I’ve seen most of the nominated films, watched the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, and now the pressure is on for The Academy Awards on Sunday. This year’s nominees are filled with phenomenal women with diverse ages, looks, and levels of experience in the business.
The category that is perhaps the most conflicting for me is Best Actress. Who do we root for: 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, 86 year old Emmanuelle Riva, up-and-comer Jennifer Lawrence, Bin Laden headhunter Jessica Chastain, or two-time nominee Naomi Watts? My pick is Jennifer Lawrence. Not only is she the most badass with a bow and arrow, but she won both the Golden Globe and the SAG Award for her role of Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook. Like Tiffany, Jennifer seems to dance to the beat of her own drum and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is interviews. In a time when a lot of young actors are told what to say or how to act by their PR teams, it’s refreshing to see a young star speaking her mind.
Other ladies to look out for include Best Supporting Actress nominee Sally Field, a pioneer for women in the business. Field has paved the way for many actresses and truly deserves to win for her role of Mary Todd Lincoln in, you guessed it, Lincoln. More importantly, Field is a dedicated advocate for women’s rights. She has served on the Board of Directors of Vital Voices Global Partnership and co-hosted the Global Leadership Awards six times. Fellow nominee Helen Hunt also deserves a shout-out for her performance in The Sessions, one of the most raw and unapologetic displays of female sexuality that I’ve seen on screen in a very long time.
In other categories, I’m rooting for the unconventional fairy tale Brave for Best Animated Feature Film. Every little girl needs a heroine to look up to and Merida– yet another chick who can rock a bow and arrow– stands out as a strong, independent spitfire in a world of Cinderellas and Sleeping Beauties. We also wouldn’t mind if Adele won for Best Original Song with “Skyfall” from Skyfall. Just saying.
Good luck ladies, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Image via InStyle
