Oscar Countdown: Best Actress is Cate’s to Lose (Not Gonna Happen)

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It’s hard to remember a year when the winner of the best actress category felt so pre-ordained. But then Woody Allen’s stepdaughter stepped up with renewed allegations of child molestation against the noted director. Whether this influenced Oscar voters one way or another regarding Cate Blanchett’s riveting turn in “Blue Jasmine, we will find out Sunday night.

The actress herself made one brief comment about the controversy, in Woody’s support naturally, and then went on record saying she wouldn’t discuss it further. Nor should she – it has nothing to do with her performance, which is widely guarded as one of the best of her stellar career.

The rest of the field is a who’s who of Hollywood leading ladies and amongst them is Oscar record-holder Meryl Streep, up for “August: Osage County,” which is not considered one of her finer roles. Streep’s Oscar history goes back to 1979 for “The Deer Hunter.” The following year, Streep took home the first of her three Academy Awards, for “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Her other statuettes are for “Sophie’s Choice” and “The Iron Lady.”

Judi Dench is another powerful force with a resonant depiction of the real-life Philomena Lee, who was forced by the Catholic Church to give up her out of wedlock toddler. Her search for the boy decades later – with the journalist fascinated by her story – is the staff of heartbreak, inspiration artbreak and internal fortitude. It hasn’t hurt that the real Philomena has been out on the campaign trail bestowing her blessings upon the film and the woman who plays her.

And then there is the beautiful and talented Sandra Bullock, whose career path reached the stratosphere when she won the Oscar for “The Blind Side.” Think back, and you’ll remember she publicly thanked the husband who later dumped her for another woman. Bullock had always been considered America’s sweetheart but the public humiliation and later adoption of a little boy made her even more relatable as an Everywoman. As an astronaut fighting for survival, “Gravity” underscores her resilience.

Amy Adams– and her 70s cleavage– have been everywhere promoting “American Hustle,” another David O. Russell film in which heretofore unrevealed elements of her character and talent take center stage. The first time with him was her memorable role

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Author: Hillary Atkin

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