Oscar Best Actress 2011: Who Should Win? (PHOTOS)

Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday, and there were no big surprises in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category, where the strong performances of Annette Bening, Michelle Williams, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and newcomer Jennifer Lawrence were recognized.

Portman took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama and Annette Bening won for Comedy/Musical.

Who deserves the Oscar?

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Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"

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This Nominee

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Not This Year Deserves The Oscar

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Top 5 Best Actress Nominees

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Comments

[nootrope]

09:25 AM on 02/23/2011

I haven't seen the MIchele Williams movie, but of the rest of the nominations Bening gave the best performance, imho.

What I want to know is why Julianne Moore wasn't also nominated, at least for best supporting actress? That's a travesty!

[bluecity2]

12:55 PM on 02/16/2011

I'm not in a position to say who "deserves" the award. All I can say is what I liked best and from these actresses, I prefer Bening's performance.

[vaf112675]

05:00 PM on 02/03/2011

If the Academy does not award Natalie with her well deserved Oscar, they are going to lose any sense of credibility they may have left.

[youvebeenflagged]

12:18 PM on 02/02/2011

none of them

[Stacy Bonfire]

10:25 AM on 01/31/2011

I hope Kidman will take it. Natalie is great in Black Swan, but Kidman was more multi-layered as an actress.

[emsique]

09:58 AM on 01/31/2011

If Michelle Bachman played the mother in a remake of "Carrie", she would win it hands down.

[grange]

12:49 PM on 01/28/2011

Jennifer Lawrence although Noomi Rapace/Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the best

[busterbrownthefirst]

02:44 PM on 02/06/2011

I know she's got a lot of fans (my husband included for the first two movies), but I have to disagree. We saw all three and I thought she was adequate but that her deficiencies became super-apparent by the third movie--what a tired and boring recounting of the book. I thought it was about on par with a tv movie and should have gone straight to dvd. The trial was the most unspectacular climax I have ever seen--worse than a Tony Hillerman novel. You can argue that her complete lack of emotion was due to the character having Augsberger's Syndrome, and that it didn't exactly help in either the third book or movie that she spent half her time recovering from a head injury, but neither excuse quite cuts it. I've got relatives with Augsberger's Syndrome and they're also obnoxious as all get out, but they're not blank slates. She was just not that interesting, except maybe for the mohawk.

[kalapa]

03:58 AM on 01/28/2011

I am hoping that Natalie Portman DOES NOT win! Her GG acceptance speech was so cringe worthy, I had to mute the TV before I actually barfed. She's insufferable.

Annette Bening deserves to win, and she'll give an acceptance speech that won't be about ME ME and more ME, as Natalie's will be if she does.

[Nedsdag]

07:28 PM on 01/28/2011

Bening gave a "me" speech at the 2005 Golden Globes when she pulled a Julia Roberts by blurting, "I love my life." Lady, we get it. You married a Hollywood icon.

[rdiaz921]

10:16 AM on 02/06/2011

I saw that. I didn't get that either - hormones?? She seemed kinda flaky.

[jkredwine]

04:56 PM on 02/27/2011

I don't think she's flaky, per se. She lacks the charisma that makes some people stars, but like many intelligent and well-educated people she is cut from the cloth of the awkward nerd. She is someone who I love for being sincere and whose awkwardness is endearing because it is backed up by talent and intelligence. AWFUL speech, either way, but I really enjoyed her performance above all others.

Sadly, Benning's most deserving performance was in American Beauty. I don't think honoring an actress for her career is in the true spirit of the Oscars. It's about singular, powerful performances. Portman deserves it this year, imho.

[tcalger87]

10:15 PM on 01/27/2011

I like Natalie Portman.
I do think that Annette Benning is the winner this year.

[Julia Nangle]

07:05 PM on 01/27/2011

I'm rooting for Natalie. She worked so hard in this movie and gave a great preformance.

[Julia Nangle]

07:10 PM on 01/27/2011

I mean performance

[Thiciane Pereira Diniz]

06:24 PM on 01/27/2011

Natalie is completely phenomenal in Black Swan! she totally deserves win! and I'm sure she will! was a great year for actresses.. I loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone and Annette did an extraordinary job in The Kids, But Natalie deserves more, in my opinion!

[ChrisDWard]

01:28 AM on 01/28/2011

Did you see Kidman in her movie? Might not want to make a final decision before doing so. Talk about a subtle and amazing performance!!! Wowee!!!

[Deborah Love]

03:30 PM on 01/27/2011

Who cares! No African Americans. Just like the Emmy's. What happened? I won't be watching

[maxim100]

02:00 PM on 02/05/2011

The Academy awards should be based on merit - not on race or skin color. That's "what happened". Do you see any other minority group whinging that "oh there aren't any Asian-Americans or Hispanic-Americans nominated - so I won't be watching"? Nobody owes you anything just because of your skin color!

[Sean777]

02:42 PM on 01/27/2011

It is between Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman.

[Said One]

01:13 PM on 01/27/2011

No one cares about this year's Oscars - overrated and the same bunch of people for the most part nominating themselves and their friends.

The Razzies are where its at.

[philly282]

12:59 PM on 01/27/2011

you're all basing it on the globes which snubbed winter's bone

the lead actress was awesome. as a hoosier-american i can tell you her performance was authentic and heartfelt

portman reminds me of sandra's year where she did blindside and the rom-com with bradley cooper (yikes). black swan - whatever- yuppie coastal, artsy...fart noise

kids are alright was so boring, and i love mark ruffalo!. stopped kids 45 minutes win. we get it, same sex households/families deal with regular teen issues

gotta see the other ones....2010 sucked for movies...at least there's no CRASH or SLUMDOG!!!!

[mom72]

01:55 PM on 01/27/2011

I am hearing from friends that Rabbit Hole is really good but very heart wrenching if you have children. Apparently Nicole Kidman is really really good in it. I haven't seen Black Swan, but I would agree with you about the Kids are All Right.

[ChrisDWard]

01:31 AM on 01/28/2011

She's AMAZING!!! I hope she gets it, though I haven't seen all the others, so it's probably not fair to pre-judge. Natalie was excellent in Black Swan, but I'm not sure it compares to Kidman's multi-layered, subtle, and emotional performance. Brava to all the nominees!!!