Ellen Page‘s Best Actress Oscar odds have surged, according to The Envelope‘s Tom O’Neil, because Juno became a huge indie cross-over hit last weekend and…wait, what? I love Page’s sass and spirit, but since when have actors won Oscars because they project good spunk?
Away From Her‘s Julie Christie may be dooming herself with her Roman Polanski-esque non-campaign, agreed, but actresses barely out of their teens can’t win Best Actress Oscars. Nominations, yes, and more power to them — but winning is out. You’re not a winner because your film makes a lot of money. You’re a winner because you strike deep chords , and the only time Page did that in Juno was when her note to Jennifer Garner was revealed: “If you’re in, I’m in.”
The Best Actress Oscar is, I think, still Marion Cotillard‘s to lose. Months have passed, but her Edith Piaf was about so much more than posture and makeup. Am I misreading? Cotillard and Picturehouse need to do something right now, however, to combat the Page surge. I don;t know what exactly, but I suppose the usual round of interviews along with a big party and a new mailer of some sort would help. You don’t want to seem too desperate, but you can’t just sit on the sidelines and cross your fingers either.