Oscar pundits predict who will win best actress: Sandra Bullock or Meryl Streep?
We pooled best-actress predictions from these Oscar oracles: Marshall Fine (Star Magazine, Hollywood & Fine), Pete Hammond (Notes on a Season, The Envelope), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Jeff Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere), Susan Wloszczyna (USA Today). They ranked the nominees according to the likelihood of winning. See results of our poll asking Gold Derby readers who they think will win best actress. See what film the pundits say will win best picture here. Check out best-actor predix here.
| BEST ACTRESS | Fine | Hammond | O'Neil | Stone | Wells | Wloszczyna |
| Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia" |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
| Carey Mulligan, "An Education" |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious" |
5 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
| Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side" |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Helen Mirren, "The Last Station" |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
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Photos: "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.), "Julie & Julia" (Columbia)
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Meryl certainly has the edge..
Meryl certainly deserves it.... she's very much in the league of a Brando/Hanks/Sean Penn/Hepburn; people who have got more than one Best Actor/Actress awards...
Just hoping that there is NO SURPRISE winner....I feel that although the performances may be Oscarworthy, the themes in Precious and Education are "not the road less travelled"....
Posted by: Ameya | February 24, 2010 at 08:52 PM
Sandra was just channeling Julia Roberts in 'Erin Brockovich' for this role: Sassy hot white woman (in bad wig) walks over and punks government office/football team/lunch group/gangsters and walks away in tight skirt.
What is her signature Oscar scene? She didn't have one scene that rivaled any of Meryl's (especially when paired w/ Jane Lynch)....
'TBS' is a joke and I can't believe she is gonna get an Oscar for this crap.
Posted by: DruggyBear | February 11, 2010 at 02:50 PM
Meryl, Sandra, Meryl, Sandra...there's no comparison...Meryl gave a grand performance worthy of another Oscar...Sandra is the Jennifer Aniston of Oscars...a mediocre actress in a mediocre role. Unfortunately the Best Actress race is not very strong with only two candidates going head to head...I kinda hope the Academy will gives us a shocker (as much as I would like to see Meryl win)and announce Gabbie the winner...the newbie grabs the gold!! What a Cinderella story that will be for AMPAS to lap it up for the history books.
Posted by: Cisco | February 10, 2010 at 10:34 AM
Mark my words; only Marshall Fine will be the one who'll win among all the others. This year is Meryl's.
Posted by: vip | February 10, 2010 at 09:15 AM
When this overdue business is going to end?
The best of the year should win.
It is not a lifetime award, nor an underappreciation award.
The best female performance of the year was Gabourey in "Precious".
Posted by: Alvaro | February 10, 2010 at 07:45 AM
I think it is ridiculous to say that Meryl Streep can win next year. Since 27 years everybody is saying this. Do you notice that? Everybody takes Meryl Streep`s good acting for granted and that is her problem, I think.
A few weeks ago it was Streep`s year. Now it should be Bullock`s year? Absurd. Don´t get me wrong, I have nothing against Sandra Bullock. But it is Meryl Streep`s Year and she will win.
Posted by: rebi | February 10, 2010 at 01:04 AM
Sandra Bullock!!! Love u full...
take the oscar home sandy!!!
u deserve it.
Posted by: Hengky | February 10, 2010 at 12:55 AM
MERYL STREEP SHOULD AND WILL WIN!
Posted by: karlaT. | February 09, 2010 at 07:44 PM
Love meryl streep but this is Sandra Bullock Year!! And YES!! SANDRA WILL WIN!!!!! COngrats SANDRA ;) ;) ;)
Posted by: karlo | February 09, 2010 at 06:36 PM
Boy what a great night it would be if Meryl Streep wins another Oscar! We just never hear acceptance speechs from her. Give me a break. Meryl gets nominated yearly and many are worried she may lose THIS year. Why. This was not her greatest role, and she will undoubtedly have MANY more better roles (and Oscar wins) in her future. To give the Oscar to her this year...or any of the other nominees...simply as a way to block Sandra Bullock from receiving the Oscar is ridiculous. I agree with Alexander. If it was Julia Roberts in "The Blindside" would people feel better about her getting an Oscar. Meryl will get it another year. Carey Mulligan is 24 and just starting out. Gabourey Sidibe we may never see again, and Helen Mirren has won an Oscar .Sandra Bullock is a veteran in the business and people put her down because she has had a career in comedy. Comedy is one of the most difficult acting jobs there is. Let Sandra have her Oscar moment and get off her back.
Posted by: michael | February 09, 2010 at 03:31 PM
Meryl all the way! Julie and Julia...one of her best!!! How can you even ask the question??
Posted by: Cheryl | February 09, 2010 at 03:17 PM
What is the problem with the Academy rewarding a worthy performance? Is it just becauuse it is Sandra Bullock? If Julia Roberts took the main role in The Blind Side, would it be any more acceptable? I don't understand. It's true: Meryl Streep is an amazing actress, but her performance in Julie&Julia wasn't her best, by far. Sandra Bullock showed that she still has box-office pull, and can still achieve critical acclaim. I don't understand why people can't just accept that and give the actress her year in the spot light.
Posted by: Alexander | February 09, 2010 at 12:06 PM
It's Official. Meryl wants her third. The Proof? 12 undelivered Oscar speeches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et4oyP0P89o
Posted by: Oh-Ehm-Glee | February 09, 2010 at 05:29 AM
Bravo to Marshall Fine who still stick up for Meryl.
The others, like the media, are idiot. They chose Miss Congeniality over talent? WTF.
If Academy choose that mediocre actress, who got Razzie nod as well this year, it will be the worst Oscar winner. Reese Witherspoon will be very glad on that night 'cuz she has company. And finally, Oscar = Miss World contest!!
Posted by: Kanye | February 08, 2010 at 09:49 PM
@kristin
Nobody, less AMPAS, cares about your respect. . .
@tomas
When you say critics, you mean you and all you "purists".
Posted by: c_e | February 08, 2010 at 08:20 PM
Oh-Ehm-Glee, the AMPAS is actually giving the Oscar to a mediocre performance!
Posted by: Oh-Ehm-Glee | February 08, 2010 at 06:36 PM
Es patetico que los que se hacen llamar "gurus", y que publican en esta pagina, incluyendo al autor, apoyen a una actuacion tan mediocre como mla de Bullock, yo solo espero que la academia recapacite.
Posted by: Andres | February 08, 2010 at 06:18 PM
How annoying... I think this, you think that, Sandra's acting in this was over the top and flawed; even if she wins (and I pray to God that she doesn't) it will mean nothing to me and to so many other people all over the world! Sandra's got the box office on her side and that only, unfortunately it seems that box office is enough for the Academy, what a bunch of loosers!!!
Posted by: Yavor | February 08, 2010 at 05:32 PM
I like Bullock, and think she is charming and a talented light comedy actress. But if she wins this year, it will be comparable to the year when Marisa Tomei won best supporting actress over four other clearly superior nominees in Miranda Richardson, Judy Davis, Joan Plowright and Vanessa Redgrave. Tomei has since proved herself a fine actress, but in that year, she was heavily out-punched by her competitors.
This year, Bullock clearly gave the weakest performance among the five nominees. She was, well, just fine, but I never would have singled her performance out as even being a remote contender for a nomination. Bullock was okay, against four nominees who were very good to great. (As for the movie -- it was TV movie pap.)
I can't remember a year since Tomei where an acting nominee won even though he/she gave the worst of the five nominated performances. Please, anyone but Bullock.
Posted by: Scott | February 08, 2010 at 03:40 PM
I love Meryl too, but "Julie & Julia" was not her finest role or her best film. Plus she was in only half the movie. She will no doubt get MANY more Oscar nominations and I'm sure another win in her terrific career. I wished she had won for "The Devil Wears Prada" or "Doubt." These were great characters and I feel finer moments for Meryl. I'm not saying "campaining" is what always wins Oscar. As I said, momentum, peaking at the right time, respect from voters, etc. are among the elements, along with a good performance. The best combination often takes the Oscar.
Posted by: michael | February 08, 2010 at 03:24 PM
GO MERYL! I really don't understand what’s the big deal about Sandra. It should be about the best ACTING, not the best campagning! AMPAS-don’t be blinde , choose Meryl!!!
Posted by: cerva | February 08, 2010 at 02:36 PM
Sandra is so getting the Oscar ....embrace the facts sorry guys....
Posted by: weslley | February 08, 2010 at 01:45 PM
I guess you can all move to Europe if Sandra Bullock wins an Oscar. Sad how hostile many are toward her winning. Truth is she has one all the majors awards going in, she did give a terrific performance, and she is completely worthy of Oscar. It is not always who one thinks gives the best performance. There are other particulars, such as momentum, peaking at the right time, respect for an actor by their peers and voters. People act like Sandra has NEVER given a good performance. She has in films like "Crash" "Speed" and "While You Were Sleeping." Like many big movie stars, actors make choices. They can be bread and butter money makers or they can be Award contenders.
And sometimes they can be both like Sandra Bullock in "The Blindside."
Posted by: Michael | February 08, 2010 at 01:36 PM
wow....
if sandra bullock wins i have oficially lost my respect to the AMPAS....period!
Posted by: kristin | February 08, 2010 at 01:21 PM
I think you are all out of your minds if you think Sandra Bullock is going to win, if she does it will be the best actress worst actress win since Nicole Kidman from The Hours
Posted by: Brian | February 08, 2010 at 11:45 AM