Best Supporting Actress

	CHOCOLAT Many were stunned when her eight-minute performance in Shakespeare in Love was rewarded with an Oscar, but Judi Dench proves that quality is more important than quantity. An actress since the early '60s, Dench is no stranger to accolades. She's won five BAFTA awards (the British equivalent of the Oscars and the Emmys) and was named a Dame of the British Empire in 1988. But it's her role in Chocolat that's gotten her another nomination. In it, she plays a grumpy old woman who changes her ways after sampling the mystical treat. It's a small role but Dench fills it with vigor and life, and come Oscar night, she could be walking away with another Golden Boy. POLLOCK Even if her name doesn't set off any bells, Marcia Gay Harden is one of those actors that you'll recognize without knowing who she is. That's all poised to change with Harden's nomination for her work in Pollock. She made her film debut in 1990 in
Miller's Crossing and has been acting steadily ever since. In Pollock, she gives the performance of her career as the wife of the turbulent artist. It's a role that requires her to run the gamut of emotions, and she pulls it off without a hitch. While she may not be the frontrunner for an Oscar win, count on seeing a lot more of Marcia Gay Harden.
ALMOST FAMOUS To say that Kate Hudson has lived a charmed life would be an understatement. Her mother is Goldie Hawn, she's married to Black Crowes rocker Chris Robinson, she's just received her first Oscar nomination - and she's only 21! She made her screen debut in a fairly obscure movie called Desert Blue just three years ago, and has been working steadily ever since. But it's her performance as "Band Aide" Penny Lane in Almost Famous that got her noticed. She's already won a Golden Globe for the performance, which is generally a good indication of what might happen come Oscar Sunday.
ALMOST FAMOUS After winning the Best Actress Oscar five years ago for Fargo, Frances McDormand has stayed out of the limelight. She's popped up here and there in small roles in various movies, but it wasn't until 2000 that she stepped back into the spotlight. Her pivotal role in Wonder Boys reminded audiences of her ample talent, but it was her scene-stealing role in Almost Famous that's garnered her the nomination. As the jittery mom of a young rock 'n' roll writer, McDormand took a small (and thankless) role and turned it into a memorable tour-de-force.
BILLY ELLIOT Here's a case that proves once a talented actress, always a talented actress. After being nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Educating Rita in 1983, it seemed as though Julie Walters had disappeared, resurfacing only occasionally in smaller roles. But now she's back big time. Her turn as the wisecracking and just plain wise teacher to Billy Elliot reminded audiences of her charm and tenacity. Here's hoping that, should she lose, she doesn't vanish for another 20 years.