O's 2009 Oscars® Cheat Sheet

By Jessica Winter
The Wrestler
Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Best Supporting Actress


The Nominees
Amy Adams in Doubt
Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis in Doubt
Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler

These roles are models of economy: Viola Davis is heartbreaking as the conflicted mother in Doubt, despite her precious few minutes of screen time; same goes for Marisa Tomei as the weary stripper in The Wrestler, despite her precious few inches of clothing. As Javier Bardem's vampy, unhinged lover in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Penélope Cruz shows up fashionably late and still sashays away with the movie.

O's Winner Is…
Penélope. Her performance was the biggest and brashest in the crowd, and the Academy loves to award Woody Allen's actors (see Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, Diane Keaton, Mira Sorvino…).

Missing in Action
She won last year, but still—Tilda Swinton's lusty wistfulness as the adulterous, English Channel–swimming hotel guest was a highlight of Benjamin Button.

Netflix This
Only Vicky Cristina Barcelona is on disc, but like all of Allen's movies, it comes without supplementary features.


 

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