Juliette, not even of The Spirits

This year’s Oscar® nominations didn’t piss me off nearly as much as in prior seasons; there aren’t too many awful inclusions and relatively few glaring omissions. (I hope the latter is not simply a matter of far less good work from which to choose.)

That said, I am disappointed that Juliette Lewis was overlooked for her small, yet vital contribution to Tony Goldwyn‘s CONVICTION. She has only two scenes in the film and the first you almost overlook, as it takes to identify the actress beneath the big hair and garish make-up. However, when she returns late in the film, viewers may know it’s her but immediately forget as she so thoroughly embodies the role of a half-”baked,” guilt-laden loser with greater guile than good sense, that the actress disappears. While her character might have the power to exculpate Sam Rockwell‘s, there is always doubt as to whether she would if she could. It is a note-perfect performance — elegantly crafted by screenwriter Pamela Gray from transcripts and eyewitness accounts — that outshines Amy Adams‘ turn in THE FIGHTER. (Sorry, Amy. I still think you’re swell.) Sadly, not only did the Academy snub Juliette, so did the Independent Spirit Awards, though competition for the latter is more evenly matched.

CONVICTION was released on DVD today. Let this serve as your serve as a summons for cinematic jury duty. Watch the movie, wait for Juliette’s scenes and then render a verdict. Tell me…

What do YOU think?