Oscar Charts: Will we have a "double" again in Best Supporting Actress?
Friday, July 30, 2021 at 3:00PM by Nathaniel R
Ann Dowd and Martha Plimpton star in "Mass"
We may have gotten a little carried away with wishful thinking in (some) of our Supporting Actress chart building this time around. You see, so many actresses we love that have never or only once been in the Oscar race have what sound like amazing parts this year. But it's early enough in the year that optimistic guesses are as good as pessimistic guesses. At least that's true in the supporting categories where less is usually known this early about the roles themselves.
But what we found most interesting while thinking through the first predictions of the year was how many films have the potential for a double nomination in Best Supporting Actress...
two of the best performances of the 1970s... in the same movie, Paper Moon
Historically this category has been kind to double-acts. In the 85 years of the supporting races we've had double nominees 35 times (links go to Supporting Actress Smackdowns on those years): Gone With the Wind, The Little Foxes, Mrs Miniver, The Song of Bernadette, Mildred Pierce, Gentleman's Agreement, I Remember Mama, Come to the Stable, Pinky, All About Eve, The High and the Mighty, The Bad Seed, Peyton Place, Imitation of Life, Tom Jones, Othello, Airport, The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, Nashville, Kramer vs Kramer, Tootsie, The Color Purple, Working Girl, Enemies a Love Story, Bullets Over Broadway, Almost Famous, Gosford Park, Chicago, Babel, Doubt, Up in the Air, The Fighter, The Help, and The Favourite. As you can see it's so common it happens 40% of the time. This year there are several possibilities along those lines.
Mass (pictured up top) is a drama about grief. It won raves at Sundance for its central quartet Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Reed Birney who will all be campaigned as "supporting". Dowd and Plimpton are both actor's actors, Emmy winners, and tremendously versatile. On top of that they're both fairly ubiquitous rarely lacking for work so the industry knows them well. If distributor Bleecker Street can up their campaign game, it's not impossible to picture both of them making the shortlist. And we'd rejoice as long-time fans of both women.
Nightmare Alley boasts three key female roles. If we're going by just the 1947 film version of the novel, Collette and Blanchett have the juiciest roles as a fake psychic and an amoral psychiatrist, respectively, with Mara getting the dull naive love interest part. But we don't know how Guillermo del Toro will reinvent the material for this adaptation and Bradley Cooper is a great scene partner for gifted actresses and all three of these actresses are very gifted. Only once in Oscar history have three supporting actress nods gone to the same film (1963's Tom Jones) but it's fun to pretend that it might happen again. Some day.
West Side Story has always had just one terrific female supporting player. The awards magnet part of willful sexy tempestuous "Anita" has previously resulted in 3 Tony nominations and a win and 1 Oscar nomination and a win. Rising star Ariana DeBose (The Prom) has that classic role this time around but the catch for 2021 is that they've gender-flipped the role of "Doc" (a pretty good part for an older actor as is) and renamed it "Valentina" and given it to the original film's Anita, living legend Rita Moreno. It's easy to imagine a scenario where nostalgia plus a possibly beefed up part and a stellar performance bring the iconic star back to the Oscars for the exact same musical. Wouldn't that be eventful?!?
Other films with two or more potentially strong female supporting roles are Belfast, The Humans, and Parallel Mothers.
Finally, we don't know much about the comedy Don't Look Up yet beyond its basic plot about astronomers trying to warn the world of impending doom. But it's worth noting that Oscar favourite Adam McKay (The Big Short, Vice) has filled every second of it with stars. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence have the leading roles but Cate Blanchett, Gina Gershon, Melanie Lynskey, and Meryl Streep are also in the cast. Are these cameos or good juicy supporting parts?
What'cha think?
Reader Comments (33)
There's probably no other once-nominated actress I think is more overdue for a second nomination than Toni Collette, so I'm definitely rooting for her (sight unseen, of course). And if Kirsten Dunst gets her first nomination the same year, I'll be VERY happy.
So far this looks like the most interesting category this year.
Academy Award winner Martha Plimpton would make me so happy…
I'm hoping for a follow-up nomination for Ruth Negga. She earned her first nomination in a tough year. It's unfortunate that Hollywood hasn't really understood what to do with such a talented (and gorgeous) actress.
Where is Amy Adams?
Geri -- she's on the chart.
I think if Branagh's film is well liked, even if it doesn't score in all the top categories, Dame Judi will be in. I just don't see voters giving up on her.
I can't wait to see passing. Negga was great, so it will be interesting to see what she's like in this film (which I think got great reviews).
Martha Plimpton, like Campbell Scott, have been around in TV and movies for so long that you forget they were Hollywood children with an Oscar-winning parent (Keith Carradine and George C. Scott). They could have a nice narrative of being a second-generation Oscar winner if they were ever nominated.
I still can't get over why Julianne Moore has that part and Amy Adams doesn't (who actually has a background in musical theatre and has a lovely voice). I don't think I've ever heard Julianne Moore sing.
Really looking forward to Ruth Negga and Kirsten Dunst's films. Very underrated actresses. Mass has a great cast, but that premise sounds uber depressing.
Could Blanchett be considered a lead? I haven't seen the original film yet.
Meryl Streep is playing the President of the United States in McKay's film. If it's more than just a glorified cameo, I can't imagine the Academy passing her up.
I'm going to predict that anything that reeks as ONLY a sentimental choice (Moreno, Blanchett, Dench) gets squeezed out with all the tempting Truly Deserves, by which I mean people who are overdue for a first, second, or third nomination and are really stellar in their 2021 films. Sight unseen, I hope they will be: Toni Collette, Kirsten Dunst, Olga Merediz, Martha Plimpton, and Ruth Negga.
Also, I love both Plimpton and Dowd, but the fact that their film is being released by Bleecker Street doesn't bode well for them. Hopefully they can mount really aggressive campaigns (and if it's right, the critics rally for them).
This is looking super competitive as opposed to 2020 here's my 2 pennies worth
Collette
Dunst
Dowd
Deboise
Moreno
If Dowd, Collette, Negga and Dunst are nominated it would be amazing.
Brace yourself for the category fraud on Plimpton and Dowd. Shameful.
I like the idea of Arianda popping even if the film only kind of works. Other than that, yeah, Nightmare Alley seems particularly promising for this category.
From what I have heard from people reading the script and seeing the movie, Streep’s President is more than a cameo and stands a good shot at a nomination. She is a stand-out.
According to sources close to Searchlight Blanchett will go as Lead for Nightmare Alley
based on thoughts of people who have read The power of the dog, Dunst's role is indeed more of a co-lead character and shares a lot of moments with Cumberbatch's,
and the fact that the Marilyn biopic is bumped until next year, might be an indication that Netflix could go with Kiki as their lead actress contender (unless they buy something with potential at Toronto)
I see you, Don't Look Up: Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Ron Perlman, Jonah Hill, Gina Gershon, Melanie Lynskey, Matthew Perry, Mark Rylance, Ariana Grande, Michael Chiklis, Himesh Patel, Tyler Perry, Paul Guilfoyle and Kid Cudi.
#damn
Celeste Holm received 3 Best Supporting Actress nominations. In all 3 cases, she was part of a doube nomination!
1947: Gentelman's Agreement. Nominated alongside Anne Revere. Holm was the winner.
1949: Come to the Stable. Nominated alongside Elsa Lanchester.
1950: All About Eve. Nominated alongside Thelma Ritter.
By the way, Anne Revere also had 3 Supporting nominations, and two of them were alongside a cast mate!
We already mentioned Gentelman's Agreement with Celeste Holm, but back in 1943 she was nominated alongside Gladys Cooper for The Song of Bernadette.
Can you think of other similar cases?
It feels like Dunst is a lead
I've been predicting DeBose to not only be nominated, but also win for the last year. Like, even before Covid threw everything into a fuck. That role's an awards magnet for a reason!
Also, was it confirmed by the studios that Negga's being Category Frauded into Supporting Actress? Or is it your being paranoid, Nat?
fingers crossed for Rossy de Palma... who should have 3 noms (1 win) by now.
Marcos: Good question. I have found a couple more: Maggie Smith was in a pair with Joyce Redman for Othello and in a pair with Helen Mirren for Gosford Park. And Amy Adams was in a pair with Viola Davia for Doubt and in a pair with Melissa Leo for The Fighter.
I’m normally not one to stray from the goddesses of film but man do I want Martha Plimpton to make the cut. She’s been a working actress for how long?? 40 years… she deserves this!!
What an exciting list of actresses, many overdue and easy to root for already.
Whilst we’re thinking wishfully, I’d love to see a shout-out for Judy Davis in ‘Nitram’. The Cannes reviews for her work suggested an outstanding performance and even what’s showcased in the trailer gives me goosebumps. Is there anybody who doesn’t think she’s overdue another nomination (or finally a win?!). *IF* Caleb Landry-Jones can capitalise on that Cannes best actor win and stay in the conversation then Davis could take a deserving ride in his coattails… However, ‘Nitram’ still doesn’t have distribution and the controversial subject matter will no doubt prove polarising. This one very much depends on the performances hoovering up those critics awards but it doesn’t seem completely out of the bounds of possibility?
I saw “Mass” at Sundance. If anyone from that cast has a shot at a nomination, it’s Plimpton. She’s absolutely the standout from a strong cast. However, I’m afraid the movie will be too small for Oscars and will fly under the radar this year.
Plimpton also has the most complete character arc in Mass.
@Nathaniel R
Blanchett is the lone lead actress campaign for Nightmare Alley.
Martha Plimpton is such an 80s icon. I know she wasn't front and center in the pop culture like Molly Ringwald. But she represents you had to have been there to actually comprehend her ubiquitous contribution to the movies of the decade.
Edward L: And there's one more:
Teresa Wright with Patricia Collinge in The Little Foxes (1941) and with Dame May Whitty in Mrs. Miniver (1942). Wright won for Mrs. Miniver,
Thanks!
Kathryn Hunter (in Macbeth) is a jaw droppingly original actor who makes your brain re-adjust to the possibilities of how a role can be played. She was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and has played the part of Lear in King Lear, and Timon in Timon of Athens.
Most of us have only seen her as Harry Potter’s neighbour, Mrs. Figgs (sp?) so we don’t realize how good and versatile she is.
More than that, watching her is FUN.
This looks like it could be Collette's best chance since 6th Sense. Clear all the others out of the way, please!
Ariana DeBose is a fantastic dancer but beyond that there’s not much there. A high school level actress with a singing voice that has zero character.