2003 Oscar Awards

Actress in a Leading Role
by Stepanie Morgan, Columbus Wired Columnist (3/18/03)

The five nominations for the four acting awards are chosen by actors and actresses. In this category, it is the performance by an actor that must be nominated. As for the distinction between “Leading” and “Supporting” – this is decided by the studios when the “for your consideration” advertisements hit. Each studio will support an actor/actress in the category where they feel that the person has the best shot at winning an award.

Nominees:

Salma Hayek – “Frida”

Nicole Kidman – “The Hours”

Diane Lane – “Unfaithful”

Julianne Moore – “Far From Heaven”

Renee Zellweger – “Chicago”

Salma Hayek
Past Oscar Nominations	None.
Past Wins	2002 – ALMA Awards “Best Actress in a Made for Television Movie or Miniseries” – “In the Time of the Butterflies” 2000 – Blockbuster Award “Best Supporting Actress” – “Wild, Wild West”
Pass-Overs	Perhaps one for “54.”
Mirimax Factor	Yes.
Hip Factor	Latin-American is very in right now.
# of Nominations	6
Age	36
Intangibles	Hosted “Saturday Night Live” the Saturday prior to the Oscars (worked for Jeremy Irons). Was very active in getting the story to the screen.

Nicole Kidman
Past Oscar Nominations	2002 – “Best Actress” – “Moulin Rouge”
Past Award Wins	2003 – BAFTA Award “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2003 – Silver Berlin Bear “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2003 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2003 – Sierra Award “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2002 – Saturn Award “Best Actress” – “The Others” 2002 – Empire Award “Best Actress” – “Moulin Rouge” 2002 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actress” – “Moulin Rouge” 2002 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Actress” – “Moulin Rouge” 2002 – KCFCC Award “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2002 – ALFS Award “Best Actress” – “Moulin Rouge” & “The Others” 2002 – MTV Movie Awards “Best Female Performance” – “Moulin Rouge” 2002 – MTV Movie Awards “Best Musical Sequence” – “Moulin Rouge” 2002 – OFCS Award “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2000 – Blockbuster Award “Best Actress” – “Eyes Wide Shut” 1996 – BFCA Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1996 – Empire Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1996 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1996 – ALFS Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1996 – SEFCA Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1995 – BSFC Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1995 – Golden Space Needle Award “Best Actress” – “To Die For” 1989 – AFI Award “Best Actress in a Television Drama” – “Bangkok Hilton” 1988 – AFI Award “Best Actress in a Television Drama” – “Vietnam”
Pass-Overs	Going back to “To Die For,” Kidman has been passed over for several nominations and wins.
Miramax Factor	None.
Hip Factor	The film makes you feel literary.
# of Nominations	9
Age	35
Intangibles	Divorced from Tom Cruise (with no visible nastiness), taking on only the best roles (and getting a lot of work), and being over 30 and still looking fantastic – the list goes on and on.

Diane Lane
Past Oscar Nominations	None
Past Award Wins	2003 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Actress” – “Unfaithful” 2003 – NFCS Award “Best Actress” – “Unfaithful” 2003 – NYFCC Award “Best Actress” – “Unfaithful” 2000 – Bronze Wrangler “Best Television Feature Film” – “The Virginian” 1981 – Young Artist Award “Best Young Actress” – “Touched By Love” 1980 – Young Artist Award “Best Young Actress” – “A Little Romance”
Pass-Overs	Many thought her performance in “A Walk On the Moon” should have been nominated (another “unfaithful wife” film).
Miramax Factor	No.
Hip Factor	A Child Actress that didn’t end up in prison? That’s cool.
# of Nominations	1
Age	38
Intangibles	She is almost 40 and still appeared nude in the film.

Julianne Moore
Past Oscar Nominations	2000 – “Best Actress” – “The End of the Affair” 1998 – “Best Supporting Actress” – “Boogie Nights”
Past Award Wins	2003 – Silver Berlin Bear “Best Actress” – “The Hours” 2003 – BFCA Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2003 – CFCA Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2003 – DFWFCA Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2003 – FFCC Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2003 – KCFCC Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2003 – OFCS Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2003 – VFCC Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2002 – LAFC Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” & “The Hours” 2002 – NBR Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2002 – Seattle Film Critics Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2002 – SEFCA Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2002 – TFCA Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2002 – Venice Film Festival Audience Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2002 – Volpi Cup “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 2000 – DFWFCA Award “Best Supporting Actress” – “Cookie’s Fortune” 1999 – NBR Award “Best Supporting Actress” – “Cookie’s Fortune,” “Magnolia,” “A Map of the World,” and “An Ideal Husband” 1998 – FFCC Award “Best Actress” – “Far From Heaven” 1998 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Supporting Actress” – “Boogie Nights” 1998 – NSFC Award “Best Supporting Actress” – “Boogie Nights” 1997 – LAFC Award “Best Supporting Actress” – “Boogie Nights” 1994 – BSFC Award “Best Actress” – “Vanya on 42^nd Street” 1994 – Golden Globe Award “Best Ensemble Cast” – “Short Cuts” 1993 – Volpi Cup “Best Ensemble Cast” – “Short Cuts” 1988 – Emmy Award “Outstanding Ingénue In A Drama Series” – “As the World Turns”
Pass-Overs	Her 1998 nomination for “Boogie Nights” should have resulted in a win, but it instead went to Kim Bassinger (it was nearing the end of Kim’s career).
Miramax Factor	No.
Hip Factor	1950’s melodrama, but husband & wife effort. Draw.
# of Nominations	4
Age	42
Intangibles	Being nominated in two categories can sometimes split votes and push a nominee out of both categories altogether.

Renee Zellweger
Past Oscar Nominations	2002 – “Best Actress” – “Bridget Jones’s Diary”
Past Award Wins	2003 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actress” – “Chicago” 2003 – Screen Actors Guild Award “Best Actress” – “Chicago” 2003 – Screen Actors Guild Award “Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture” – “Chicago” 2001 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actress” – “Nurse Betty” 2001 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Actress” – “Nurse Betty” 1997 – Blockbuster Award “Favorite Supporting Actress” – “Jerry Maguire” 1997 – BFCA Award “Breakthrough Artist” – “Jerry Maguire” 1996 – Silver Ombu Award “Best Actress” – “The Whole Wide World” 1996 – NBR Award “Best Breakthrough Performer” – “Jerry Maguire”
Pass-Overs	None.
Miramax Factor	ABSOLUTELY.
Hip Factor	I don’t know how hip it is to play the same part over and over…
# of Nominations	13
Age
Intangibles	Zellweger is the perpetual ditzy gal in the off-beat comedy. This would be an award for playing the same role over and over. Also doesn’t help that on “The Sopranos,” Carmella once stated “I can’t stand Renee Zellweger.”

Bottom Line:

This year, it’s about Nicole Kidman. Since the divorce, she’s been in one film after another AND has taken on roles that present a challenge rather than retreat to any script offered. Many thought she should have won for “Moulin Rouge,” so she may be winning for both films. Completely altering her appearance to the point of no hint of glamour whatsoever will also help.

The spoiler in this category is Salma Hayek. She stretched beyond her normal roles and took on a complex character. However, her unattractive feature in the film was done in such a way as to maintain her overall good looks.

Actress in a Leading Role by Stepanie Morgan, Columbus Wired Columnist (3/18/03)

Renee Zellweger

Actress in a Leading Role
by Stepanie Morgan, Columbus Wired Columnist (3/18/03)