decade revisited: 2006, part 2

The Nominees: 2006 was officially the year I went nutso for all things Little Miss Sunshine, as evidenced by both supporting categories here in this post (totaling 5 nominations between the two of them). And, frankly, I haven't gotten sick of the movie, as it's still one of my all-time favorites. As for the winner, I don't think it was necessarily that the Sunshine boys canceled each other out, but rather that I so loved Michael Sheen's Tony Blair in The Queen (and thought their was some heinous snubbing of his role come awards season). And I'd probably nominate Wahlberg for his "Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe f*** yourself." line alone.

Revisions: And as most of this year has gone, I'd likely keep all of these guys in their positions. As for the closest to take spots? I'd opt for Jackie Earl Haley's creepy loner sexual deviant in Little Children (a performance that's hard to love but easy to admire in terms of difficulty in portrayal) and Stanley Tucci's middle-aged fashionisto in The Devil Wears Prada (a performance that glued together the weakest points in the movie but was overshadowed by the ladies'). I believe the win would still be Sheen's in this case, but I've grown to appreciate Alan Arkin's potty-mouthed grandpa more with repeated viewings.

The Nominees: As far as supporting actresses go, 2006 seemed to be the year of comedy (or at least in the broad sense of the word). Blunt was devilishly fun as the overworked and snooty doting assistant; Breslin was a ball of adorableness as the pageant-obsessed quirky kid with an affinity for "Superfreak;" Collette was, as usual, a great fit for the tentative mother with the best intentions; and Streep was secretly wonderful as Yolanda Johnson, the folksy crooner from the Midwest, in A Prairie Home Companion (for more on that performance, see this post). And let the nay-sayers say what they will, but everyone was taken with Hudson's performance in 2006. Even though some critics seem to have changed their minds about it, I stand strong in saying it's a powerhouse performance that's more than just a great set of pipes.

Revisions: Of these five ladies, the only one I'd consider altering would be Collette, if only that I've seen her better on several other occasions. As for possible replacements? Well, let's take a look at the hosts of other potential supporting performances (of which there were quite a few): Adriana Barraza in Babel, Clare-Hope Ashitey in Children of Men, Vera Farmiga in The Departed, Catherine O'Hara in For Your Consideration, Lily Tomlin in A Prairie Home Companion, and Carmen Maura in Volver. Take your pick.