Academy Award Previews — Actress Races

The Academy Awards are on Sunday, so it's time to preview the big races. In this post, I look at the actress categories.

Best Actress:
Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"
Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

* This is another race that has a clear front-runner in Moore. She's a well respected actress who's been nominated a number of times and never won. And she's reportedly lights out in a part that makes a somewhat marginal movie much better. That always helps. Moore is the odds on favorite, but that doesn't mean she's a lock. There are a number of dark horse candidates here. Cotillard and Witherspoon  are both past winners who've drawn praise for their nominated roles this year. Witherspoon, in particular, gave a gritty performance that was raw and emotional, carrying her movie to a bigger following. But the biggest dark horse is Pike, who gives an incredible performance as a chilly, manipulative woman in "Gone Girl." The film itself didn't get the awards-season buzz many expected, but Pike has drawn effusive praise for her work, and could be a challenge to Moore.

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Laura Dern, "Wild"
Keira Knightly, "The Imitation Game"
Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

* There are a lot of nice performances here. Streep has been nominated more than any actress in history, and won several times, too. Knightly does nice work opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game," and Stone shines in her scenes opposite fellow nominees Michael Keaton and Edward Norton in "Birdman." Dern, too, is sweet and delightful as Witherspoon's mother in "Wild." But throughout awards season Arquette is the one who's taken home the trophies, and she's the clear front-runner on Sunday night. Her work in "Boyhood" is subtle but well done, and the fact she gracefully grows her character over the course of 12 years is fascinating to watch. She has, perhaps, the meatiest part in the film, and she makes the most of her scenes. That's why she's likely to hear her name called on Sunday night.