Oscars 2014: Who is Winning the Best Actress Race?

5. Meryl Streep - August: Osage County

This was a real tough decision for my last spot. My gut wanted to go with Amy Adams in American Hustle, and there are some good reasons to believe Ms. Adams can make the cut. The first of the reasons is the fact that Amy Adams is a four-time Oscar nominee, although up to this point, she has been exclusively nominated as a Best Supporting Actress and has never received a nomination for a leading role. The second reason why I really want to go with Amy Adams in American Hustle is the fact that the Academy is likely to really love this movie, and if they're really into the movie (some believe it has a shot at taking Best Picture), it only makes sense Adams could get swept up in the love fest. Finally, there's the fact that no one in recent history has been able to get Oscar nominations for his actors like David O. Russell, who just through his last two films alone managed a whopping seven Oscar nominations for actors. All that being said, when push came to shove, my brain won out after I considered Amy Adam's primary competition: Meryl Steep. Ms. Streep is Mrs. Oscar herself. Nominated for a staggering 17 Academy Awards (more than any other actor in the history of the Oscars), and with her win for Best Actress in The Iron Lady, joining the elite club of thespians who have won three or more Oscars (the more only referring to Katherine Hepburn's four), there is no actor who has been a more dominate force at the Oscars, male or female, than Meryl Streep. For this reason, it seems sacrilegious not to include her among the predicted Best Actress lineup, and no pundit wants to be the idiot who stupidly bet against Meryl Streep. However, August: Osage County has not been as big a player in awards season as many predicted it to be. The film has had a rough time with critics since its debut at the Toronto Film Festival and hasn't been a regular presence on too many "top ten of 2013" lists. It has managed to do fairly well among actors though, as evidenced by it's Best Ensemble nomination with the Screen Actors Guild, so for this reason, and the fact that we're dealing with Meryl Streep, I'm going with the safer bet. Don't be surprised though if Amy Adams manages to still Ms. Streep's thunder. Nomination Chances: 35%