83rd Academy Awards: Supporting Actor Nominations & Predictions

Christian Bale finally transforms his way to his first Oscar nomination after appearing in major feature films since 13 years old ("Empire of the Sun"). Bale's role as Dicky Eklund in "The Fighter" is reminiscient of his transformation in "The Machinist", but only as far as physicality. Bale seems to have finally balanced his physical transformation with a psychological one. He is truly an actor that embodies his role.

John Hawkes is the nomination I most wanted to see, but didn't expect. In fact in my review of "Winter's Bone", I placed the actor in the triumvirate of reasons to see the film next to Jennifer Lawrence (nominated for Best Actress) and Debra Granik's direction. Though I wrote, "...a breakthrough, but probably unnoticed performance from John Hawkes." Oscar may insert his golden foot in my mouth.

Jeremy Renner follows his Best Actor nomination last year in "The Hurt Locker", with a Best Supporting nominated role in "The Town." Though Renner plays up much of the same character we saw in "The Hurt Locker", as I wrote in my review of "The Town", "Renner is also in danger of being typecast as the violent, self-destructive type, but a blast to watch as Coughlin."

Mark Ruffalo also gets his first Oscar nomination for his Supporting role in "The Kids Are All Right." While he joins a film that has truly made an impact at critic awards, the film itself does not fall apart without Ruffalo, like it would without Annette Bening (Best Actress Nominee).

Geoffrey Rush on the other hand does for "The King's Speech" what his character Lionel Logue did for King George VI: the King would be nothing without him. Sure much of the film stands on its own without Rush, but it is truly the dynamic between Rush and Colin Firth that makes a rousing film. Rush won Best Actor for "Shine" and was nominated for "Quills", but also nominated for Best Supporting in "Shakespeare in Love."

Prediction: Bale will win the fight. As much as Geoffrey Rush's performance is brilliant, he does not step out of himself as an Actor like Bale. Rush is an Australian Actor playing an Australian Actor in England. Ruffalo does not steal the show like Bale does, while Renner does, but only up against Ben Affleck. John Hawkes taking the Oscar would be an upset I'd like to see, but he doesn't conjure something as memorable as Bale.

Who do you think will win Best Supporting Actor? Play Pickem at Yahoo! Movies.