82nd Academy Awards Blogathon: Best Actress

Nominees: Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side, Helen Mirren - The Last Station, Carey Mulligan - An Education, Gabourey Sidibe - Precious, and Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

The Best Actress category has been a bit formulaic for the last decade or so. Usually there’s one nomination held for a newcomer, one for a seasoned vet, one for a brilliant foreign actress, one for a familiar face, and one for Meryl Streep.

This year is a bit different in that we have two newcomers, Carey Mulligan from An Education and Gabourey Sidibe from Precious, (or are we legally supposed to say “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”?) It’s rare that these freshman efforts ever win, but there’s some serious buzz behind Ms. Sidibe’s performance that might break tradition.

Also in the running is the disgustingly talented Helen Mirren for her role in the Tolstoy film The Last Station. If anyone can match Meryl Streep in talent, Mirren would be the one to do it. In fact, if the Academy wants its ratings up, I would like to see Streep and Mirren drop the gloves and throw some fists. Forget Sam Worthington, that’s the real Clash of the Titans.

And then there’s Sandra Bullock…

But anyhow, Meryl Streep and Gabourey Sidibe I believe are the two strongest contenders in this category. I’m not sure that these two roles could be further from each other. One is a teenage girl from the slums trying to overcome personal and familial oppression. The other is an upper-class middle-aged eccentric white woman who can’t decide what she wants to do with her boredom and falls into cooking.

Streep’s performance as Julia Childs transcends the mediocrity of the film that contained it. There’s always a sense of kinetic excitement watching Streep embody her roles, but her rendition of Childs is so much fun that it’s hard not to find her appetizing.

Precious possesses a different kind of happiness, that of inspiration in the underdog overcoming daunting obstacles… or so I hear. I haven’t seen it. But it’s endorsed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, and they’re all about inspiration. Aren’t they? I’ve ever seen a Tyler Perry film.

At any rate, I think the statue will go to Streep, as she’s been nominated five times in the last ten years. That is an achievement in and of itself that deserves to be rewarded. It’s hard to compare two vastly different roles. On one hand, Streep completely incarnates Childs, while Sidibe had to create such a straining emotional arc.

And then there’s Sandra Bullock…

Prediction: Meryl Streep
Personal Pick: Not Sandra Bullock

2 Comments

• By karlaT, February 6, 2010 @ 7:53 am

  I completely agree the Oscar is Meryl’s. by far. and well deserved.
• By this guy over here, February 6, 2010 @ 11:38 am

  Karla,

  I completely agree with your complete agreeance. She’s been so good for so long, and even though she already has two Oscars, I think she should get one every year just for existing. Plus we have the same birthday :)

  She has one hell of a lifetime achievement award coming her way.

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