Poll: Can Annette Bening pull off an Oscar upset?
Last night I was flabbergasted when an Academy member told me who he's picking for lead actress: Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right"). He's not just any voter. He's a member of the producers' branch who almost always goes with the winner. He has backed all of the underdogs who ended up winning in recent years -– "Crash," Marion Cotillard, Tilda Swinton -– so, at this point, I've learned to take his ballot very seriously when he tattles ahead of time. But, come on! Could he possibly be right again when most pundits say Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") will prevail?
Well, not all pundits are picking Portman. Some savvy naysayers include Peter Travers (Rolling Stone). And Bening does have some big advantages. She plays gay, which helped Sean Penn ("Milk") and Tom Hanks ("Philadelphia") to win in the past. She's overdue (three past losses) and she's the ultimate industry insider -– she's a member of the Academy's Board of Governors.
Furthermore, Bening has been campaigning vigorously in the home stretch. Read our Awards Tracker report detailing her stops along the derby track.
Oh, and in case you're wondering what else this Oscar voter is checking off on his ballot, here goes: "The King's Speech" (best picture), David Fincher (director), Colin Firth (lead actor), Christian Bale (supporting actor), Melissa Leo (supporting actress).
-- Tom O'Neil
Photo: Focus Features
emmmm this is why the Oscars are in bad shape.
The award should go to who gets the most votes by the Academy for the performance in the film they are nominated in. Not who sits on the board of governors or whatever, not who campaigns the hardest and most and not who has lost several times before and they are due an award.
If the Academy genuinely think that Benning desreves the award for her performance in the Kids Are all alright and out of the other nominated actresses they think she was the best then they should vote for her. Do not vote for any other reason.
Likewise if they thought Portman, or any of the other nominees were the best then they should cast their votes appropriately.
The stories i have heard about Academy members are terrible and why i don't hold the Oscars as high as i used to. I know for a fact that some members don't even watch the performances of the nominees but still vote, just because they have to vote for someone. I know someone who voted for Kate Winslet in 2009 having not seen any of her films she was nominated on and also not seen any of the performances of the other nominees. They only voted for Kate because in his own words he couldn't stand the other actresses Streep and Jolie and the others Anne Hathaway and Melissa Leo he actualy didn't know. That right there put me off!!!
Posted by: Paul | February 13, 2011 at 03:47 PM
natalie portman doesn't deserve this. the only reason i was impressed by her was her dancing - but i was really disappointed when i found out they just replaced her head on the body of a real dancer. the other scenes were just BAD acting - especially when she was trying to appear "weak" and "fragile", too fake and forced.
Posted by: amy | February 12, 2011 at 10:26 PM
She can definitely upset Portman given her momentum.
Posted by: Jian Hui Lee | February 12, 2011 at 02:44 PM
Natalie Portman's role required a lot of physical commitment, but the actual acting was teen stuff--I could see a lot of people replacing her in terms of the way she played the role. Annette Bening's acting job, on the other hand, is a tough one to replace--there are very few actresses who could've done as good a job as she did with that role. My vote is for Annette Bening all the way. She's a natural and makes it all look so flawlessly easy, unlike Portman who makes acting look rather difficult and artificial.
Posted by: Robert Matthews | February 12, 2011 at 01:25 PM
If Annette wins, it would be a consolation prize for past losses. It's a good performance but not her best. But Natalie has a lock on this...
Posted by: Dancingbear | February 12, 2011 at 12:08 PM
Natalie Portman was perfect in her performance in black swan and is deserving of the oscar
Posted by: don carlon | February 11, 2011 at 05:30 PM
It wouldnt be the first time an actor won the award for past loss(es). Natalie Portman could get the Oscar for Thor 2.
Posted by: steve herrera | February 11, 2011 at 05:20 PM