Best of 2009: Top 10 Performances by a Supporting Actress

While some of the performances in the 2009 supporting actress category won't be remembered for lists to come, there were a lot of actresses that incorporated great acting with crucial scenes to land on this list. These scenes - just like those of the supporting actors - are what lands the actress on my list. Many actresses have had great, iconic roles this year (Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"; all the ladies - Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Fergie, Judi Dench - of "Nine"; Rosamund Pike, the glamorous older friend of Jennie in "An Education"; Catherine Keener in "Where the Wild Things Are"; and Charlize Theron in "The Road." However, what these actresses didn't have - or didn't have enough of - are scenes that steal, scenes that escape the film and hold their own weight, scenes that make good movies great - or in some cases on my list, scenes that make bad movies watchable.

Also, it needs to be addressed that I - just like many of the award shows back in January through March - am confused about what makes an actress a lead and a supporting. I've taken the theory that leads must have their own main storyline; supporting roles are sub-characters. So, in some cases here, I have either agreed or disagreed with the Oscars or Globes or SAGs, but know that I've given their placement much thought.

First, let's talk about the actresses that have made bad movies watchable. Rachel Weisz lighted her way through the murky, silly waters of "The Brothers Bloom" alongside leading men Adrien Brody and Marc Ruffalo. Her character had so much spunk and so full of wit that I questioned why the writer couldn't put the same focus on the other roles and to the plot. "He's Just Not That Into You", a star-studded Valentine film, clustered characters, leaving you emotionless - except for Jennifer Connelly as the jealous, suspicious wife of a cheating husband. The scene in the supermarket still resides in my mind.

In my mind, Penelope Cruz had an incredible year in 2009 with her performances in "Nine" and "Broken Embraces". Many thought that her role in the latter was a leading role, but I beg to differ. Lena isn't the main character by far - she's supporting. Also, Cruz was nominated for the wrong film. Her performance in "Broken Embraces" far exceeds that of "Nine". Cruz's "Nine" co-star, Marion Cotillard should've been the one nominated for the film as Guido's elegant, angry wife.

Many of the performances (all of the ones talked about so far except Weisz) focus on women struggling with relationships and with the men in their lives. In "The Messenger", Samantha Morton plays a widow of an American soldier; Maggie Gyllenhaal falls in love with Bad Blake and she struggles with single parenthood in "Crazy Heart"; and Julianne Moore, in "A Single Man," clings to the hope that her best friend George - who is gay - will still be in love with her. Morton's scene is when she is told for the first time that her husband has died; Gyllenhaal steals the show from Bridges when he loses her son; and Moore's performance seems effortless as she battles with a memory - the memory of George's dead boyfriend.

"Up in the Air" as an ensemble and film was fun, quirky, and dramatic. However, when you think about it, the roles aren't incredibly conflicted. Actually, they are, but the scenes chosen aren't the most dramatic or comedic or substantial. However, the one performance that stands out of the whole film is that of Anna Kendrick. She embodies a youth, independence, and gullibility that exceeds the script's expectations.

Mo'Nique as the abusive, envious mother in "Precious" is quite possibly one of the best performances of the decade. It's not just the surprise of her acting or the fact that she basically said "fuck you, awards, I'm not campaigning", it's the fact that she attacked the character so thoroughly and bravely that the result was genius.

And so, the Top Performances by a Supporting Actress for 2009 are:

10. Jennifer Connelly as Janine in HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

9. Rachel Weisz as Penelope in THE BROTHERS BLOOM

8. Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jean Craddock in CRAZY HEART

7. Penelope Cruz as Carla in NINE

6. Julianne Moore as Charley in A SINGLE MAN

5. Penelope Cruz as Lena in BROKEN EMBRACES

4. Marion Cotillard as Luisa Contini in NINE

3. Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener in UP IN THE AIR

2. Samantha Morton as Olivia Pitterson in THE MESSENGER

1. Mo'Nique as Mary in PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE

November in December

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz

A gritty tale of an inner-city teen on the verge of destruction, Precious ignites its audience with an incredibly likeable and pitiful protagonist, Clairece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), indirect opinions about the importance of education and independence, and Mo'Nique as Precious's mother who gives one of the best performances of the decade. Who knew she could be so gripping and chilling and worthy of every award this season? Sidibe is easy to love, wanting to jump through the screen and save her. Thankfully her character finds support at school and other places, which also lead to other great performances by Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and the young girls in Precious's class. On a down note (and a very small one at that), the film doesn't totally capture the true grief and hardships of Precious Jones. The novel seduces its reader with dialect and blunt description of events that are too disturbing to read further at times. But overall, the film is an achievement, and one of the best this year.

Grade: B+

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Voiced by Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Bob Hoskins, and Robin Wright Penn

In 3-D, this version of the classic holiday tale, Robert Zemeckis strictly blends the words of Charles Dickens as well as an entertaining, action-packed adventure. Jim Carrey is the perfect choice for the slew of voices he provides and Gary Oldman gives Bob Cratchit an appropriate commonness. The effects are great and looks beautiful. Overall, a great movie that sticks to the book.

Grade: B

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattison, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen, and Dakota Fanning

The first film in the saga was actually pretty good and entertaining; however, New Moon, the second addition to The Twilight Saga, bores because the translation from page to screen isn't smooth or impactful. The problem lies in the screenplay: horribly corny lines, dialogue that goes on for days (and bad dialogue at that), and scenes that may have appear important with a narrator like the whole adrenaline rush thing, but on screen, it all seemed stupid. Oh, and can I add that Lautner is probably the worst actor of the year? The only thing that saved this movie is Kristen Stewart's unrelenting ability to conjugate the horrid script as best she can.

Grade: D+

A Serious Man

Starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, and Aaron Woolf

In the Coen Brother's new film, A Serious Man, Larry Gopnik tries to hold together his life that is faced with serious, yet obliquely hilarious (and Jewish), setbacks. His wife, played like an icebox of laughs by newcomer Sari Lennick, wants a divorce and tells Larry that she's in love with Sy Ableman and that she wants Larry to move out. Wonderful. The film is full of sly humor and tremendously underrated acting. Aaron Woolf, Larry's son, provides one of the year's best performances from a young actor, Lennick as said before is funny and Siberian, and Richard Kind as Larry's nutty brother adds to the austere hilarity. And then there's Michael Stuhlbarg. His performance latches on to the humor trying to be serious but knowing it's all fun. It's a cycle the Coen Brothers have mastered and Stuhlbarg portrays it perfectly. He deserves more praise than the awards have been giving. Ultimately, A Serious Man includes everything the Coen's are about: humor and drama and great filmmaking. The only setbacks of the film are the prologue and numerous unfinished plot lines.

Grade: B+

Early Oscar Predictios for 2010

So here are my early predictions for next year's Oscars. Let's see how I do in 10 months. The pictures of the nominees are the ones I see as the front runner right now.

BEST PICTURE
The Human Factor
The Lovely Bones
Nine
Public Enemies
Shutter Island






BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood for The Human Factor
Peter Jackson for The Lovely Bones
Ang Lee for Taking Woodstock
Terrence Malik for Tree of Life
Rob Marshall for Nine






BEST ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz in Broken Embraces
Nicole Kidman in Nine
Michelle Pfeiffer in Cheri
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Hilary Swank in Amelia






BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine
Robert Downey, Jr. in Sherlock Holmes
Morgan Freeman in The Human Factor
Viggo Mortensen in The Road
Peter Sarsgaard in An Education






BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Hudson in Nine
Sophia Loren in Nine
Mo'Nique in Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire
Rachel Weisz in The Lovely Bones
Michelle Williams in Shutter Island






BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Philip Baker Hall in All Good Things
Matt Damon in The Human Factor
Richard Kind in A Serious Man
Mark Ruffalo in Shutter Island
Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road