Oscar Index: Enough About Bridesmaids, Already

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The Leading 5:

1. Octavia Spencer, The Help

2. Bérénice Bejo, The Artist

3. Jessica Chastain, The Help

4. Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

5. Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Outsiders: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids; Vanessa Redgrave, Coriolanus; Sandra Bullock, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter; Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life

I mean, McCarthy couldn't even buy a nomination from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and yet we're yammering on and on about Bridesmaids' influence and Best Picture promise? Get out of here. Chastain's continued ascent, on the other hand, is just the latest sign of how seriously people who matter take The Help. And by, "people who matter," I mean "sentient beings with a blood alcohol level under .35."

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The Leading 5:

1. Christopher Plummer, Beginners

2. Albert Brooks, Drive

3. Jonah Hill, Moneyball

4. Nick Nolte, Warrior

5. Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

Outsiders: Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; Ben Kingsley, Hugo; Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris; Patton Oswalt, Young Adult; Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Kevin Spacey, Margin Call

Now that Plummer has acquired his Movieline karma, truly nothing can stop him.

Read all of this year's Oscar Index columns here.

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Comments

  • Morgan says:

    Still don't see Terrence Malick in the race *at all* for directors?
    He's gotten a lot of critics awards, as has The Tree of Life (to be expected though), which has given the film a bump - but why not the director on these charts?
    Especially with War Horse getting fairly mixed reviews, that could make Speilberg's spot vulnerable...
    Aside from Payne, Hazanavicius and Scorsese being locks at this point I would say, the other two spots seem up for grabs between Daldry, Speilberg, Allen and Malick I would say - even Bennett Miller is Moneyball gets a bump.

  • AS says:

    New Rule: The Academy must add a new category titled "Best Use of an Enya Song."

  • Lauren says:

    Stu- 1) You are hilarious, I love reading your commentary! Some of the best "Oscar-analyzing" on the web!
    2) Glenn Close, really? You even said yourself in the THR podcast- give it to someone deserving... aka THERON! Do you really think Close will pull through? Say it ain't so. I can't imagine the Academy passing up on opportunity to nominate someone who gives arguably the best performance of the year in yes, a polarizing film, but since when has the Academy stuck to mainstream crap? Or just crap in general? Looking at you Albert Nobbs.
    3) Happy Holidays!

  • S.T. VanAirsdale says:

    Yeah, you know, Malick should be there. That's an honest oversight/omission. Consider this a correction; I'd say he's interchangeable with Daldry at this point. Miller might be for real; Moneyball fans are almost as fervent as ToL fans, but we'll see if/how that translates to the Academy.

  • S.T. VanAirsdale says:

    YES. What genius.

  • S.T. VanAirsdale says:

    1. Thank you! You are very kind, and I appreciate your readership.
    2. I know it sucks, but as noted many times previously, Oscar Index does not reflect my personal choices. It's as objective a read of the race as I can summon at the time it is written, which means that yeahhhh, Glenn Close is in there. Were it up to me I'd have Kirsten Dunst at the top every single week, and I would most definitely include Theron in the top 5. Honestly I am not convinced GC has what it takes to get to Oscar night, but we'll see.
    3. Happy holidays to you as well! Stay tuned next week and into 2012...

  • Jospeh says:

    I agree completely with what you were discussing. Good stuff. Keep it up

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