is Terrio’s writing, and his nomination is well deserved.  Terrio has not been previously nominated for any Academy Awards in either of the two writing categories.

5. Tony Kushner (Lincoln)

Tony Kushner adapted this screenplay from Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (2005), a biographical book by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.  Even though the book covers Lincoln’s entire presidency, Kushner focused his script on the final four months of the president’s life, specifically his efforts to abolish slavery.  Kushner’s work is by far one of the most fluent and eloquent screenplays of the year, but in my opinion, it is rather bland and boring.  I feel that covering such a short, specific period of time in American history takes out all opportunities for creativity in a script, and it simply lacks a whole lot of action or entertainment.  Kushner was previously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Munich (2005).

Writers snubbed in this category: Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

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Best Cinematography & Best Film Editing

The Oscar for Best Cinematography is awarded to a particular film for the finest artistic and technical decisions in regards to the creation of the moving images on the screen.  The award is presented to the Director of Photography (Cinematographer) from the film.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Cinematography:

WINNER: Skyfall (Roger Deakins)

2. Life of Pi (Claudio Miranda)

3. Anna Karenina (Seamus McGarvey)

4. Django Unchained (Robert Richardson)

5. Lincoln (Janusz Kaminski)

 

The Oscar for Best Film Editing is awarded to a particular film for the finest post-production digital editing.  The award is given to the film’s principal editor.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Film Editing:

WINNER: Zero Dark Thirty (Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg)

2. Life of Pi (Tim Squyres)

3. Silver Linings Playbook (Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers)

4. Argo (William Goldenberg)

5. Lincoln (Michael Kahn)

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Best Sound Editing & Best Sound Mixing

The Oscar for Best Sound Editing is awarded each year to a particular film possessing the most fine and aesthetic sound editing or sound design.  The award is generally given to the film’s Supervising Sound Editors.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Sound Editing:

WINNER: Skyfall (Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers)

2. Django Unchained (Wylie Stateman)

3. Zero Dark Thirty (Paul N.J. Ottosson)

4. Life of Pi (Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton)

5. Argo (Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn)

The Oscar for Best Sound Mixing is awarded to a particular film featuring the finest and most melodious sound mixing and recording.  The award is usually presented to the film’s production sound mixers and re-recording mixers.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Sound Mixing:

WINNER: Skyfall (Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, and Stuart Wilson)

2. Les Misérables (Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, and Simon Hayes)

3. Life of Pi (Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill, and Drew Kunin)

4. Argo (John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and Jose Antonio Garcia)

5. Lincoln (Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, and Ronald Judkins)

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Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Like the Best Supporting Actress nominees, each of the Best Supporting Actor nominees has previously been nominated for at least one Academy Award.  One of the characteristics that sticks out among these nominees, though—these men have already accumulated a combined six Oscar wins and sixteen nominations prior to this year’s ceremony; moreover, each of these nominees has at least one Academy Award victory!  This is definitely an assemblage of actors with well-established careers in the film industry, and even though the lead actors usually get all of the hype, it is the supporting roles that steal the show this year.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

WINNER: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

In Django Unchained, Christoph Waltz portrays Dr. King Schultz, a German-born bounty hunter that purchases a slave, Django (Jamie Foxx), to assist him as he hunts down white slave-owners all across the South.  Ultimately, Dr. Schultz and Django go off seeking Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a slave-owner that took Django’s wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington).  Just as he did in 2009, Christoph Waltz turns in an absolutely spectacular performance in his second Tarantino-directed production.  I have seen Waltz in a couple other American movies, and he truly does a great job; however, it seems Quentin Tarantino always gets the absolute best out of him for his movies.  I believe it has to do with the dialogue Tarantino creates for Waltz’s characters.  Just as in Inglourious Basterds, the character Waltz plays is exemplified by his specific diction and unwavering wit, along with a calm determination to always get what he seeks.  The opening scene of Django Unchained, just as in the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds, is enough to rationalize awarding Christoph Waltz with this great honor of Best Supporting Actor.  Waltz was previously nominated and won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Inglourious Basterds (2009).

2. Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

In The Master, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Lancaster Dodd, the leader of a religious cult known as “The Cause.”  Even though director Paul Thomas Anderson has not come right out and said it, it is highly inferred that Hoffman’s character is based off of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology; moreover, as the film plays out, “The Cause” begins to greatly resemble Scientology.  In the movie, Dodd and his wife Peggy (Amy Adams) take in Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), and Lancaster attempts to make Freddie a believer and promoter of the philosophical movement.  Hoffman’s character seems to be calm and inquisitive in an almost calculated manner, and this behavior lends to the dark mystique surrounding Lancaster Dodd.  This film includes critically acclaimed showings from each of the three main characters, but Hoffman still finds a way to stand out in his own way.  Philip Seymour Hoffman was previously nominated for three Academy Awards, winning Best Actor for his role in Capote (2005).

3. Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

In Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones acts as Thaddeus Stevens, the real-life Republican Congressional leader and fanatical abolitionist.  Historically, Representative Stevens was one of the most influential figures in the Reconstruction Era.  He fought for the rights of all people in the United States, but his significant efforts towards abolishing slavery engulfed much of his political focus.  From the moment Jones appears on the screen, you are mesmerized by the passion and vivacity in his voice as he pushes President Lincoln to free the slaves, end the war, and unite the nation as one.  In a film that features Daniel Day-Lewis giving a superb performance as Abraham Lincoln, Jones holds his own and rightfully deserves this nomination.  Tommy Lee Jones was previously nominated for three Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Fugitive (1993).

4. Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)

In Silver Linings Playbook, Robert De Niro plays Pat Solitano, Sr., the father of the lead character, Pat, Jr. (Bradley Cooper).  When Pat Jr. returns home, he learns that his father has lost his job and is bookmaking in a desperate attempt to make some money with aspirations of starting a restaurant.  Pat Sr. suffers from OCD, and De Niro plays this disorder flawlessly, illustrating his character’s wild and crazy superstitions based around the Philadelphia Eagles football team.  In one of the year’s biggest films featuring bright performances from young stars like Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, the veteran De Niro shows it does not take a serious, dramatic role for him to bring out the best in himself on the screen.  De Niro was previously nominated for six Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Godfather Part II (1974) and Best Actor for his role in Raging Bull (1980).

5. Alan Arkin (Argo)

In Argo, Alan Arkin portrays Lester Siegel, a film producer during the late 1970s.  Siegel, along with John Chambers (John Goodman) and CIA Operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), sets up a fake movie studio, creates full storyboards for the film and publicizes those plans, and makes the fictional film “Argo” seem like a full-fledged feature to help establish a credible story so that the covert operation to rescue six Americans stranded in Iran can be achieved successfully.  Even though Arkin gives a grand, witty performance in the film, I was surprised he received an Oscar nod because the character in my opinion lacked substance.  Alan Arkin was previously nominated for three Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for his role in Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

Actors snubbed in this category: Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained) and Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained)

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Best Actress in a Supporting Role

This year’s Best Supporting Actress nominees are definitely not strangers to the Academy Awards ceremony.  Not including this year’s nominations, each of the five women in this category have been previously nominated for at least one Academy Award; in fact, they have been previously nominated a total of eight times combined, including three Academy Award wins.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

WINNER: Amy Adams (The Master)

In The Master, Amy Adams plays Peggy Dodd, the wife of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a man who is the leader or “master” of a philosophical movement known as “The Cause.”  The Dodd family’s efforts to spread the word of “The Cause” prove difficult after they take in Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a drifter with an alcohol problem.  Although at first glance Adams’ character seems like the dutiful, obedient wife to her husband, the complexities of her character throughout the film show a completely different woman.  As illustrated in a few key scenes, Peggy Dodd truly has an unprecedented level of authority within “The Cause” and might be the true representation of the titular “master” instead of Lancaster.  After many award-nominated performances over the past few years, Adams finally hits the jackpot with this role.  It is easily one of the most deeply interesting characters that Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood) has ever created, and he made an amazing casting choice in Amy Adams.  Adams was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions: Junebug (2005), Doubt (2008), and The Fighter (2010).

2. Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

In the latest film adaptation of the infamous novel and musical Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway takes on the role of Fantine, a woman struggling to make enough money to send to support her illegitimate child, Cosette.  Even though Hathaway only appears in the film for a very short period, she most definitely makes the most of her time on the screen.  Not only does Hathaway bring this character to life through her amazing singing abilities, she gives us one of the most truly emotional performances in recent history.  Her acting is spot-on and riveting, and you as a viewer are engrossed in each scene, feeling her pain and wanting to weep for her.  Her performance very well may result in her winning the Oscar in this category, and if she does, she is quite deserving after the masterpiece she put together in Les Misérables; however, Adams’ performance was simply too strong for me to give Hathaway the win.  Anne Hathaway was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Rachel Getting Married (2008).

3. Sally Field (Lincoln)

In Lincoln, Sally Field portrays Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Abraham Lincoln.  History depicts the First Lady as a complex, but fragile woman during her time in the White House.  According to Lincoln director Steven Spielberg, it was these characteristics of Mary Todd Lincoln that always made him want to cast Sally Field in this role.  There are a couple of scenes in the movie where Field’s character is fighting with the president (Daniel Day-Lewis), and the raw emotion and sheer vigor that Field delineates during these scenes are reason enough to nominate her for this intricate portrayal.  If it were not for stellar performances by Adams and Hathaway, Sally Field would be an easy choice for this category.  She was previously nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Actress in two movies: Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984).

4. Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

In The Sessions, a film based on a true story, Helen Hunt plays Cheryl Cohen-Greene, a professional sex surrogate that is hired to help Mark O’Brien (John Hawkes), a poet that is paralyzed from the neck down due to polio, lose his virginity.  In the movie, Hunt shines on the screen by guiding John Hawkes’ character through multiple sex-therapy sessions as he works towards achieving his desire to have sex despite his paralysis.  Her character develops a complex relationship with O’Brien, and it eventually leads to stresses in her own marriage.  Even though I feel Helen Hunt did a great job with this character, the moments for her to shine came on a sparing basis.  Hunt was previously nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in As Good as It Gets (1997).

5. Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

In Silver Linings Playbook, Jacki Weaver portrays Dolores Solitano, the mother of lead character Pat Solitano, Jr. (Bradley Cooper).  The matriarch of the Solitano family is faced with many complications as she moves her son back into the family home after he spent eight months in a mental health institution for his severe bipolar disorder, and it is these obstacles that make Weaver’s character such a complex figure—luckily for the viewers, Weaver plays the part to a tee.  Even though she gave such a good performance in one of the year’s top movies, I was quite surprised that she received a nomination.  She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Animal Kingdom (2010).

Actresses snubbed in this category: Samantha Barks (Les Misérables) and Judi Dench (Skyfall)