Countdown to Oscar Night: Acting

I'm going to cover all four categories here, but it should be pretty quick. This is the easiest to pick acting field in a few years.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Alison Janney, I, Tonya
Leslie Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Two of these nominees don't belong: Leslie Manville was completely forgettable as Daniel Day-Lewis' older sister, and Octavia Spencer has become my generation's Meryl Streep (oh, she was in an awards-worthy film? make sure she comes to the party!). As for the other three, Alison Janney is going to win even though it feels a bit like a lifetime-achievement award. Laurie Metcalf gave the best performance of the five, but I will root for Mudbound to win anything!

My Ballot
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Alison Janney, I, Tonya
Leslie Manville, Phantom Thread
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

My Pick to Win
Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Shamefully Snubbed
Holly Hunter, The Big Sick


Actor in a Supporting Role
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Christopher Plummer with the sympathy vote, Woody Harrelson for cursing a lot and then offing himself (spoiler alert-sorry), Willem Dafoe as the best part in a great film that was just too cool for the Academy, Richard Jenkins in the best role of his career as the reluctant sidekick, and the Oscar goes to ...... Sam Rockwell, one of Hollywood's nicest guys who made us believe he was one of cinema's worst humans (or best redemption story depending on your take on Three Billboards...).

My Ballot
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

My Pick to Win
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Shamefully Snubbed (maybe the biggest snub of 2017, this guy gave THREE great supporting performances!)
Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me by Your Name, The Shape of Water, The Post



Actress in a Leading Role
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Sally Hawkins and Margot Robbie both turned in beautiful performances, arguably the best of their careers. Saoirse Ronan gave probably what will be her career defining performance (at least the middle part of what will hopefully be a very long career). Any of these three women could have been on cruise control to win an Oscar in any other year, but they all had no chance the moment Frances McDormand climbed that ladder to repaint those billboards. Her performance IS this film. When they say Three Billboards.... for Best Picture at the end of the night, she should go up on stage alone throw up a backwards peace sign and roll off the stage. She was magnificent.

My Ballot
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Meryl Streep, The Post

My Pick to Win
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Shamefully Snubbed
Salma Hayek, Beatriz at Dinner


Actor in a Leading Role
Timothee Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Save for a couple of the above names, what an incredibly weak year for lead male performances...  I guess it was fitting though... they've had their day. I can honestly say that the female acting field this year is far heftier than the male. Other than Oldman, these performances probably wouldn't have been nominated in a normal year. Chalamet's is the best as a young man who loses his first love, but the others are completely forgettable. It doesn't really matter though, Gary Oldman is transformative. If Winston Churchill could see the movie, I'm sure he would be impressed and flattered. It is easily the best performance of a real life individual since Daniel Day-Lewis himself took the whole acting community to school in Lincoln.

My Ballot
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Timothee Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

My Pick to Win 
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Shamefully Snubbed
Harris Dickinson, Beach Rats