Continuing my rundown of personal 2023 Oscar nominations, today I’ll look at the Best Supporting Actress category.

First, a few honorable mentions.

It’s criminal that no actor has ever been nominated for a performance in a Wes Anderson movie. Among those who seemed to have a decent shot based on precursors are Bill Murray (Rushmore), Gene Hackman (The Royal Tenenbaums), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Jeffrey Wright (The French Dispatch). This year, I wish Scarlett Johansson had received some love for her work in Asteroid City.

Also… Niecy Nash did a lot with limited screen time in Origin, as did Maura Tierney as the stoic mother in The Iron Claw.

And the nominees are…

Penelope Cruz – Ferrari
Cruz is one of my favorite actresses. Few performers are as effective at both going big and holding back. She gets to do both beautifully in Ferrari, and completely steals the movie.

Claire Foy – All of Us Strangers
Foy is heartbreaking as a mother reuniting with a son she hasn’t seen since he was 11, and learning all the ways she shaped his life for better and worse. Is she a ghost or a figment of his imagination? It doesn’t matter — every emotion she conjures is perfectly real.

Rachel McAdams – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Speaking of perfectly real… I don’t think any actor is better than McAdams at portraying the authentic mannerisms and emotions of flesh-and-blood human beings. There is no room for artifice in her performances, and this is one of her best.

Julianne Moore – May December
Moore loves to feast on tricky roles like this. As a woman who spent time in jail for having an affair with an underage boy, then started a family with him, she is alternately hilarious, sympathetic, and unsettling.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Heavily favored to win this award at the Oscars, Randolph is more than deserving of the honor. She brings quiet dignity to the role of a grieving mother trying to discover what meaning is left in her world.

And the winner is… Rachel McAdams. It’s a damn shame that beautifully human work like this rarely wins Oscars. It’s winning mine!