Oscars 2014 Predictions: Best Actress

Hello, Bloggers! Even though the next Oscars ceremony won't be until the beginning of next year, I figured it'd be fun to predict who I think will be nominated in some of the main categories. So, I'll start with who I think could potentially be nominated for Best Actress and who could be dark horse contenders. Here we go:

I'll start off with the five ladies who I think could be nominated:

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine: I feel that Blanchett could lock a nomination because she's starring in a Woody Allen movie, and it's no secret that he is a staple at the Academy Awards even though he never goes to the actual ceremony. Also, some actresses have had good luck with winning or being nominated for Oscars for starring in Woody Allen movies, including Penelope Cruz who won for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Diane Keaton who won for Annie Hall, Dianne Weist who won for both Hannah And Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway, and Samantha Morton who was nominated for Sweet and Lowdown. So, if Blanchett is nominated, she could join that band of actresses. Plus, from the looks of the trailer, she looks like she'll do a fantastic job in her role.

Nicole Kidman, Grace of Monaco: Nicole Kidman could potentially be nominated for a few reasons: One is that it's a biopic and another is that it's distributed by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who are another staple at the Academy Awards. Plus, it's a biopic about Grace Kelly, a former movie star who was very affluent in the older Hollywood era and because the average age of Academy voters is about 60, Grace of Monaco could easily warm up to them. Although I'm not sure if it'll warm up to today's generation because of how they aren't as familiar with Grace Kelly or her life story. Whether or not that hurts Kidman's chances at getting nominated remains to be seen.

Meryl Streep, August: Osage County: Even before the trailer for August came out, many thought Meryl was a lock for a nomination and even a fourth win because of how the material the film is based on is a Pulitzer-winning play and the actress who played Meryl's role on Broadway, Deanna Dunagan, won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress In A Play, which could be a sign of good luck for Meryl, who could score her 18th nomination, retaining her superlative as the most celebrated and nominated actress of all time.

Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks: While the first three nominees have had somewhat recent wins, it's been a while since Thompson scored Oscar gold, as she won her first Oscar 20 years ago for Best Actress for Howard's End and her second Oscar three years later for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility. I feel that because the Academy usually loves to give veteran actors who previously won and haven't even been nominated in a while another shot at the Oscar gold, this could easily benefit Thompson as the last time she was nominated was back in 1996 when she won her last Oscar and received her last nomination for Best Actress.

Naomi Watts, Diana: If there's another actress that's getting as buzz to win as Meryl Streep, it's probably Naomi Watts for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Diana. While modern moviegoers may not be as familiar with Grace Kelly, they are quite familiar with Princess Diana, which could be beneficial for the film itself. One thing that could help Naomi Watts is that if she is nominated with the other four actresses, than they could easily give it to her as Blanchett, Kidman, Streep, and Thompson have already won Oscars before and while Watts has been nominated before for both 21 Grams and The Impossible, she has yet to receive her golden statue.


Now, onto the possible dark horse contenders who could sneak their way into the Final Five:

Kate Winslet (Labor Day)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Jennifer Lawrence (Serena)
Rooney Mara (Ain't Them Bodies Saints)
Marion Cotillard (The Immigrant)
Zoe Saldana (Nina)
Chloe Grace Moretz (Carrie)

So, those are my predictions on who I think could potentially be nominated for Best Actress and next I will talk about who I think will be nominated for Best Actor. Until then, thanks for reading!