The Nominees:
Amy Adams The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld True Grit
Jacki Weaver Animal Kingdom
WHO WE THINK WILL WIN
Jessica: Melissa Leo
Alison: Amy Adams or Melissa Leo
WHO WE WANT TO WIN
Jessica: I should stipulate that I have not seen Animal Kingdom, so I have no idea what Jacki Weaver’s performance was like. Literally, the only thing I know about her is she is nominated in this category for a movie called Animal Kingdom. I had never heard of her or the movie before the nominations came out and I’m someone who considers myself fairly up on pup culture things. I look forward to adding Animal Kingdom to my blockbuster queue…and then probably not see the movie for another five years. There are a lot of movies on my list already. I just checked – there are 377 titles currently on my wait list. Anyway, back to the matter at hand – who I want to win. I’ll go with Amy Adams in The Fighter. She was tough, but vulnerable. I also like Melissa Leo’s performance, but I wasn’t crazy about the ads she took out in the trades on her own behalf. That just seems…off. 
Alison: I’d be happy if Amy Adams, Melissa Leo or Helena Bonham Carter won. I love all three actresses and think they all make interesting choices career wise. Melissa Leo disappears into this role, as she also did in the film Frozen River and I love her lack of ego with portraying tough, sometimes broken women. Helena Bonham Carter is a force to be reckoned with and usually takes over the screen in movies like Fight Club and the Harry Potter series, but in The King’s Speech, is able to play a quiet strength and let Colin Firth shine in his role. She is perfect in this movie. Amy Adams shows a different side of herself in The Fighter. I loved this tough-girl side of her. I just love her in general. She’s cute and sweet.
