Oscar Talk: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role -
Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread
Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird
Mary J. Blige - Mudbound
Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water
This category is a little bit more accurate than the Supporting Actor group as far as actually nominating the best of the best goes. All five ladies here did wonderful work that deserves to be nominated. My personal favorite? Probably Laurie Metcalf for Lady Bird because of the accuracy to which she plays a mother of a teenage girl. I can see every mother I have ever met, including my own, in this character and she really does give a magnificent performance here. Most nominees, other than Allison Janney, are nominated for relatively quiet performances this year, with Mary J. Blige and Leslie Manville also making large impacts in their limited screen time. As far as Manville goes, I would have liked to see Vicky Krieps nominated for Phantom Thread if I had to pick between the two supporting ladies the film. However, they both manage to stand out, even in the scenes with the powerhouse that is Daniel Day Lewis. Octavia Spencer was probably the most grounded of the characters in The Shape of Water, but definitely also found herself making an impression among a cast of fish men and louder characters. Janney is the clear frontrunner here, and I would not be upset to see her end up with the statue at the end of the night. She is horrific and hilarious and has a longstanding career as a character actor to support her win.
Who will win: Allison Janney
Who should win: Laurie Metcalf
Images by Fox Searchlight Pictures, Netflix, A24, Neon, Focus Features
