Oscar Predictions: Best Actress in a Leading Role

This category is also down to eight, with four locks:
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ATONEMENT
JULIE CHRISTIE, AWAY FROM HER
AMY ADAMS, ENCHANTED
CATE BLANCHETT, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
ELLEN PAGE, JUNO
ANGELINA JOLIE, A MIGHTY HEART
LAURA LINNEY, THE SAVAGES
MARION COTILLARD, LA VIE EN ROSE

Way, way outside shots:
NIKKI BLONSKY, HAIRSPRAY
HELENA BONHAM CARTER, SWEENEY TODD

The four locks are Christie, Cotillard, Page, and Jolie. I cannot imagine any of them being snubbed, especially after last year’s easy-to-predict list. Jolie is the most vulnerable because her film has no support and the raves are not as overwhelming. For the fifth slot, Blanchett is doing best with a SAG nod to supplement her Globe nod, while both Knightley and Adams missed out at SAG. Linney has garnered pretty much no nominations, so people think this might be her comeback. I do not think that Blanchett can make it, and something just tells me that it will not be Linney either (though she is my alternate).

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ATONEMENT
JULIE CHRISTIE, AWAY FROM HER
ELLEN PAGE, JUNO
ANGELINA JOLIE, A MIGHTY HEART
MARION COTILLARD, LA VIE EN ROSE