Best Supporting Actress Possibilities?

Like the supporting actor race this year, there isn't that much competition. I could really see any of the following possibilites being nominated and winning:

1. Viola Davis, Doubt* - Although she is only in one or two scenes she gives a pretty memorable performance. She plays the mother of the token african-american child at a catholic school during the sixties, a boy that might have been sexually abused. It is a powerful performance, you understand the character. Many have crowned her as a front-runner for the award.

2. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona* - No one could agree on Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Some loved it and some hated it. However, they all agreed that Cruz's performance was phenomonal. Everone only had praise for her. You can see that from the trailers. This is definatley some of her best work right up there next to Volver.

3. Amy Adams, Doubt* -This wouldn't be her first nomination. She was nominated back in 2006 for Junebug. This year she gave one of the four powerhouse performances in Doubt. We all know how good she is at portraying the innocent, naive girl. We saw it in Enchanted, and now we see it in Doubt, but somehow she keeps it original. The only problem she faces is that she is in her scenes with Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, which gives a good chance she could be forgotten.

4. Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* - This became the front-runner for Best Picture, with it's groundbreaking technology, great performances, and intriguing story. It most likely earn up to 14 nominations. Henson gave the most memorable supporting performance in TCCBB. It's pretty hard to be remmembered when you are in the majority of your scenes with Brad Pitt acting with all of the technology to help him. She needed to create a character that would be memorable just from her talent and she did, Queenie. Taraji P. Henson has already been snubbed by The Golden Globes, however she did grab a SAG nomination.

5. Kate Winslet, The Reader* - I think we can all agree; KATE WINSLET DESERVES AN OSCAR! Then why is she without one? She has already been nominated 5 times: Sense & Sensibility, Titanic, Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Little Children. This year she could grab two more nominations, but will she win one or maybe both? I predict she will walk away with a statuette this year.

6. Marissa Tomei, The Wrestler - She has won before, for My Cousin Vinny. She was also nominated for In The Bedroom. When critics do mention Tomei they talk about her performance being award worthy, but a lot of the critics don't mention Tomei. She could still be nominated though since there isn't a lot of competition. She has already been nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in The Wrestler so you never know.

* Indicates my predictions for Best Supporting Actress.