Pete Hammond: Hottest actress race in years heats up

As duly noted on The Envelope and elsewhere, this past week brought the first two academy screeners of the season: "Frozen River" from Sony Classics -- emulating its "Junebug" first-out-of-the-gate strategy that nabbed Amy Adams a long-shot 2005 supporting nomination, and "Elegy," the indie drama from Lakeshore and Goldwyn. Both summer art-house releases are trying hard not to be forgotten.

The plan to get these DVDs out early to Oscar's acting branch (along with members of the "awards press," who were also sent "Elegy" screeners) is interesting as both are primarily being sent now to get a foothold in an unusually competitive best actress race.

The mailings are an attempt to position "River's" Melissa Leo and "Elegy's" Penelope Cruz as top contenders -- at least in the minds of voters.

Strategists for both are dealing with an embarrassment of riches (Sony Classics has three lead actress contenders this year including Leo, Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne Hathaway.

Meanwhile, 42 West, which handles Cruz, is trying to land her in both lead and supporting, where she's a slam dunk for "Vicky Christina Barcelona"). Spending a load now for a couple of fine performances that probably have a better shot in the Independent Spirit Awards is the equivalent of throwing a Hail Mary pass in the first quarter.

Perhaps the companies are looking at last year's race, when the top two eventual contenders were also summer releases (Julie Christie in May's "Away From Her" and final winner Marion Cotillard's "La Vie En Rose" in June) and benefited from widespread DVD screener saturation, at least among the actors branch.

This year, however, it is already clear that the race, for all intents and purposes, is backloaded with the most imposing and competitive list of genuine best actress possibilities in many years.

A tsunami is coming, and Leo and Cruz are getting out of the way by taking their best shot now, hoping it's enough to stay alive when the big storm of contenders hits shore.

Leading the parade is 14-time nominee and two-time winner Meryl Streep in December's "Doubt," a role that won Cherry Jones a Tony on Broadway and promises to be Streep's best shot at a third Oscar in many moons (it's been 26 years since her last win).

It certainly doesn't hurt that Streep's sure-to-be-Golden Globe nominated musical turn in "Mamma Mia" just hit $500 million worldwide. The academy can hardly resist the combination of serious actress and cash cow.

Certain to be on her heels is Kate Winslet competing against herself in "Revolutionary Road" (Dec. 26) and "The Reader" (Dec. 12). Like Streep, Winslet holds an Oscar record being the youngest actor or actress to receive five nominations as she turns just 33 on Sunday. Her reteaming with "Titanic" co-star Leonardo DiCaprio in the highly dramatic "Revolutionary Road" should make it six; having "The Reader" out there simultaneously could augur well for the actual win.

Then we have the iconic Angelina Jolie, a supporting Oscar winner in 1999's "Girl Interrupted"  but not nominated since. She's absolutely terrific in Clint Eastwood's very fine and academy-friendly period drama, "Changeling" (Oct 24).

Don't forget Jolie too is a cash cow, coming off the highly successful popcorn actioner, "Wanted" and the animated smash, "Kung Fu Panda." She is now reminding everyone again of her mega-serious acting chops. Besides the academy may feel it owes her one for overlooking "A Mighty Heart" last year. My Envelope colleague Tom O'Neil  suggests that perhaps her fame is a drawback, but that's hogwash.

The play's the thing, and this year, like Barack Obama, Angie should be riding in on the wave of 'Change(ling) We Can Believe In'.

Then, on Christmas Day, we get Cate Blanchett in a leading role in which she runs the gamut and gets to age and do all the things actors love in one of the expected biggies, "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button."

Oscar voters can't get enough of the Great Cate (or apparently any OTHER actress named Kate), with one Oscar already and three nominations in the last two years alone! If they can nominate her for basically navigating a lot of costume changes in "Elizabeth The Golden Age," the wide range she shows in "Button" is a cinch.

OK, so that's four, count 'em, four certain take-it-to-the-bank (not Washington Mutual, though) surefire best actress nominees.

So can Leo or Cruz make it into the fifth slot employing their early-bird strategy?

Here's the rest of the imposing list:

Anne Hathaway with the reviews of a lifetime in "Rachel Getting Married" (October).

Nicole Kidman back with Baz and at home in "Australia" (Nov. 26).

Keira Knightley with the reviews of a lifetime in "The Duchess" (September).

Kate Beckinsale making a breakthrough in "Nothing But The Truth" (Dec. 19)

Sally Hawkins, this year's new English delight, in "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Oct. 10)

Emma Thompson, touching and wonderful in the late-breaking "Last Chance Harvey" (Dec. 26)

... and finally ...

Kristin Scott Thomas, also with the reviews of a lifetime and perhaps the most brilliant of all in the French film, "I've Loved You So Long" (Oct. 24). It's been 12 years since her best actress nod in "The English Patient," and now she's a leading contender for another in a completely different language.

How many actors in either category have turned THAT hat trick?  It's a very small list. Can you name them?

Which brings us back to Penelope Cruz. With her nomination for "Volver" a couple of years ago and her certain supporting actress nod for Woody Allen's film this year, she will have two noms in two languages (although much of the joke in "Vicky Christina" is her use of Spanish). She could even make further history with an "Elegy" nomination for another English language role and the gantlet was laid down this week to do just that.

But as we have noted, at least as far as their early-bird strategy in the lead actress race is concerned, Leo and Cruz may get to know what the loneliness of the long-distance runner is really like in this killer year for women.

(Penelope Cruz in "Elegy," photo courtesy AP / Samuel Goldwyn Films)