AFT Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role

This is the fourth category of the 4th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them and drawn from a pool of approximately 177 films. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
Alison Barry (Ondine), Helena Bonham Carter (Alice in Wonderland), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Kathleen Chalfant (The Last New Yorker), Minnie Driver (Barney’s Version), Elle Fanning (Somewhere), America Ferrera (The Dry Land), Julie Ferrier (Heartbreaker), Julie Ferrier (Micmacs), Tamsin Greig (Tamara Drewe), Amber Heard (The Joneses), Iben Hjelje (The Eclipse), Scarlett Johanssen (Iron Man 2), Ranin Karim (Ajami), Alice de Lencquesaing (The Father of My Children), Leighton Meester (Country Strong), Marguerite Moreau (Douchebag), Emily Mortimer (Harry Brown), Kerry Peacock (Down Terrace), Amanda Peet (Please Give), Miranda Richardson (Made in Dagenham), Emma Roberts (It’s Kind of a Funny Story), Sarah Steele (Please Give), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Marisa Tomei (Cyrus), Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right)

Runners-up:
CAREY MULLIGAN (The Greatest)
SHIRLEY HENDERSON (Life During Wartime)
ANN GUILBERT (Please Give)
RUTH SHEEN (Another Year)
EMANUELLE DEVOS (Wild Grass)

The winner:
Melissa Leo (The Fighter) was nearly unrecognizable as a mother obsessed with helping her son – and the legacy of her family – succeed.

Other nominees:
Rosamund Pike (Made in Dagenham) shined in a small role as an wonderfully positive and forward-thinking unlikely ally for the ladies of Dagenham. Jodie Whittaker (White Wedding) infused tremendous energy and excitement into a young woman on holiday who stood out distinctly from all those around her. Amy Adams (The Fighter) played against type and delivered a typically excellent performance. Laura Linney (The City of Your Final Destination) defined uptight, judgmental, and impatient in her portrayal of a widow living with her husband’s mistress.