Reflected Glory, continued: 2006 Movies in Review

As of today, the majority of the critics’ groups have proclaimed their top picks for 2006. Of course, garnering the lion’s share of these trophies means nothing in the final Oscar competition (think about Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven. Think about Brokeback Mountain.) Yet if Oscar gold was based on critical consensus, then we could wrap things up right now and bestow the honors as follows:

Best Director, Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Actor, Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland
Best Actress, Helen Mirren for The Queen
Best Supporting Actor, Jackie Earle Haley for Little Children
Best Supporting Actress, Jennifer Hudson, for Dreamgirls
Best Picture, a toss-up between United 93 and The Departed.

But the race isn’t over yet. So let’s wait and see how things stand after the few remaining critics polls and the NSFC announce their choices in the coming weeks. I would suggest the only slam dunk at this point is Mirren for The Queen. She has taken every single critics’ award so far. The other four nominees should just stay at home on Oscar night. Then again, I really shouldn’t say this. After Crash stole the Best Picture Oscar, no bets are safe. Don’t worry, I won’t go down this oft-traveled road except to say that Brokeback Mountain had simply won too many pre-Oscar prizes not to be the front-runner. And if there had to be an upset, it should have gone to Munich or A History of Violence. (Wait. Sorry. The latter wasn’t even nominated). It’s old news, of course…but if you want to read the best commentary on this debacle, let me point you to Matt Brunson’s great essay from the archives over at Creative Loafing.

The Academy has often blundered with the Best Picture category; there is a long tradition of foolishness that goes all the way back to Cavalcade and extends up to Driving Miss Daisy and beyond. Voters haven’t made as many jaw-dropping choices in the acting categories, which makes me think Mirren’s chances are as good as gold. Also, other than Judi Dench in what is quickly becoming her annual Oscar nomination, does she really have any competition? Especially in a year when she has already thrilled us with her other Elizabeth and another Jane Tennison?

And while we are on the subject, am I the only Meryl Streep fan who is puzzled over the many pundits who see her as dark-horse winner? Don’t me wrong, she is delightful in The Devil Wears Prada, but Best Actress? Come on, she has less to do in this film than Nicole Kidman did in The Hours. I think Kidman is great. And we'll start with To Die For and Moulin Rouge! when listing the movies for which she deserves leading lady kuddos, but in The Hours she didn't have much more to do than her equally excellent colleagues, Streep and Julianne Moore, and may actually have had less time than that year's best supporting actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Oh, it's all too confusing.

When the best of our best offer small, meaty, intelligent, admirable, and praise-worthy performances but still manage to land top and above-the-title credit, it is immediately a leading role. Look, la Streep had more to do –and better showcases for her divine acting chops - in Adaptation and The Hours, yet she was considered supporting in both of those classics. But I bet if you get out a stop watch she had just as much, if not more, screen time in those movies than she did in Prada.

Meanwhile, over in the supporting category, it looks like Jennifer Hudson pretty much has her Oscar nom in the bag. Certainly the break-out star of the season, she’s getting much-deserved acclaim for her tough and soulful portrayal of Effie in Dreamgirls. She’s also leading a pretty close race in the critics’ derby for Best Supporting Actress (with Cate Blanchett hot on her heels). But there’s the problem, if you ask me: she’s not a supporting actress. She’s the star of the movie. When the show opened on Broadway, Jennifer Holliday won her Tony Award for Best Actress. In the film version, Effie’s role is just as substantial (if not more so, given her addition of a nifty new song) and Hudson should, therefore, go up against Mirren, Dame Judi, Meryl and gang.

So who will be among the overshadowed and runners-up this year? Let’s see, Abigail Breslin and Adriana Barraza for starters…they might make it into the final five, but I’d say their chances of winning are slim if they keep company with that powerhouse, Miss Effie Melody White.