State of the Race: October Oscar Predictions - Best Supporting Actress

October Predictions
Amy Adams "The Master"
Jessica Chastain "Zero Dark Thirty"
Sally Field "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway "Les Miserables"
Helen Hunt "The Sessions"

Other Contenders - Samantha Barks "Les Miserables", Maggie Smith "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", Kerry Washington "Django Unchained", Pauline Collins "Quartet", Jacki Weaver "Silver Linings Playbook", Ann Dowd "Compliance", Rebel Wilson "Pitch Perfect", Helena Bonham Carter "Les Miserables", Emily Blunt "Looper", Jennifer Ehle "Zero Dark Thirty", Salma Hayek "Savages", Judi Dench "Skyfall", Frances McDormand "Promised Land", Shriley MacLaine "Bernie", Emma Watson "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", Alicia Vikander "Anna Karenina", Rosemarie DeWitt "Promised Land", Olivia Williams "Hyde Park on Hudson", Olivia Colman "Hyde Park on Hudson", Nicole Kidman "The Paperboy", Jessica Biel "Hitchcock", Toni Collette "Hitchcock", Scarlett Johanssen "Hitchcock"

Commentary - This race is not the strongest this year, but can be a bit tough if all the films that we think are going to be good turn out to be good. If Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty don't stand up to the hype, then this category becomes incredibly weak. But at the moment, I am going with the hope that they are good. We know that Helen Hunt and Amy Adams, which have emerged out of the festival circuit, are safe bets, both giving fine performances in well-received movies. On Monday we will find out if Lincoln is up to par, although some early viewings have not been as kind to Sally Field. But it has been a while since she has been in the Oscar race, and if the latest TV spot is any indication, the actors across the board put in fine work. Anne Hathaway has continued to make the top five for Les Miserables which seems to be looking better by the day. While she is slightly on the outside looking in, I think that Samantha Barks is also a big contender for Eponine. In the final slot, I am putting a contender I had left out for most of the season, but whose stock seems to be on the rise. After last year's successes, Jessica Chastain has emerged as one of the hottest new talents. As the possible female standout in a largely male movie, she could be a real scene stealer for Kathryn Bigelow's highly anticipated Zero Dark Thirty. On the outside looking in are some big names including Pauline Collins, Maggie Smith, Kerry Washington, Jacki Weaver, Frances McDormand, Ann Dowd, and maybe even the Hitchcock gals. So while this isn't the strongest race in this year's derby, there are plenty of contenders to battle it out for the top five.