Oscars Scorecard: Can Jennifer Lawrence Win Best Actress?
Man, this is a tough one. Plus, Best Editing.
Best Actress
Image by Courtesy of The Weinstein Company; Darius Khondji / Sony Pictures Classics
The closest Oscars race.
Nominees
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Should win: Sigh. Can “all of the above” be an acceptable answer? Jessica Chastain has shown such range in her recent surge into movie stardom — her portrayal of Maya, the bin Laden–obsessed CIA officer of Zero Dark Thirty, is the opposite of the flighty, friendless, sweet Celia of The Help. Naomi Watts carries The Impossible from potential movie-of-the-week territory into excellence. And Quvenzhané Wallis: How can a tiny person do what she did in Beasts? I keep returning to this bit from A.O. Scott’s New York Times review of Beasts from last June: “This movie is a blast of sheer, improbable joy, a boisterous, thrilling action movie with a protagonist who can hold her own alongside Katniss Everdeen, Princess Merida and the other brave young heroines of 2012.” Without Wallis, there is no Beasts, that is for sure. But the two front-runners here are Jennifer Lawrence and Emmanuelle Riva. And it’s so close! They’re both wonderful performances, with Riva’s Anne falling apart because of age, and Lawrence’s Tiffany falling apart because of grief. For me, Lawrence was a revelation, and I wish she would win.
Will win: But I think Emmanuelle Riva has the momentum, and will take it. This pick is based on inexpressible Oscar fortune-telling that is sometimes correct (yes, last year George Clooney’s Best Actor chances for The Descendants did mysteriously deflate for no real reason) and sometimes not: last year, common wisdom on Oscars day was that Meryl Streep would lose to Viola Davis because Davis had campaigned so well for The Help, whereas Streep had done her usual (nothing). But Streep won anyway. Here, Lawrence was a favorite for months, and her biggest competition was Chastain. But then Zero Dark Thirty’s torture controversies escalated, and Amour got more nominations than expected, so Riva entered the scrum. She turns 86 on Sunday. I think she will get an Oscar as her present.
Unless there’s a shock, this one should be easy.
Nominees
Argo, William Goldenberg
Life of Pi, Tim Squyres
Lincoln, Michael Kahn
Silver Linings Playbook, Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
Zero Dark Thirty, Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg
Should win: I’m not going to take to the streets in protest when Argo wins, but of course Zero Dark Thirty deserves it more. For the bin Laden raid scene alone.
Will win: Argo is going to win. Ben Affleck wasn’t nominated for Best Director, and that was a shock. But with Argo in the lead for Best Picture, it is the clear favorite in this related category.
Other category predictions:
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Feature Documentary
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Original Song
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Short
Best Live Action Short
Best Documentary Short
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gophermachine 3 months agoYes I think that Riva will win the award (tremendous momentum shift in her favor after she won the BAFTA, not to mention the way Lawrence acted after she lost may put her in a negative light)and Riva SHOULD win the award as her performance easily soars above the rest. Not to mention she deserves it for all her previous performances she’s made, especially ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ which the academy neglected.
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nickolasag 3 months agoRiva’s nomination was her award. It’s between Lawrence and Chastain, with Watts as the dark horse.
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WhatTheHolyHeck 3 months agoI’ve seen all the nominated performances, and although sentimentally I want Lawrence to be recognized even more than just the nomination, Riva’s performance was absolutely astonishing. She played an increasing level of paralysis, using only her facial muscles. She expressed subtle variations in joy and frustration non-verbally in a paralyzed body. Jesus Christ. No other actor or actress did what she did this last year. I never talk about what actors do as “accomplishments” but I’m changing my rule this year. It was a mind-boggling accomplishment.
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Laurenk0915 3 months agoI disagree- Jennifer won the SAG, and since the Actors make up the majority of the Academy I say the vote is in her favor.
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