Despite our feeling that Julianne Moore deserved the Oscar (for Best Supporting Actress) for her turn in The Hours, it appears that sentiment has her winning this year for her tragic turn in Still Alice.
But, there is some significant competition coming from the other four who scored Oscar nominations. Two have won before, one was in a blockbuster hit that was largely a huge success due to her performance and another gave a heartbreaking and stunning performance as the wife and biggest cheerleader for one of the greatest minds of our time.
First, here are the nominees…
Let’s break it down…
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Marion Cotillard scored a surprise nomination for her role in Two Days, One Night. But in hindsight, as a previous winner, maybe it was not such a shock. But clearly when dealing with these other four nominees, she gets the award this year for “just happy to be nominated.”
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
It’s hard to imagine Eddie Redmayne turning in his Oscar-nominated Best Actor performance without a volley partner like Felicity Jones. Jones plays Jane Hawking and as the film chronicles their love story, it is also about how she provided a pillar of strength for him to do the great things he accomplished. And all of that without letting his ALS get in the way of changing the world. Jones scored her first nod for The Theory of Everything, and she will be back. But this is not her year.
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Rosamund Pike mesmerized as the title character in Gone Girl and she gave a hurricane of a performance. If the book was a challenge to be seen as a viable movie, much of the credit with it working as well as it did has to go to her and director David Fincher. Pike embodied the “cool girl” with gravitas and a manic power that knocked us off our feet. But alas, she will have to enjoy the night as just a nominee and not a winner.
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Coming out of the Toronto Film Festival, one could argue that Reese Witherspoon was the front-runner to win for her role as the real life heroine who went Wild and found herself. Witherspoon would be looking at her second Oscar for Best Actress (after her win for Walk the Line), if it wasn’t for the actress who we think will take the prize. And that is…
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Julianne Moore gave a heartbreakingly real performance as the title character in Still Alice. Capturing a young(er) woman who is grappling with early onset Alzheimer’s had to be one of the biggest challenges of her five-time nominated career. And she has saved the best for her most recent and there is no way we don’t see her emerging victorious (finally) as an Oscar winner on February 22.
Who do you think should win Best Actress?