2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

Predicted Winner: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Arquette’s role as a single mom raising a boy who grows into young adulthood, has earned her every award she’s been in contention for. Her win is as inevitable as her Leading Actress counterpart, Julianne Moore.

Why She Will Win | There’s no way the Oscars would put an end to her winning streak. Of particular interest with Arquette’s awards sweep is the character she portrays is the most ordinary of the lot. The Academy breaks a tradition of sorts with this vote, given their propensity to recognize the performances of actors who portray characters dealing with larger than life tribulations. “Boyhood” as a whole breaks that pattern.

About the Other Nominees | Keira Knightley’s compelling turn in “The Imitation Game” earned her the second Oscar nomination of her career and her first in Supporting. Laura Dern’s brief and crucial performance in “Wild” was fantastic. She just didn’t have enough screen time to really justify a win.

Meryl Streep’s textured performance as a blue-haired witch in the dreadful musical “Into the Woods” was one of the few bright spots for a movie that saw its Oscar hopes quickly fade. Emma Stone received her first nomination for her role as Michael Keaton’s troubled daughter in “Birdman”. 

Category Factoids | Keira Knightly and Laura Dern are the only nominees who play real-life people in their respective films. While Patricia Arquette and Emma Stone share the distinction of being the group’s first-time nominees.

The Toughest Loss | Keira Knightley’s tender and utterly divine performance as Joan Clarke, a genius female code breaker defying gender prejudice in WWII. It marks one of her finest turns to date, as she brings the spirited woman who befriends the thorny Alan Turing to life with a vivacity that’s beyond memorable.

Together, Knightley and Cumberbatch share several scenes that are among the more moving in recent movie memory with a depiction of a male/female friendship that's particularly stirring. Her performance only enhances that of her ensemble and that’s what being an outstanding supporting actor, is all about.

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