The Oscar contenders:
鈥Amy Adams, "The Master"
鈥Sally Field, "Lincoln"
鈥Anne Hathaway, "Les Mise虂rables"
鈥Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"
鈥Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Verdict: This is Hathaway's race to lose. Her role as struggling single mother Fantine has won her the Best Supporting Actress award at the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globes ceremonies 鈥 the latter even more impressive because at the Golden Globes, lead actor and actress awards are divided into "drama" and "comedy/musical" categories, while the supporting races aren't separated, making them harder to win. The actress was previously nominated for Best Actress in 2009 for the film "Rachel Getting Married."