There are eight frontrunners for this year’s Best Actress Oscar. 2-time Lead Actress winner Meryl Streep is going for her 4th overall win as matriarch Violet Wilson in “August: Osage County”, opening Christmas Day. There were rumors that The Weinstein Company was going to position Streep for Best Supporting Actress, but they’ve decided to let Julia Roberts represent that category (already a winner at the Hollywood Film Awards). Streep is at the center of a very competitive Best Actress race, going-up against seven other women she knows all too well:
AMY ADAMS – The 4-time Supporting Actress nominee is aiming for her first Lead Actress nod for her work in David O. Russell’s 70’s crime drama “American Hustle”. Adams has previously worked with Streep on two films: 2009’s “Julie & Julia” and 2008’s “Doubt”. That year, Streep was up for Best Actress, while Adams faced-off against co-star Viola Davis. All three lost. Three years later, Davis (Lead Actress frontrunner for “The Help”) would lose again, this time to Streep’s performance as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady”.
CATE BLANCHETT – In 1999, Blanchett and Streep competed in this category for performances in “Elizabeth” and “One True Thing”, respectively. But it was the year of “Shakespeare in Love”, so Gwyneth Paltrow took Oscar home. However, Blanchett would win Supporting Actress for 2004’s “The Aviator” and in 2008, she did something Streep has never been able to do: score two nominations in the same year, for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” and “I’m Not There”. As of now, Blanchett’s riveting performance in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine” is the one to beat.
SANDRA BULLOCK – One of the most fierce and memorable Best Actress bouts of the past decade: Streep’s glowing work as Julia Child, and Bullock’s equally strong performance in “The Blind Side”. They tied at the Critics Choice Awards and then split (Comedy/Drama) at the Golden Globes. Ultimately, Bullock took home the Oscar. This year she’s looking do it again as a Dr. lost in space in “Gravity”.
JUDI DENCH – Dench is receiving major buzz as the title character in the dramedy “Philomena”, in which she co-stars with Steve Coogan. Back in 2007, Dame Judi Dench and Meryl were both nominated in this category for “Notes on a Scandal” and “The Devil Wears Prada”, respectively. But they had to share consolation drinks after every ceremony that awards season since neither could take down “The Queen” – aka Helen Mirren.
EMMA THOMPSON – The recipient of the 1993 Best Actress award (“Howards End”), Thompson may become “the talk of the town” as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers in Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks”. Ten years ago, Thompson and Streep teamed-up for the HBO film, “Angels in America”, which sweeped the Mini Series/Movie categories at the Globes, including a victory for Streep.
NAOMI WATTS – Watts was excellent in last year’s “The Impossible”. Now she’s taking on Princess Diana in “Diana”, a role that Streep herself gave Watts advice about before filming began in 2012.
KATE WINSLET – Streep is likely hoping for some payback after what happened the last time these two went head-to-head. Back in 2009, Meryl was all set to take home her first Oscar since “Sophie’s Choice” for “Doubt” (after winning at the SAG Awards). But The Weinstein Company, the studio behind “The Reader”, decided to change Winslet’s “place in the race” from Supporting Actress to Lead Actress, and she took the category. There hasn’t been a lot of critical praise coming from early screenings of Jason Reitman’s “Labor Day”, but Winslet could still receive her seventh career nomination.
Odds are only five of these contenders will be nominated, and there’s always a chance for a surprise nominee to sneak in. Here are two guarantees: Streep will be one of the five and she’ll be very familiar with her competition.