At the 86th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, many were not surprised with the outcomes of the four major acting categories. Arguably the most competitive race for Oscar gold was in the "Best Supporting Actress" category, where newcomer Lupita Nyong'o won for her portrayal of Patsey, a female slave who is brutally tormented on a southern plantation. Although Nyong'o had been a longtime favorite throughout the many predictions in the awards process, many eyebrows have been raised as to the caliber of acting when compared to the other four starlets in her category.
In my opinion, I am quite shocked as to how Nyong'o managed to even garner a nomination, let alone a win. Having seen all the Oscar-nominated major motion pictures this year, I was delighted to see performances from first-time nominees Sally Hawkins and June Squibb receive recognition; Hawkins as a woman struggling to make a living in San Francisco, let alone accommodating living arrangements for her sister, and Squibb as a sharp-tongued, snarky elderly woman who is quick to crack a joke. Although the performances were well-delivered, the roles were mainly utilized for comic relief in the film, and unfortunately both were nothing unbelievably groundbreaking or transcendental in cinema.
The bigger competition came from bigger names in the media, such as Julia Roberts in "August: Osage County." However, it was not Roberts' Hollywood A-list name that garnered her fourth Oscar nomination. Rather, it was her dark, black-comedic portrayal of Barbara Weston, who copes with the loss of her father and must deal with the family struggles of her drug-addicted mother, Violet Weston, played by acting mastermind Meryl Streep. Roberts' ability to not only keep up with Streep's acting capacity, but to combat it with her own fury and rage, left audiences overwhelmingly impressed.
But of all the nominees, what I, as well as many others, was most bewildered by, was how Nyong'o managed to beat arguably the most sought-after and talented young actress in Hollywood, Jennifer Lawrence. Jennifer Lawrence's ability to establish herself in the film industry is ultimately quite astonishing, as she has built herself up from acting in independent film projects, such as "Winter's Bone," which garnered her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, to blockbuster roles such as Mystique in the "X-Men" series, and the more prominent Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games" series.
Still, 23-year-old Lawrence manages to collaborate with director David O. Russell to produce original films such as "Silver Linings Playbook," for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and "American Hustle," for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress this year. In "American Hustle," Lawrence delivered a wrath and fury different from "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Winter's Bone." She played Rosalyn Rosenfeld, a Long Island housewife married to an aloof criminal, Irving, played by Christian Bale.
Like Hawkins and Squibb, her deliverance of lines hints at a comedic performance; however, her ability to relate as a character suffering from lack of attention by her husband and the temptation to engage in extramarital affairs is both accurate and convincing, illuminating a highly developed character that both Hawkins and Squibb lack. Furthermore, it comes as no surprise that Lawrence's inspiration for Rosalyn derives from the hit reality television series "The Real Housewives." Her brilliance in utilizing a media-based, attention-seeking reality television show to be incorporated as part of her transformation into the fierce Rosalyn Rosenfeld is quite remarkable.
In one of her final scenes, Irving barges into their bedroom, as Rosalyn flicks out a cigarette and a verbal fight ensues. Her dramatic rush of confused and bitter emotion highlights Lawrence's successful effort in feeling sympathy for Rosalyn. For a few brief seconds, Lawrence allows viewers to empathize with her character, as they are able to understand that the root of Rosalyn's lunacy comes from her oppressed, damaged relationship with Irving. Her portrayal of Rosalyn in this scene is so brilliant, in fact, that Irving enters the fight wanting vengeance and an opportunity to prove her wrong, and in the end, he leaves sharing the same guilt and sympathy that the audience grasps.
Other well-executed scenes, involving Rosalyn defeating Irving's plans by flirting with disastrous criminals, dancing around her living room wearing yellow rubber gloves while listening to the Rolling Stone's "Live or Let Die," arguing with Irving about a "science oven," and fighting with Sydney Prosser, played by Amy Adams, ending in a toxic kiss, outlines her unpredictable nature and spontaneity. And perhaps the most impressive acting bit comes from a scene with her lover, where she whispers the words "I don't like change," through Lawrence's self-generated tears.
Perhaps winning the Oscar last year hurt her chances, since the Academy enjoys awarding as many people possible, and therefore felt that they would be favoring Lawrence, had they awarded her two years in a row. However, such a notion defeats the purpose of the award, as the title describes that it is the "best supporting actress" of 2013 in cinema. Thus, the question is posed as to why the Academy chose Nyong'o's brief scene, where she pleads for the permission to use a bar of soap. But even putting screen time aside, it is difficult to understand the Academy's motive in granting Nyong'o the Oscar, as Lawrence has proved she is well-beyond her years in the acting realm.
