Oscar "Actress Psychic" Contest 2009/2010

OSCAR RACE 2009
Nathaniel R

Third Annual Actress Psychic Contest

All the Psychics turned in their ballots and here's how the upcoming unseen performances ranked. Naturally some of these acting performances will be less Baity or less well received than we (as a group) suspect. Others will aim at the Supporting Actress race instead of the Lead Actress race (which is what the contest is trying to predict). Other performances will soar unexpectedly. Occasionally there's one performance that's on not one list that makes the shortlist.

Here are the 78 Performances, and how many people predicted them

1. Michelle Pfeiffer
Chéri
(157 ballots)

2. Hilary Swank
Amelia
(142 ballots)

3. Carey Mulligan
An Education
(127 ballots)
NOMINATED

4. Meryl Streep
Julie & Julia
(120 ballots)
NOMINATED

5. Penélope Cruz
Broken Embraces
(75 ballots)

6. Natalie Portman
Brothers
(52 ballots)

7. Saoirse Ronan
The Lovely Bones
(50 ballots)
IN THE RACE

8. Audrey Tatou
Coco Avant Chanel
(48 ballots)

9 (tie). Helen Mirren
The Tempest
(38 ballots)

9 (tie). Emily Watson
Within the Whirlwind
(38 ballots)

These second and third tiers #6 through #15 are really interesting, don't you think? A lot of performances one could see going over big time (even competing for the win) or being passed over without a thought. I'm actually guessing that Love Ranch will be Mirren's ticket (not The Tempest) both because I suspect The Tempest could end up in post-production delays (hi, Julie Taymor) and because I think people like Mirren's naughty cheeky side.

11. Helen Mirren
Love Ranch
(34 ballots)

12. Meryl Streep
[Untitled Nancy Meyers Film]
(32 ballots)

13. Brenda Blethyn
London River
(27 ballots)

14. Abbie Cornish
Bright Star
(24 ballots)

15. Rachel Weisz
Agora
(19 ballots)

<-- Turns out Renée has another role besides this wheelchair-bound one wherein she plays a kooky belle. Similar title: My One and Only and she received votes for that, too.

16. Emily Blunt
The Young Victoria
(18 ballots)
IN THE RACE

17. Renée Zellweger
My Own Love Song
(17 ballots)

18. Maya Rudolph
Away We Go
(15 ballots)

19 (tie). Tilda Swinton
Julia
(14 ballots)

<--- Hmmm.... veddy interesting row of women. Whether or not they're Oscary films I'm totally looking forward to all four.

19 (tie) . Robin Wright Penn
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
(14 ballots)

21 (tie).
Ellen Burstyn
Lovely Still
(13 ballots)

21 (tie).
Julie Delpy
The Countess
(13 ballots)

21 (tie).
Gabourey Sidibe
Precious
(13 ballots)
NOMINATED

>>>> I'm guessing all three of these are undervalued. I could see any of them as major players. Just below them: Berry and Connelly seem like real threats, too. I wonder why so few people went for them?

24 (tie) . Amy Adams
Julie & Julia
(12 ballots)

24 (tie) . Romola Garai
1939
(12 ballots)

24 (tie) . Sophie Okonedo
Skin
(12 ballots)

27. Jennifer Connelly
Creation
(11 ballots)

28 (tie) . Halle Berry
Frankie & Alice
(9 ballots)

28 (tie) . Maggie Gyllenhaal
Crazy Heart
(9 ballots)
NOMINATED IN SUPPORTING

30 (tie) . Kristin Scott Thomas
Partir (Leaving)
(8 ballots)

30 (tie) . Rachel Weisz
The Lovely Bones
(8 ballots)

More? Yes, There's More

The rest of the actresses managed 7 votes or less. It's a mix of "looks good on paper" performances, non-Academy style genres, lesser known or foreign performers and supporting roles that people are apparently hoping get a lot bigger (see: NINE, which has no female leads unless they've gutted the musical and rebuilt it but which managed an incredible 13 Lead predictions for 4 different supporting women

7 votes
Rachel McAdams, The Time Traveller's Wife
6 votes
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Evan Rachel Wood, Whatever Works
5 votes
Ashley Judd, Helen
Charlize Theron, The Burning Plain
4 votes
Helen Mirren, The Last Station (NOMINATED!)
4 votes
Anna Paquin, Margaret
3 votes
Cameron Diaz, My Sister's Keeper
Vera Farmiga, Vintner's Luck
Charlotte Gainsbourgh, Antichrist
Lilya Kebede, Desert Flower
Nicole Kidman, Nine
Keira Knightley, Last Night
Laura Linney, The Other Man
Brigitte Minichmayr, Everyone Else
Emily Mortimer, Shutter Island
Natalie Portman, 17 Photos...
Renée Zellweger, My One and Only

2 votes
Judi Dench, Nine
Zooey Deschanel, 500 Days of Summer
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Veronika Decides to Die
Kate Hudson, Big Eyes
Sigourney Weaver, Avatar
Sigourney Weaver, Night Train

orphans. only one person voted for them
Hiam Abbas, Lemon Tree * Shohreh Agdashloo, The Stoning of... * Jessica Alba, An Invisible Sign * Jennifer Aniston, Traveling * Annette Bening, Mother and Child * Jessica Biel, Nailed * Cate Blanchett, Robin Hood * Sandra Bullock, All About Steve * Emma Caulfield, TiMER * Penélope Cruz, Nine * Claire Danes, Temple Grandin * Hope Davis, Happy Together * * Sally Hawkins, Happy Ever Afters * Rinko Kikuchi, Map of the Sounds of Tokyo * Gong Li, Shanghai * Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Vincere * Demi Moore, Happy Tears * Ellen Page, Whip It * Gwyneth Paltrow, Two Lovers * Julia Roberts, Duplicity * Susan Sarandon, The Greatest * Emma Thompson, The Boat That Rocked * Zhang Ziyi, Mei Lanfang *


1. Michelle Pfeiffer Chéri (157 ballots)	2. Hilary Swank Amelia (142 ballots)	3. Carey Mulligan An Education (127 ballots) NOMINATED	4. Meryl Streep Julie & Julia (120 ballots) NOMINATED	5. Penélope Cruz Broken Embraces (75 ballots)

6. Natalie Portman Brothers (52 ballots)	7. Saoirse Ronan The Lovely Bones (50 ballots) IN THE RACE	8. Audrey Tatou Coco Avant Chanel (48 ballots)	9 (tie). Helen Mirren The Tempest (38 ballots)	9 (tie). Emily Watson Within the Whirlwind (38 ballots)
These second and third tiers #6 through #15 are really interesting, don't you think? A lot of performances one could see going over big time (even competing for the win) or being passed over without a thought. I'm actually guessing that Love Ranch will be Mirren's ticket (not The Tempest) both because I suspect The Tempest could end up in post-production delays (hi, Julie Taymor) and because I think people like Mirren's naughty cheeky side.

11. Helen Mirren Love Ranch (34 ballots)	12. Meryl Streep [Untitled Nancy Meyers Film] (32 ballots)	13. Brenda Blethyn London River (27 ballots)	14. Abbie Cornish Bright Star (24 ballots)	15. Rachel Weisz Agora (19 ballots)
				<-- Turns out Renée has another role besides this wheelchair-bound one wherein she plays a kooky belle. Similar title: My One and Only and she received votes for that, too.
16. Emily Blunt The Young Victoria (18 ballots) IN THE RACE	17. Renée Zellweger My Own Love Song (17 ballots)	18. Maya Rudolph Away We Go (15 ballots)	19 (tie). Tilda Swinton Julia (14 ballots)
				<--- Hmmm.... veddy interesting row of women. Whether or not they're Oscary films I'm totally looking forward to all four.
19 (tie) . Robin Wright Penn The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (14 ballots)	21 (tie). Ellen Burstyn Lovely Still (13 ballots)	21 (tie). Julie Delpy The Countess (13 ballots)	21 (tie). Gabourey Sidibe Precious (13 ballots) NOMINATED
>>>> I'm guessing all three of these are undervalued. I could see any of them as major players. Just below them: Berry and Connelly seem like real threats, too. I wonder why so few people went for them?
		24 (tie) . Amy Adams Julie & Julia (12 ballots)	24 (tie) . Romola Garai 1939 (12 ballots)	24 (tie) . Sophie Okonedo Skin (12 ballots)

27. Jennifer Connelly Creation (11 ballots)	28 (tie) . Halle Berry Frankie & Alice (9 ballots)	28 (tie) . Maggie Gyllenhaal Crazy Heart (9 ballots) NOMINATED IN SUPPORTING	30 (tie) . Kristin Scott Thomas Partir (Leaving) (8 ballots)	30 (tie) . Rachel Weisz The Lovely Bones (8 ballots)
More? Yes, There's More
The rest of the actresses managed 7 votes or less. It's a mix of "looks good on paper" performances, non-Academy style genres, lesser known or foreign performers and supporting roles that people are apparently hoping get a lot bigger (see: NINE, which has no female leads unless they've gutted the musical and rebuilt it but which managed an incredible 13 Lead predictions for 4 different supporting women
7 votes Rachel McAdams, The Time Traveller's Wife 6 votes Marion Cotillard, Nine Evan Rachel Wood, Whatever Works 5 votes Ashley Judd, Helen Charlize Theron, The Burning Plain 4 votes Helen Mirren, The Last Station (NOMINATED!) 4 votes Anna Paquin, Margaret 3 votes Cameron Diaz, My Sister's Keeper Vera Farmiga, Vintner's Luck Charlotte Gainsbourgh, Antichrist Lilya Kebede, Desert Flower Nicole Kidman, Nine Keira Knightley, Last Night Laura Linney, The Other Man Brigitte Minichmayr, Everyone Else Emily Mortimer, Shutter Island Natalie Portman, 17 Photos... Renée Zellweger, My One and Only		2 votes Judi Dench, Nine Zooey Deschanel, 500 Days of Summer Sarah Michelle Gellar, Veronika Decides to Die Kate Hudson, Big Eyes Sigourney Weaver, Avatar Sigourney Weaver, Night Train orphans. only one person voted for them Hiam Abbas, Lemon Tree * Shohreh Agdashloo, The Stoning of... * Jessica Alba, An Invisible Sign * Jennifer Aniston, Traveling * Annette Bening, Mother and Child * Jessica Biel, Nailed * Cate Blanchett, Robin Hood * Sandra Bullock, All About Steve * Emma Caulfield, TiMER * Penélope Cruz, Nine * Claire Danes, Temple Grandin * Hope Davis, Happy Together * * Sally Hawkins, Happy Ever Afters * Rinko Kikuchi, Map of the Sounds of Tokyo * Gong Li, Shanghai * Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Vincere * Demi Moore, Happy Tears * Ellen Page, Whip It * Gwyneth Paltrow, Two Lovers * Julia Roberts, Duplicity * Susan Sarandon, The Greatest * Emma Thompson, The Boat That Rocked * Zhang Ziyi, Mei Lanfang *