RETRO OSCAR: BEST ACTRESS 2000-2019

By John H. Foote

Who did win, who should have, in my humble opinion.

Contrary to popular belief the Academy does not always get it right, and here we can see why. Granted I have the benefit of hindsight, and hindsight is almost always 20-20. Time is the greatest enemy of a film, of all art, chipping away mercifully at the film, the performance, whatever piece of art it might be, rendering it weaker than we thought it ever was.

Though it is often easy to disparage the Academy years later, in fairness they often get it right, no easy feat with everyone having different opinions.

Here I cover Best Actress, looking at who did win, followed by who should have. No grand explanations, just the facts jack.

2000

• Winner – Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich
• Should Have Won – Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream

2001

• Winner – Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball
• Should Have Won – Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball

2002

• Nicole Kidman in The Hours
• Should Have Won – Julianne Moore in Far from Heaven

2003

• Winner – Charlize Theron in Monster
• Should Have Won – Charlize Theron in Monster

2004

• Winner – Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby
• Should Have Won – Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2005

• Winner – Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line
• Should Have Won – Sarah Polley in The Secret Life of Words

2006

• Winner – Helen Mirren in The Queen
• Should Have Won – Helen Mirren in The Queen

2007

• Winner – Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose
• Should Have Won – Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose

2008

• Winner – Kate Winslet in The Reader
• Should Have Won – Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road

2009

• Winner – Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
• Should Have Won – Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia

2010

• Winner – Natalie Portman in Black Swan
• Should Have Won – Hailee Stenfield in True Grit

2011

• Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
• Should Have Won – Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin

2012

• Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
• Should Have Won – Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty

2013

• Winner – Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
• Should Have Won – Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine

2014

• Winner – Julianne Moore in Still Alice
• Should Have Won – Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl

2015

• Winner – Brie Larson in Room
• Should Have Won – Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn

2016

• Winner – Emma Stone in La La Land
• Should Have Won – Natalie Portman in Jackie

2017

• Winner – Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Should Have Won – Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water

2018

• Winner – Olivia Colman in The Favourite
• Should Have Won – Brooklyn Prince in The Florida Project

2019

• Winner – Renee Zellweger in Judy
• Should Have Won – Renee Zellweger in Judy