Who should have won the 2006 Best Actress Oscar?

I wasn't impressed by Mirren, and Streep was supporting in hers. Kate was all right, but it was really between Dench and Cruz for me.

In retrospect, Dench. Mirren's win makes sense as the Academy eats films like that up. Meryl was probably the runner up, then Dench, then Winslet, then Cruz.

They're all Oscar winners now.

Love me some Babs! YOU'RE NOT YOUNG!

Meryl wasn't supporting - she was the Devil wearing Prada!

She elevated that farcical role into something serious and above the rest of the film. It's like there were 2 movies being made - the scenes without Meryl and those with her.

She took a C movie and made it an A-. It is an iconic character - nobody remembers hardly any of the other nominated performances.

R4 Streep may have been the title character and gotten first-billed due to her prestige, but the character was most definitely supporting. The movie has only one main character -- Andy!. She's in it from beginning to end, whereas Miranda disappears for long stretches as the film focuses on Andy's personal life (e.g., boyfriend, friends). In fact, Miranda is only seen on screen when Hathaway is around. All the drama in Miranda's life, including the breakup with her husband, happens off screen. We're not privy to any private moments with her, because she's NOT the main character.

If a less renowned/esteemed actress had played the part, she would have been second-billed after Hathaway and gotten a Supporting nod.

R5 - I get your point, but there are some private moments with Miranda. There are films with co-leads and secondary leads.

It's not a formula with just 1 main character and the rest are minor - that doesn't always work.

Dataloungers just love Streep in that role because they idolize Miranda Priestly.

I didn't say she was minor;she was supporting. She was important to the movie, but it was all Andy's journey. If anything, Miranda supported Andy in her quest.

Dataloungers also love Dench in Notes on a Scandal. They wanna be Miranda, but they're really Barbara.

[quote]there are some private moments with Miranda.

I don't recall any scenes with Miranda that didn't involve Andy in some way.

R10 how do you mean?

R10 haha very true. We are much more like Babs.

R11 they added a scene where she chairs a meeting. It was added on purpose to show Miranda doing her thing.

I loved Helen Mirren, but Penelope Cruz was pretty spectacular.