List of Leading Actresses This Year
NAME Film
Oscar history
Directed by Who (Oscar nominated performances they've directed)
Status of Film

Please keep in mind: Many of the roles mentioned could also go supporting. I've left off some high profile entries that I think are obviously supporting. The lines are ever blurred these days and you never know how adaptations or editing choices will size a role

 

PREDICTION CONTEST

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LAURA LINNEY The Savages OR Jindabyne
2 nominations / 0 wins
S: Directed by Tamara Jenkins (none)
J: Directed by " The Lovely Laura Linney" is a very reliable actor. You always have to assume she might get great ink and make a play for that shiny boy the Academy is still withholding. They're so stingy. Please let's not have another Glenn Close situation on our hands now… in The Savages she and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are brother and sister caring for their sick father. Jindabyne is an adaptation of a short story by Raymond Carver. This was also as part of Short Cuts (1993) mosaic so if you remember that film Linney is playing the Anne Archer role. Her husband, who discovers a dead body while fishing, is played by Gabriel Byrne. She also has a supporting role in the new James Ivory film The City of Your Final Destination
both: completed

LINDSAY LOHAN Georgia Rule
never nominated
Directed by Garry Marshall (nominee: Julia Robert, Pretty Woman)
If Lohan ever hopes to get seriouss respect she's gonna have to erase the stigma of her partying ways --particularly since this is that movie --the one she was publicly shamed for for lack of professionalism.This'll have to be major performance and/or a major hit with the public, critics, and Golden Globes embracing it . However if she's considered supporting and Fonda is the lead… she might have an easier go at getting attention (if the film is well regarded)
completed

GIOVANNA MEZZOGIORNO Love in the Time of Cholera
never nominated
Directed by Mike Newell (nominee: Joan Plowright, Enchanted April)
This award winning Italian actress has the female lead of this adaptation of the classic novel. She's torn between two men played by Javier Bardem and Benjamin Bratt.
post-production

JULIANNE MOORE Savage Grace
4 nominations / 0 wins
Directed by Tom Kalin (none)
What to make of Savage Grace? Its tough to say. It's a low budget heavy drama that might be too risqué or too indie for Oscar. On the other hand it could hit that sweet spot of critical approval covering for its non-mainstream balloting obstacle. If this is the return to form that people are waiting for then the sky is the limit. She plays a doomed and lonely heiress who married up. Her husband is distant and her son is too close. Presumably violence, tears, and psychosexual drama follow.
completed

SAMANTHA MORTON Expired
2 nominations / 0 wins
Directed by Cecilia Miniucchi (none)
This film about a romance between traffic cops Morton and Jason Patric got interesting reviews at Sundance. Might be too small for any major attention or distribution but Morton is a always extremely watchable.
completed

ANNA PAQUIN Margaret
1 nomination / 1 win
Directed by Kenneth Lonergan (nominee: Laura Linney, You Can Count on Me)
She was one of my April Fools Predictions for last year's Oscar competition but the film was delayed and almost no buzz ever surfaced. I've since begun to wonder if there is a problem with the film. At any rate this is the long delayed second film effort from playwright Lonergan. Paquin plays a young woman who witnesses an accident which throws her into an emotional tailspin.
completed

SARAH JESSICA PARKER Spinning Into Butter OR Smart People
never nominated
SIB: Directed by Mark Brokaw (none)
SP: Directed by Noam Murro (none)
The Butter role was attention grabbing on the stage. SJP plays a college dean in a racially charged situation. The film has been completed for some time though. What's going on? In People she romances Dennis Quaid, a widower but he is the true lead so no telling if she's a co-lead or supporting.
SIB: completed
SP: post-production

MICHELLE PFEIFFER I Could Never Be Your Woman
3 nominations / 0 wins
Directed by (none)
It's a romantic comedy role. Those only get attention when they break out big time (Pretty Woman, Something's Gotta Give, Bridget Jones Diary) but you never know. She's been gone a long time. Is Hollywood anxious to welcome her back? Also appearing in supporting roles in Hairspray and Stardust. Still having distribution problems (legal battles).
completed

NATALIE PORTMAN The Other Boleyn Girl OR Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium OR Goyas Ghost
1 nomination / 0 wins
TOBG: Directed by Justin Chadwick (none)
MMWE: Directed by Zach Helm (none)
GG: Milos Forman (nominees: several)
In my minds eye I like to imagine that this Natalie Portman vs. Scarlett Johansson battle is happening all the time in the streets of LA and not just onscreen for this movie. I can't wait to see the two hot stars face off. Scarlett has current "it" girl status but Portman already has the Academy's eye. Who goes lead? Who goes supporting? And do either of them get attention for this story about sisters who would be Mrs. Henry VIII? The other option is from the helmer of Stranger Than Fiction wherein Natalie plays the manager of a fantastical toy stor. Finally last year's semi-buzzy costume drama/artist pic Goya's Ghost may finally arrive.
TOBG: post-production
MMWE: completed
GG: completed

PARKER POSEY Fay Grimm
never nominated
Directed by Hal Hartley (none)
I'm just including her for my own personal jollies. I accept that there's zero chance that the Academy would ever know what to do with Parker's inimitable talents. But she's a helluva performer all the same. This is the sequel to Hal Hartley's Henry Fool.
completed

VANESSA REDGRAVE Evening
6 nominations / 1 win
Directed by Lajos Koltai (none)
A dying woman played by a legendary actress recounts her life story for her daughters, also played by great actors. Sounds potentially like moviegoing heaven and Oscar bait: a rarer than you'd think combo. But there's so little we actually know and this could just as easily be a framework type of supporting role.
post-production

CHRISTINA RICCI Penelope OR Black Snake Moan
never nominated
Penelope: Directed by Mark Palansky (none)
Black Snake..: Directed by Craig Brewer (nominee: Terrance Howard, Hustle & Flow)
Neither the fable like comedy Penelope or the exploitation romp BSM seem like Oscary things but even if they aren't, the thing that does win Oscars is career momentum. If her ballsy hijinx in Black Snake Moan are any indication the daring and feisty actress is back. If Penelope is a hit
and also challenging, she could be setting herself up for some great roles with Oscar hopes come decades end. Cross your fingers.
P: completed
BSM: now playing

DAKOTA BLUE RICHARDS The Golden Compass
never nominated
Directed by Chris Weitz (none)
It's unlikely that the lead of a fantasy epic trilogy would ever get nominated. It's unlikely that Oscar would go for a pre-teen in the lead category. It's even more unlikely that an Oscar campaign would allow that a child was actually a lead performer. Nevertheless… I feel a strange sort of confidence that people (not necessarily Oscar people) will really embrace Dakota's performance as Lyra. It's silly to get your hopes up based on film stills but something about her just seems ... right.
post-production

JULIA ROBERTS Fireflies in the Garden OR Charlie Wilsons War
3 nominations / 1 win
FitG: Directed by Dennis Lee (none)
CWW: Directed by Mike Nichols (several)
A family is torn apart by an unexpected tragedy. Co-starring Ryan Reynolds and Emily Watson. This is not yet filming so it could easily be 2008. Julia will also appear in Charlie Wilson's War starring Tom Hanks (title character) in a drama about a Texas Congressman's covert dealings in Afghanistan. I'm assuming she has a supporting role in this but I could be wrong.
FitG: pre-production
CWW: post-production

KERI RUSSELL Waitress
never nominated
Directed by Adrienne Shelley (none)
Still trying for her comeback, Keri plays an unhappy pregnant waitress giving love another chance. Mostly well received at Sundance but the actress/directors shocking random murder has become the big story.
completed

SUSAN SARANDON Bernard and Doris
5 nominations / 1 win
Directed by Bob Balaban (none)
Yes, that Bob Balaban, reliable and hilarious supporting actor, directs Sarandon and Fiennes in this film about tobacco heiress Doris Duke (biopic alert!) and her gay butler Bernard (Ralph Fiennes). Fiennes and Sarandon sound like a dream combo... so why is there no buzz whatsoever on this movie? Maybe because there's no distributor yet?
completed

MOLLY SHANNON Year of the Dog
never nominated
Directed by Mike White (none)
Romantic comedy with Shannon as a grieving dog owner trying out awkward human love with Peter Sarsgaard. Looks funny. If it's a big hit: Globe comedy? They used to choose occassionally silliness there.
completed

MERYL STREEP Lions for Lambs
14 noms / 2 wins
Directed by Robert Redford (nominees: Paul Scofield, Quiz Show Judd Hirsch and Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People. winner: Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People)
Talk about an all star cast. Streep (playing a reporter), Tom Cruise (a congressman) and Robert Redford face (a professor) face off in this politically minded drama about Army members injured in Afghanistan. Con: These kinds of triple star endeavors you never really know who will be deemed lead and support though so it's more dangerous to predict than it looks. Pro: Last time Redford and Streep got together their movie (Out of Africa) won seven Oscars.
filming

BEELZEBUB P.S. I Love You OR The Reaping
2 noms / 2 wins
Directed by Richard LaGravenese (none)
Directed by
In the tearjerker romantic drama P.S., Hilary Swank will play a woman whose dead husband has left her messages to help her move on with her life costarring Gerard Butler. In The Reaping she plays a former missionary who has lost her faith in the supernatural thriller.
P.S. post-production
TR: completed

TILDA SWINTON Julia
never nominated
Directed by Erick Zonca (none)
In this film from the French director of the exquisite The Dreamlife of Angels, Swinton plays an the title character who is also an extortionist trying to make money off of a young boy. It's obviously going to be a somewhat unsympathetic role (troublesome for Oscar attention) but doesn't it feel like Tilda is overdue for some mainstream attention? She's also working with George Clooney in Michael Clayton but that is, in all probability, a supporting role
post-production

UMA THURMAN In Bloom
1 nomination / 0 wins
Directed by Vadim Perelman (nominees: Ben Kingsley & Shohreh Agdashloo, House of Sand and Fog)
Uma plays a troubled woman with survivors guilt. As a young woman (when she looked like Evan Rachel Wood) she survived a Columbine style event
post-production

NAOMI WATTS Funny Games OR Eastern Promises
1 nomination / 0 wins
FG: Directed by Michael Haneke (none)
EP: Directed by David Cronenberg (nominee: William Hurt, A History of Violence)
Naomi will be a new mom by the time precursor season gets under way so I'm guessing this year's awards race won't be prominently on her mind. Probably a good thing since suspense thrillers (Funny Games) and Cronenberg movies (Eastern Promises) don't necessarily aim for Oscary sweet spots. Also, she could easily be a supporting character in either when it comes down to it. That said she did very fine work in The Painted Veil and if she keeps that quality up, nomination #2 should be
coming up shortly.
FG: post-production
EP: post-production

SIGOURNEY WEAVER Snowcake OR The Girl in the Park OR the TV Set
3 nominations / 0 wins
SC: Directed by Marc Evans (none)
GitP: Directed by David Auburn (none)
TV: Directed byJake Kasdan (none)
Sigweavie is one of the trinity of noticeably unOscared multiple nominee holdouts from the 80s (the others are Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer –if they hate the Academy they're forgiven). In Snowcake Weaver plays an autistic woman. Disabilities make Oscar voters horny so that sounds like bait BUT the film is taking forever to get to theaters and other than Gorillas in the Mist Weavers nominations tend to come from less typical Oscar fare. Aliens and Working Girl weren't exactly Oscar bound until people saw what was onscreen. Death and the Maiden and A Map of the World on the other hand sounded baity on paper and it was a no go on both. So I'm thinking Weaver needs one more surprise "wow" to make it back to the Kodak. Her TV Set role looks supporting-ish but The Girl in the Park role could be a keeper. She plays a woman traumatized by the disappearance of her toddler daughter many years earlier. She thinks she may have found her again when she meets Kate Bosworth. From the writer of Proof
SC: completed
GitP: post-production
TV: completed

REESE WITHERSPOON Rendition
1 nomination / 1 win
Directed by Gavin Hood (none)
Reese is angry that her Egyptian husband has disappeared in a government terrorism investigation. She wants answers. Jake Gyllenhaal might have them in this political drama with an all star cast which also includes Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard and Alan Arkin. From the director of Tsotsi
post-production


EVAN RACHEL WOOD Across the Universe
never nominated
Directed by Julie Taymor (nominee: Salma Hayek, Frida)
She should have become the youngest actress to ever be nominated in the lead Best Actress category in 2003 instead of that other one. But let's let bygones be bygones. I'm guessing she's the star of this Beatles musical movie in only the most literal way. At least from the trailer this looks like it's all about Julie Taymor's visual imagination and not about the actors. We shall see. Evan will also appear as a young Uma Thurman in In Bloom
completed

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES No Reservations
1 nomination / 1 win
Directed by Scott Hicks (winner: Geoffrey Rush, Shine)
Mrs. Michael Douglas returns to the screen after WAY too much commercial work. Will that sully her favor in Hollywood? It's not like constant hawking helped Cher's rep after her Oscar win. Still… CZJ can be a firecracker in the right role. In this one she's a rigid chef who falls for one of her assistants (it's a remake of the German hit Mostly Martha). Romantic trouble follows.
completed

SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED Leatherheads
3 nominations / 1 win
Directed by George Clooney (nominee: Geoffrey Rush, Shine)
In this period piece romantic comedy she'll play a woman torn between the coach and the owner of a 1920s football team. Globe nod seems like a gimme --they'l nominate her for anything. But will any other awards love come her way?
filming

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"announced or in production"
DETAILS ARE SKETCHY. If they aren't already filming they're unlikely to be released in time but you never ever know. Some of them won't even get made. Some may be rushed into or are already in production. Again very limited info...

Isabelle Huppert America and Clara
Drew Barrymore & Jessica Lange Grey Gardens
Dakota Fanning The Secret Life of Bees
Rachel Weisz The Collossus
Meryl Streep Dirty Tricks

I'm guessing they're supporting
in case you're wondering why they aren't on the list

Lindsay Lohan Chapter 27
everyone else in Evening
Rachel McAdams Married Life
Meryl Streep Dark Matters
Samantha Morton Mister Lonely, Control
anyone in Synecdoche New York

 

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Barrymore through Knightley

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