Grading the Oscar-nominated performances since 2000. It's hard to grade performances!
A+
Laura Linney - You Can Count on Me
Ellen Burstyn - Requiem for a Dream
Tom Wilkinson - In the Bedroom
Chris Cooper - Adaptation.
Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago
Bill Murray - Lost in Translation
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Clive Owen - Closer
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
A
Benicio del Toro - Traffic
Willem Dafoe - Shadow of the Vampire
Russell Crowe - A Beautiful Mind
Denzel Washington - Training Day
Renee Zellweger - Bridget Jones' Diary
Nicole Kidman - Moulin Rouge!
Ben Kingsley - Sexy Beast
Ian McKellen - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Marisa Tomei - In the Bedroom
Kate Winslet - Iris
Jack Nicholson - About Schmidt
Daniel Day-Lewis - Gangs of New York
Nicolas Cage - Adaptation.
Julianne Moore - Far from Heaven
Meryl Streep - Adaptation.
Charlize Theron - Monster
Tim Robbins - Mystic River
Holly Hunter - thirteen
Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Virginia Madsen - Sideways
David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck.
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Forest Whitaker - Last King of Scotland
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Laura Linney - The Savages
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
A-
Tom Hanks - Cast Away
Russell Crowe - Gladiator
Sissy Spacek - In the Bedroom
Helen Mirren - Gosford Park
Maggie Smith - Gosford Park
Diane Lane - Unfaithful
Paul Newman - Road to Perdition
Christopher Walken - Catch Me If You Can
Jude Law - Cold Mountain
Ben Kingsley - House of Sand and Fog
Sean Penn - Mystic River
Alec Baldwin - The Cooler
Benicio del Toro - 21 Grams
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
Laura Linney - Kinsey
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Keira Knightley - Pride and Prejudice
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Ellen Page - Juno
Casey Affleck - The Assassination...
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
B+
Javier Bardem - Before Night Falls
Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich
Albert Finney - Erin Brockovich
Marcia Gay Harden - Pollock
Frances McDormand - Almost Famous
Renee Zellweger - Chicago
Marcia Gay Harden - Mystic River
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Terrence Howard - Hustle and Flow
Matt Dillon - Crash
Amy Adams - Junebug
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Kate Winslet - Little Children
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
B
Ed Harris - Pollock
Julie Waters - Billy Elliot
Will Smith - Ali
Jim Broadbent - Iris
Michael Caine - The Quiet American
Nicole Kidman - The Hours
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
B-
Kate Hudson - Almost Famous
Halle Berry - Monster's Ball
Adrien Brody - The Pianist
Julianne Moore - The Hours
Samantha Morton - In America
Ken Watanabe - The Last Samuari
Shohreh Aghdashloo - House of Sand and Fog
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator
Natalie Portman - Closer
Charlize Theron - North Country
William Hurt - A History of Violence
C+
Geoffrey Rush - Quills
Joan Allen - The Contender
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
George Clooney - Syriana
Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
C
Ethan Hawke - Training Day
Ed Harris - The Hours
John C. Reilly - Chicago
Kathy Bates - About Schmidt
Queen Latifah - Chicago
Patricia Clarkson - Pieces of April
Jackie Earle Haley - Little Children
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
C-
Jeff Bridges - The Big Lebowski
Judi Dench - Iris
Salma Hayek - Frida
Diane Keaton - Something's Gotta Give
Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider
Djimon Hounsou - In America
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda
Catherine Keener - Capote
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
D+
Juliette Binoche - Chocolat
Judi Dench - Chocolat
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
D
Joaquin Phoenix - Gladiator
Jon Voight - Ali
Alan Alda - The Aviator
Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
Judi Dench - Mrs. Henderson Presents (why do I appear to hate Judi so?)
Frances McDormand - North Country
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel
Marion Cotillard - La vie en rose
D-
Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Carribbean
Naomi Watts - 21 Grams
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Annette Bening - Being Julia
F
Sean Penn - I Am Sam
Jennifer Connelly - A Beautiful Mind
Did I miss anyone? As we can see, the Oscars often make pretty good choices. Yay, Oscars! However, they also can sometimes make mediocre or terrible choices. Boo, Oscars! <---- this has been your completely obvious public service announcement for the day.
