1998-2007 Best Actress Winners

[Big Magilla]

In real time, I agreed with the Swank wins and Mirren's, of course.

Swank is a good actress given the right roles, which have seldom come her way. Mirren is a good actress who almost always does well.

At this point, Mirren has gotten four votes and Swank just one for Boys Don't Cry so I'm going with the under-rated Swank.

[Reza]

An easy vote - Helen Mirren

1998 - Shouldabeen Cate instead of Gwyneth.

1999 - Shouldabeen Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Hilary Swank. In that order.

2000 - Glad Julia won. Michelle Yeoh should have been in the mix.

2001 - Naomi Watts should have been nominated and won. Kidman was far better in The Others. And Charlotte Rampling should have made the list with Under the Sand. Both Sissy and Renée deserved their nods. Halle gets my 6th spot.

2002 - Diane Lane should have won. Julianne Moore a close second.

2003 - Diane Keaton should have won. Cate Blanchett (The Missing) and Charlotte Rampling (Swimming Pool) should have been in the mix.

2004 - The year's best female performance was by Nicole Kidman in Birth. Period.

2005 - The two best performances of the year - Joan Plowright (Mrs. Palfrey at the Clairemont) and Joan Allen (The Upside of Anger) - were both not nominated.

2006 - Helen Mirren

2007 - Julie Christie should have won. And Keira Knightley (Atonement) should have been nominated.

[Sabin]

Hillary Swank in a walk for Boys Don't Cry. The 72nd Academy Awards were a more satisfying than usual Oscarcast to watch and the clear highlight for me was Swank's upset victory for all it represents that rarely happens: low-grossing movie, uncompromising indie, unknown actress. Boys Don't Cry is a movie that probably couldn't get made today. It's routinely protested on college campuses for casting a non-LGBT actor in the title role as well as playing into some dangerous tropes. Considering that only LGBT actor has ever been nominated for playing an LGBT character (someone I wish I could vote for in this thread's male counterpart), I understand the urgency. The tropes (or rather the danger) on the other hand is something that I respect but ultimately that might be one of the reasons why I found -- and still find -- Boys Don't Cry such a thrilling experience. Brandon Teena exists in a world without social media and is living on an edge very few of us will know to start to understand his authentic self, an understanding that is tragically cut short. I'm inclined to say everything that makes the film problematic today makes it unforgettable in retrospect.

[Big Magilla]

Here they are.