Oscar Countdown: Supporting Actress

Which scatological clips will the Oscar broadcast use?

In advance of the Academy Award ceremony on Sunday, Screen Grab will predict the winners in all categories.

Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, The Artist; Jessica Chastain, The Help; Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids; Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs; Octavia Spencer, The Help. In some years, the Best Supporting Actress Oscar seemed to go to the youngest and most conventionally attractive nominees (like Mira Sorvino and Marisa Tomei). If that rule still holds, The Artist’s Berenice Bejo or The Help’s Jessica Chastain would be front-runners, and either could pull an upset. Bejo’s nominated for the most popular film, while Chastain could get recognized for appearing in multiple films in 2011. Janet McTeer gives an extremely impressive performance as a cross-dressing 19th century Irish woman, but the race will probably come down to Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy vs. The Help’s Octavia Spencer — both of whom star in the most scatological scenes (involving food poisoning and home-made chocolate pie) of their respective movies.
Prediction: Octavia Spencer, partially for being in a more serious film with more nominations. This category seems one of the most likely to see an upset, though.