Near Misses: Emma Thompson in "Saving Mr. Banks"

by Cláudio Alves

As we know, the precursors don't always matter. Many an actor was Oscar-nominated without a SAG, Golden Globe or BAFTA nod to recommend them. Of course, for every surprise inclusion, there's a shocking snub to contend with. There are those performers that seemed like near locks up until nomination morning. When they failed to stick the landing, predictors were surprised and fans thrown into paroxysms of outrage. These near misses can be precious jewels of acting that were unforgivably shortchanged, while, other times, we can count ourselves spared a nomination for mediocre work.

In 2013, Emma Thompson was nominated for the SAG, the Globes, the BAFTA, the Critics Choice Award and even won the National Board of Review prize for her performance as P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks. The Academy, however, ignored her. Compared to some of the actual Oscar nominees, Thompson's work is, at the very least, an impressive achievement and deserving of recognition…

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The precursors don't always matter

by Cláudio Alves

In these merry times of winter holidays and gift-giving, there's no better present than the gift of hope. For Oscar obsessives, this can come in many forms. One of them can be the reminder that the precursors aren't everything when it comes to the race for Hollywood's most coveted little golden man.

Even if your favorite performance of the year hasn't been getting any sort of awards love, that doesn't mean its Oscar chances are dead and buried. Remember the case of Marcia Gay Harden, a surprise nominee that became a surprise victor when she conquered the Academy Award for Pollock. What a thrill.

She's the patron saint of Oscar surprises. In honor of her, here's a list of those lucky actors who scored an Oscar nomination despite having no nod whatsoever from the Globes, the SAGs, the Critics Choice Awards, or the BAFTAs...

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Renee Zellweger Will Be A Worthy Oscar Winner

by Murtada Elfadl

When a performance becomes an undeniable front runner for awards, sometimes the chatter becomes all about that and we lose a sense of why it became a juggernaut in the first place. January promises to be full of trips to podiums at awards shows for Renee Zellweger as Judy. However before we start analyzing the speeches, let’s take a look back at the the performance itself. A merging of three aspects, Zellweger’s performance is deserving of accolades...

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Oscar Mythbusting: 'Weak' Best Actress Years (feat. "Tom & Viv")

by Cláudio Alves

There's been much talk of this year being a weak one for the Best Actress category. That's nonsense. While it's easy to understand where such dreary thoughts come from, it's a foul myth. Every year has the potential to be great, you just need to look at films outside the Academy's usual favorites and our preconceptions about what constitutes awardable acting. 

Take 1994, a year traditionally considered among the weakest for the Best Actress Oscar. While it's true the nominated five aren't a particularly stellar collection, they each bring something to the table. There's Winona Ryder and her anachronistic charm, Jessica Lange's primordial rage and lust, Susan Sarandon's solid reactions, and Jodie Foster's fearlessness. Finally, there's the lead actress of Tom & Viv, a film now celebrating its 25th anniversary…

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Best Actress Predictions - Is Saoirse In or Out?

by Nathaniel R

It’s strange to be entering an Oscar season where the Best Actor competition *might* be more thrilling than the Best Actress race. This never happens. At least not to us here at TFE where actresses are sacred and actors are, um, glorified seat-fillers...

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