THE CONTENDER

Joan AllenJoan Allen is electric in her role as Laine Hanson, the senator who sticks to her principles despite much personal embarrassment. Allen's work in The Contender, directed by Rod Lurie, is a rare combination of strong and tough mixed with sexy and sympathetic. The actress talks about the faith she had in another director and her portrayal of Pat Nixon in Oliver Stone's Nixon. She says about that role: "To tell you the truth, if Oliver Stone had wanted Pat Nixon to wear a G-string and swing from a chandelier, I would have played it that way."



CHOCOLAT

Juliette BinocheWhen Juliette Binoche won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1994 for The English Patient - an award that many believed Lauren Bacall would win - she seemed more surprised than anyone. "I don't have a speech prepared. I though Lauren would get it," she said while accepting the award. This time, Binoche is nominated for her role in Chocolat. Set in France,
Chocolat follows Vianne Rocher (Binoche) as she opens a magical chocolate store and proceeds to win over the townfolk. It's a tricky role to play - she's got to play it realistically since the plot is so unrealistic - but Binoche pulls it off.


REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

Ellen BurstynFor an actress who's appeared in over 70 films, the term comeback shouldn't apply. Even though she's been acting steadily since the '60s, Ellen Burstyn is hotter than ever thanks to her role in Darren Aronofsky's gritty Requiem for a Dream. In it, she plays a drug-addicted senior who steals the movie right from underneath Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly. But this isn't the first time Burstyn will walk down the red carpet. She's been nominated several times before and won the award for Best Actress back in 1972 for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. If there's an underdog in this race, it's Burstyn, but don't count her out just yet. She's a survivor, and Hollywood tends to reward staying power.


YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

Laura LinneyIf you had told Laura Linney that she would go from acting in a glorified b-picture like Congo to receiving an Oscar nomination in six short years, she probably would have had you committed. But that's exactly what happened. From her inauspicious beginnings playing bit parts in films like Lorenzo's Oil and Dave, to her critically acclaimed performances in high-profile movies including Primal Fear and The Truman Show, Linney's finally receiving the recognition she deserves. In You Can Count On Me, she plays Samantha, a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But Linney never allows the portrayal to become melodramatic. She plays it with a subtle touch and that subtlety could be rewarded come Oscar night.



ERIN BROCKOVICH

Julia RobertsThis could be the one for Julia Roberts. Her portrayal of the feisty, mini-skirted heroine in this true story got her the Golden Globe for Best Actress, and could finally send her home with Oscar in her arms. This is a busy year for Roberts, with The Mexican, America's Sweethearts and Ocean's Eleven on her plate, and taking home Oscar would cap it off in fine form. The Smyrna, Georgia native, and sister of actor Eric Roberts, stole the show in a little film called Mystic Pizza and Richard Gere's heart in a big film called Pretty Woman, a role which got her an Oscar nomination. Since then she's been consistently busy, including winning Mel Gibson's heart in Conspiracy Theory and losing the guy to Cameron Diaz in My Best Friend's Wedding.