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Best Supporting Actress for Samantha Morton?


Could Samantha Morton's turn in The Messenger win her a third Academy Award Nomination?

I've not actually seen the film yet as I'm UK-based, but by all accounts it's another great performance from her, and the rest of the cast.

I know it's a question of getting Oscar voters to see the film - but if they do, do you think she could do it?

She's been nominated for Best Supporting Actress before for Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and a Best Actress nom for In America (2002).

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She's just been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for The Messenger (Best Supporting Actress). I think she's got a good chance. Wonder if this will improve her Oscar nomination chances???

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good shot at a nomination... no win... we're basically just picking four people to lose to Mo'nique now!


"the best that you can do is fall in love"

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Sadly Samantha hasn't been recognised by SAG or Golden Globes - despite being in every other critics circle nomination list and winning the San Diego award... perhaps still an outside chance?

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she was great, that's for sure

but will probably be ignored



When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

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she should definitely get a nom....just for the fact that she gained a ton of weight....and still looked friggin hot

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Just saw the movie tonight and would like to see her get a nomination.

Do you know if she gained the weight specifically to play this role? It does make it more believable in the role as a regular mom. I'm having trouble thinking of other actresses who have put on a bunch of weight to play a role - a lot of male actors have.



"Boy that was really exciting. I bet you're a big Lee Marvin fan aren't ya."

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Renee Zelweger for Bridget Jones?

Samantha Morton had just only recently given birth to her second child when she began filming The Messenger. I don't think she consciously put on the weight to play that role. She's very reluctant to slim down for Hollywood.

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Having seen Nine and given the tepid critical reaction, I agree with Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger who predicts that Morton and Julianne Moore will bump Cruz and I guess Kruger. Morton has been nominated before without the precursors. Granted, for a similar type of performance, but she's definitely more emotionally resonant than Cruz gets to be (and Cruz is not *that* funny or that strong a singer either).

Inglourious's Melanie Laurent was submitted to SAG for lead, but they loved the film enough to nominate Kruger in supporting. Meanwhile, I'm feeling that if anyone from Nine gets nominated, it will be Marion Cotillard, who has the bigger part. She and Morton get to be more dramatic than Cruz (though Cruz has her moments). Like Laurent, Cotillard has already suffered from potential category confusion. Cotillard gets to sing, but no one from Nine sings brilliantly other than Fergie. Cotillard gives the camera some tears, but it's a pretty stereotypical role. I haven't seen Inglourious Basterds yet, but of Cruz, Cotillard, and Morton, I think Morton had the most complicated character to play, accounting for the fact that Nine's songs were bland and forgettable.

Julianne Moore is an Academy favorite, and while her part is said to be essentially a cameo, she is supposed to be really good in her scenes with Firth. The Academy doesn't care about length. I can't imagine Firth being so brilliant as he seems and Moore not having enough to do regardless of limited screen time to earn a nomination.

The Messenger's superior Best Picture nomination chances (probably over Nine and A Single Man) also boost Morton's odds.

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Moore, my favourite actress, hasn't been nominated in 7 years, and this might be her comeback. She's wonderful as usual in "A Single Man", and I'd love to see her win, but I don't think it will be this time... yet. She shall get one someday. (And although she has less screentime than I'd like, it's definitely more than a cameo).

Melanie Laurent would be my year's favorite for supporting (Diane Kruger doesn't hold a candle to her), but the Weinsteins made the mistake of pushing her as lead, killing all her chances. Cruz has strong chances of getting another nod but obviously they wouldn't give her another Oscar, let alone consecutively. I think Marion Cotillard, the best in "Nine", is being pushed as lead, as she was at the Golden Globes (however, Kate Winslet won Best Supporting at the GG for The Reader and Best Actress for Revolutionary Road, yet she went on to be nominated and win the Oscar for The Reader as Best Actress in a Leading Role). Their rules are always messed up. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick will most likely get nominated, and I haven't seen Samantha yet but I'm sure she's terrific as usual. That said, I still believe it's Mo'Nique's year, but you never know, there are more upsets in the supporting category than any other.

"I did cramps the way Meryl Streep did accents" - Calliope (Middlesex)

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