The 2011 RyMickey Awards - Best Supporting Actress

Admittedly, both Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor categories were a tad weak for me in 2011.  While there are some good performances listed below, I wasn't really wowed by any of them, and although my vote would've went a different way if I had the final Oscar ballot, I can't fault the voters for going the way they did.

Best Supporting Actress of 2011

In the Running...

Anna Kendrick - 50/50

Vanessa Redgrave - Coriolanus

Honorable Mentions

#8 - Shailene Woodley - The Descendants

Although her character starts off the stereotypical teenage bitch, the transformation she undergoes to a more kind and caring daughter is believable and shows this newcomer has some decent acting chops.

#7 - Amy Ryan  - Win Win

Amy Ryan is "just" playing a mom here, but she is near perfect in the role which proves to be incredibly effective in its simple normalcy.

#6 - Nicole Beharie - Shame

Sexy, yet exuding sophistication and intelligence, Nicole Beharie manages to take a small, though important, role in Shame and be a part of two scenes that are still vividly in my mind over a month later thanks to her understated and authentic work.

And the Top Five...

#5 - Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids

Certainly the showiest and most bombastic role in the Bridesmaids cast, it was a pleasure to see Melissa McCarthy get nominated for the Oscar this past year.  Without a doubt, McCarthy was a big piece of what made Bridesmaids click with the audience thanks to her no-holds-barred go-for-broke attitude when it came to raunchy humor.

#4 - Rose Byrne - Bridesmaids

Despite the praise heaped on the aforementioned Ms. McCarthy this year, Rose Byrne took on the steely bitch role in Bridesmaids and managed to craft a character that not only provided humor, but also helped to provide a lot of the film's heart -- one of the reasons the movie is so successful to me.  Byrne (who landed on my list of Worst Performances two years ago...so this is a big step up) takes a role that could have very well been a nasty stereotype and ends up able to gain deserved sympathy by the film's end.

#3 - Octavia Spencer - The Help

The third comedic role on this Top Five, Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer provided several light moments whenever The Help veered a bit too heavy.  Her Minny was sassy and spunky, but she's hamstrung by the fact that her role is a bit too one-note at the film's beginning.  The character eventually becomes a bit more fleshed out (thanks to Jessica Chastain's character coming into the picture and giving Spencer's role a bit more heft and substance) and that's certainly what helped this charming actress win the Academy Award this year.

#2 - Sareh Bayat - A Separation

Sareh Bayat's performance in A Separation is a complicated one despite coming from a rather simple, though heavy, film.  Initially, I thought Ms. Bayat's role as a nursemaid (of sorts) was going to be a bit part, but as the layers of this familial drama are slowly pulled back, we begin to realize that her character is the pivot point around which much of the ensuing conflict will arise.  There is a huge internal struggle going on inside her character and once it is placed into the open Bayat's acting becomes even more impressive.

#1 - Jessica Chastain - The Help

Jessica Chastain was ubiquitous in 2011 and while some could say her role in The Help was the lightest-weight of her acting jobs, I think it showcased the actress at the top of her game.  The role so easily could have been a scenery chewing dim bulb comedic stereotype who also happens to have that "dramatic moment" that seals one's awards fates, but instead she gives Celia Foote some depth and helps to make all who surround her character (like the previously mentioned Octavia Spencer) shine even brighter.

Previous RyMickey Award Winners

2010

2009