Scott Predicts Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominations

It is now part 4 in Scott's cavalcade of Oscar nomination predictions.  So far, he has done Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Actor.  Today he is predicting the nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

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Today’s Predictions – Supporting Actress

While the lead categories are extremely tight, there is a lot more wiggle room amongst the supporting candidates. I would love to bring some very surprising picks to my predictions today, but I found myself agreeing with all nominees of the Screen Actors Guild, so perhaps that is the best course to take. I have looked over this list time and time again, and as much as I would like to go against the grain and predict an upset, I think the SAG will see all of these actresses getting nominations

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle – Lawrence really is the girl on fire as her stock has been climbing higher and higher over the past few years. One of the reasons for that is due to the Academy Award that she won last year for her role in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook. Teaming up with Russell in American Hustle works wonders in the movie, and it is possible she could be snatching awards two years in a row.

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave – In the very harsh movie about slavery, Nyong’o is able to bring a very tragic sweetness and show a portion of the story that is outside of, but enriches, that of the main character’s tale. She delivers handfuls of different emotions, and is a natural pick to bolster the awards freight train the 12 Years a Slave currently is. So far she has gained nominations from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA.

June Squibb – Nebraska – There is a lot of raving to be had out there for Squibb’s performance in this movie opposite Bruce Dern. While she has not been nominated in as many awards as Dern (such as the BAFTAs), it is the SAG that actually votes on this, and their opinion is what counts. I do not think she has as much of a chance of winning the award as others on this list, but I feel confident that she will at least become nominated.

Julia Roberts – August: Osage County – The cast of this movie is deep, and there was a lot of potential in the air for it before it was screened. It seems to be missing out on many nominations for awards, but the two areas that it is very consistent is that it is getting attention for the performances of Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. Roberts was last up for an Oscar when she won Best Actress for Erin Brockovich in 2001, and this could be the year that she puts her name back into the mix.

Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniel’s The Butler – While the movie has been completely shut out of awards like the Golden Globes, it just does not feel right keeping Oprah off of the list. She is a well-loved personality and her performance in The Butler showed a wide range of emotions. I could see her as being the only nomination that the movie gains. While releasing the movie in August made it wonderful counterprogramming, it may have left it a bit too far out of the minds of the voters.

This is a list that I am not one hundred percent comfortable with. I think that there is a possibility for upset here, especially with Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) who was wonderful opposite Cate Blanchett.  I would not be incredibly surprised if either Squibb or Winfrey were left out and Hawkins made it in there. Other interesting outside contenders are Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis), Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station), and Sarah Paulson for her incredibly evil role in 12 Years a Slave.