BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS?
Has the Motion Picture Academy ever tripped over its projector in the Best Supporting Actress category? Oh yeah. 
The most recent example, and one of the worst, was in 2005 when Rachel Weisz won for The Constant Gardener. Nothing wrong with her performance, but it isn’t even close to the bright naivete of Amy Adams in Junebug or Catherine Keener’s brilliant portrayal of author Harper Lee in Capote. The latter two are also far better movies, not that that should be an Award consideration. (Or should it?)
The year before (2004) saw Cate Blanchett win the Oscar for her admittedly excellent portrayal of Katherine Hepburn in Martin Scorcese’s Aviator. I don’t have a big problem with that, but my vote would go to the luminous Virginia Madsden, whose performance in the quirky comedy Sideways lifts the whole film to a higher level. Her monologue about wine makes even teetotalers consider giving it a try. 
In 2000, Marcia Gay Harden won the Award as the long-suffering wife of painter Jackson Pollock (well played by Ed Harris). But I think the voters overlooked a far superior piece of work by Judi Dench as a diabetic chocaholic in Chocolat. This is quite an interesting film in which newcomer candy store owner Juliette Binoche somehow seems to  be able to provide every person in town with the exact thing they need. 
Mira Sorvino is quite good in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite (1995). But the clear winner that year, to me at least, is Joan Allen in Nixon. Shoot, she is Pat Nixon in this difficult, biased and altogether wonderful fiction about a doomed administration.   Nobody ever accused director Oliver Stone of being fair and balanced!
I yield to no one in my admiration for the iconic Helen Hayes, one of the finest actresses ever. Ms. Hayes made over 100 films, won a truckload of awards, and deserved to. But in 1971, I don’t think she should have won for the dreadful Airport. She carries what little water there is here, but this is perhaps one of those make-up awards. She had won once before, but that was in 1932, and I think the Academy just decided to give her another one while she was still around to enjoy it. (Actually, she lived another 22 years). Overlooked was Sally Kellerman, whose character (Hot Lips Hoolihan) became a legend,  in Robert Altman’s classic M*A*S*H. And hot on her heels would be Karen Black, with a great performance in a very tough part in another classic, Five Easy Pieces. 
All of the films in this column are available on DVD and for streaming. All are for mature audiences.