Did They Get it Right? – Best Supporting Actress – Oscars 2017

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

Biggest Snub:

Holly Hunter – The Big Sick

My Overall Thoughts:

This is a strong year in this category and any of them could have walked home with Gold yet two of them battled things out during awards season since they both gave stellar performances as mothers of the main characters in their films.

My Rankings:

Supporting Actress

5. Lesley Manville
4. Mary J. Blige
3. Octavia Spencer
2. Laurie Metcalf
1. Allison Janney

Movies

5. Phantom Thread – Strong production elements in this film outshine the almost non-existent storyline. The cast is quite good, but it’s hard to care for any of them because their true motivations for all of their actions aren’t explored enough. The music is great and helps move things along a it since the storyline doesn’t manage to keep things interesting enough.
4. Mudbound – Great film because it gets so much right along the way. The rampant racism of the South continues to haunt so many despite the fact that the men of the South were sent off to fight in a war for freedom. The cast is superb and all are quite memorable here. The slow pace of the film can be a bit annoying at first, but the payoff is there when it moves along.
3. I, Tonya – This is such a fun film to watch largely due to the acting. Robbie and Stan are both great here, but Janney stands out and steals every scene she can as Harding’s overbearing mother. Really liked the way that they tell the story via “interviews” with the characters telling their side of the story via flashbacks. Loved the way that the story is shown as a morality play on the dangers of getting too involved in success that you let things get out of control and the obvious repercussions of such actions.
2. Lady Bird – Great “simple” story that is so relatable to just about anyone watching it. The lead character played by Saoirse Ronan speaks in a voice very familiar to most people which keeps things feeling very realistic and there is no doubt in my mind as to whether she will get some recognition for that role during the upcoming awards season. The events of her life during that year all have significant effects on her as she tries to transform herself. The supporting cast all help her along even if some of them only have small parts, but we can still feel their influence on everything she does. Definitely worth seeing numerous times because it has so much to offer.
1. The Shape of Water – Such a great movie that works on so many levels. The characters are all quite unique and each follows their heart despite having their own agendas. This film is nearly perfect from a visual standpoint and it truly is wondrous to look at. Del Toro has created another modern day fairy tale that mirrors the evils that have occurred in the past while trying to find a bright shining light among the darkness of it all. The cast is spectacular and Hawkins does a superb job in the lead despite never needing to say a word. This is proof of how great an actress she is because we can feel her emotions just by her body movements and actions and there is no need for her to communicate verbally for this. The way that this film uses minority characters to tell its story also says so much about what was perceived as normal during the Cold War Era while still allowing such characters to be the heroes of this story. One of the best films of 2017 which gets better during each rewatch.

Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Most Definitely!  AJ gives an amazing performance here and although LM also is great in the role of the mother of the lead in the film, AJ’s performance shines through even more.

Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!