Who will win Supporting Actress? Who should win?

2018 may well go down in history as the most volatile supporting actress race since 2007 (wherein four different women won the 5 televised prizes: Globes, Critics Choice, SAG, BAFTA, and Oscar). If you'll recall that historic year, those five prizes went, in order, to Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There), Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone), Ruby Dee (American Gangster),and the final two went to Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton). The only Oscar nominee that year that didn't win a televised prize was little Saoirse Ronan (Atonement). Saoirse even lost the "Young Actress" prize at Critics Choice but she got the last laugh, already being considered a Great by her early twenties with two more nominations since then and momentum for a win should the right role come along and she's still just 24 years old...

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Beauty vs Beast: Forgiveness Among Friends

Jason from MNPP here, right upfront with an apology for what I'm about to do to you all with this week's "Beauty vs Beast" -- unfortunately for all of us we've reached the "look at the movies that are being nominated for awards" part of the year which is forcing me, just forcing me, to make us all choose between the bitter besties of the perfect (if you ask me) Can You Ever Forgive Me? from director Marielle Heller.

Both Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. grant happily and deservedly secured Oscar nominations for their performances as the wrter Lee Israel and her partner-in-crime and bourbon Jack Hock, but for all their chumminess they're also often taking adversarial stances in the film, given the cobustiveness of both their characters. So even if we hate to bust up one of the greatest gay duos ever put on screen like this, we're still gonna ask...

bike trails

PREVIOUSLY Speaking of Awards Nominated Duos, last week's The Favourite bout crowned Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) by a pretty substantial margin. (3/4s of the vote, if you're wondering.) Said Roger:

"Team Sarah, no question. While this is Stone best performance to date, for me, it’s a tossup between Weisz and Colman for MVP. A tragic, deeply felt love story between Sarah and Queen Anne hides in plain sight. When it sneaks up on you in their final scene together between the door, it elevates what is already an entirely enjoyable film and recontextualiizes everything. Sarah was and always will be the favourite. Also, there is no doubt that all three are leading roles. I also share the belief that if the Oscar doesn’t go to King as I expect, Weisz wins her second."

Team Experience: Joyful News and the Best/Worst Oscar Branches

by Nathaniel R

Later today a special edition of the podcast as Murtada, Nathaniel and Nick discuss the Oscar nominations. But, for now, our final group survey on the nominations so we can then move on to the nitty gritty of each category as well as return to new and old movies,  Film Bitch Awards, regularly scheduled programming, and all of that good stuff. We asked the team two more questions about the nominations and they answered like so. Please let your own voice be heard in the comments.

WHAT NOMINATION GAVE YOU THE MOST JOY TUESDAY MORNING?

JORGE MOLINA: I woke up my entire neighborhood when Marina de Tavira's name was called out. I was expecting a surprise Supporting Actress nomination, but not her. Marina's performance is such a striking and beautiful contrast to Yalitza Aparicio's (whose nomination was a lesser but equally great surprise), and one that reflects much deeper things about female and class relationships in the movie. It's not a big performance, but it's so nuanced and raw. I couldn't be happier she's getting the recognition, and that she's only the second supporting actress to be nominated for a foreign film ever! Viva Marina!

CHRIS FEIL: No single craftsperson deserves their nomination (or eventual win) more than costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther). I don't make the facts, I just relay them...

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Adams / Weisz + Oscar

by Murtada Elfadl

Weisz and Adams at their first Oscars as nominees

This year marks the second time Rachel Weisz & Amy Adams have been nominated together in the supporting actress category: Weisz for The Favourite, Adams for Vice. The first time they did so was for their first nominations, thirteen years ago for The Constant Gardener and Junebug respectively. They are linked together in my mind -and possibly for some of you - because of that. Adams’ performance in Junebug is my favorite of her nominated performances and I've always said that if she had won that year we wouldn’t be talking about overdue status for years on end. 

Since that time their Oscar careers have diverged...

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Beauty vs Beast: Queen Anne's Choice

Happy Oscar Nominations Eve, everybody! Jason from MNPP here with this week's "Beauty vs Beast" which this week shall tackle one of the probable juggernauts nomination-wise tomorrow, or so we hope -- Yorgos Lanthimos' giddily profane The Favourite boasts a triumverate for the ages, with Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) sitting astride two wars, the more interesting one between her comely, craven subjects Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and cousin Abagail (Emma Stone). Everybody's predicting richkly deserved nominations for all three (while simultaneously bickering about their Lead vs Supporting placement) but we're more interested where you'd come down from Queen Anne's place...

bike trail guide

PREVIOUSLY Last week you guys wisely took Joan's advice and didn't fuck with her, fellas - Faye Dunaway's stark-raving turn in Mommie Dearest trampled through the roses to a win of just under 80%. Said Roger:

"I love MOMMIE DEAREST. In terms of Oscar eligibility, Faye Dunaway absolutely should have won the Oscar. Her performance is incredible and almost experimental. I think this is a rare example where the overused remark of losing one’s self in a role is warranted. The line between Faye Dunaway and Joan Crawford is blurred beyond distinction. Both actresses are so enthralling that seeing one as the other, Dunaway as Crawford, is so electrifying it borders on hyperreality."