Smackdown '17: Allison, Laurie, Lesley, Mary and Octavia

Presenting Oscar's Chosen Supporting Actresses of the Films of 2017. 

THE NOMINEES 

Two mothers with combative relationships with their daughters (Janney and Metcalf). One sister/business partner (Manville). One mother struggling with oppressive farm life (Blige). And one cleaning lady (Spencer) whose coworker/friend is mute and in love with a fish crea... listen, it's a long story!

But here's a beautiful thing that's too little remarked on this season: they're all actually supporting characters. No leads masquerading as support for once! 

THIS MONTH'S PANELISTS  

From top left: Andrew Carden, Chris Feil, Candice Frederick, Erica Mann, Kevin O'Keeffe, and Nathaniel R

Here to talk about these five nominated turns, are in alpha order: Andrew Carden (Awards Connection / Gold Derby) Chris Feil (The Film Experience), Candice Frederick (Reel Talker), Erica Mann (NYC Film Chick), Kevin P O'Keeffe (Into) and your host Nathaniel R (The Film Experience). And now it's time for the main event... 

2017
SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN 

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Michael B. Jordan, HBO Book Burner

Chris here. Michael B. Jordan is getting the kind of adoration for his Black Panther anti-hero that makes Oscar types start whispering before they get locked in jail for bringing up next year before the current ceremony. (*whispers* but seriously when can we start that conversation?) However, it might not be too early to start some Emmy talk. You might have missed the quiet casting announcement awhile back, but the actor is about to headline a new adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 from indie darling director Ramin Bahrani and HBO.

Between Black Panther, this, and the fast-tracked Creed 2 arriving later this year, we'll be loving Jordan all year long...

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Beauty vs Beast: Home is Where the Hearts Are

Jason from MNPP here with the last "Beauty vs Beast" before the Oscars. This week's poll doesn't have anything to do with the Oscars though because let's face it - the Academy, bless their shiny hearts, is never going to be as cool and adventurous as our host Nathaniel is. Nathaniel dropped his Top Ten of 2017 over the weekend and at #9 was a movie AMPAS was never going to go anywhere near - Darren Aronofsky's spectacularly divisive mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence (who's got Red Sparrow out this weekend) as a sink-bracing Suzy Homemaker under, uh, extreme duress. But we're never going to forget mother!, and we doubt you will either - even if it's just to picture Michelle Pfeiffer whenever you slip a little extra something into your lemonade...

survey service

PREVIOUSLY We wished Sidney Poitier a happy birthday last Monday, wondering why he wasn't the one who got AMPAS' attention in 1967's In the Heat of the Night - he certainly got our attention, rounding up 85% of your vote from his co-star (and statue-snatcher) Rod Steiger. Said Red:

"Watching Sydney Poitier reassured me that I could grow up into the kind of adult I wanted to be. He still had what we kids had and adults had lost. He was honest, honourable, brave and full of joy."

What did you see this weekend?

Black Panther continued gobbling up profits with another $100 million this weekend. Game Night (reviewed) and Alex Garland's sci-fi whatsit Annihilation opened to $16 and $11 million respectively, picking up the superhero's scraps. But those are pretty good scraps. Meanwhile outside the top ten all the Best Picture contenders had their last full hurrah since they're all at less than 800 theaters now and some become "losers" a week from today. Last chance to see them on the big screen people. (You can see how each of them have fared at the domestic and global box office on the Best Picture chart.) 

What did I see this weekend? I finally saw Roman J Israel Esq. the last 2017 movie I'm going to be able to see now that the Film Bitch Awards have begun. It was... interesting. And I mean that in the literal sense and in the sense of what you say when you dont really want to talk about it or don't know where to begin. 

Smackdown Tease - Reader Votes!

by Nathaniel R

UPDATED POST: To correct for a second batch of ballots as I received both comment ballots and mail ballots.

Since the annual Supporting Actress Smackdown arrives tomorrow I thought I'd share a few notes from your ballots. Thanks for getting them in so quick. The most divisive performance with everything from 1 heart to 5 hearts on reader ballots was the Oscar frontrunner, I Tonya's Allison Janney. But it was Phantom Thread's Lesley Manville and Lady Bird's Laurie Metcalf who were neck and neck all through the counting of reader ballots. I'm on pins and needles -- looks like it might be close tomorrow! 

After the jump your favorite contenders who missed the Oscar nomination...

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