Is 27 Years Without An Oscar too Many to Deny Meryl Streep in 2010?

Whenever you discuss actresses in terms of quality, inevitably Meryl Streep’s name will enter the conversation. As a matter of fact she may even end the conversation. Streep was nominated for her first Oscar in 1979 for her supporting role in The Deer Hunter, a year later she was on stage accepting her first Oscar win for Kramer vs. Kramer and it only took three more years for her to win her second Oscar for Sophie’s Choice in 1983. In five years Streep was nominated for four Oscars and had won twice. However, since 1983 she has been nominated 11 more times and each time has gone home empty handed.

Yup, the woman many consider to be one of, if not the, greatest actress of all-time has gone 26 straight years without adding an Oscar to her mantel. Over the course of those years she watched as the following actresses heard their names called rather than her own: Kate Winslet (The Reader), Helen Mirren (The Queen), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry), Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love), Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), Kathy Bates (Misery), Jodie Foster (The Accused), Cher (Moonstruck), Geraldine Page (The Trip to Bountiful) and Shirley MacLaine (Terms of Endearment). Would 27 years and a twelfth name be too many?

I ask this, of course, because over the weekend Sandra Bullock took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in The Blind Side and the win leads many to assume Bullock is now the front-runner heading into the final month of the Oscar race, with very little left to give either Bullock or Streep any added momentum.

Looking at the history of the SAGs compared to the Oscars, 11 of the 15 years SAG has handed out awards the winning actress at the SAGs has gone on to win the Oscar. So the numbers and momentum all seem to be on Bullock’s side. However, when the mention of Oscar popped up backstage at the SAGs, Reuters reports Bullock “shushed” the questioning journalist mid-sentence and would not allow him to finish.

This could simply be a matter of “I don’t want to jinx it,” but one has to wonder if the never-before nominated Sandra Bullock would ever consider the idea she would be that twelfth actress in a row to prevent Streep from taking home her third Academy Award. I’m sure the possibility is daunting to any actress going up against the icon.

So you tell me, as I am sitting here preparing my most recent Oscar predictions ballot, who do you see walking away with the Oscar? Presumably it will either be Bullock or Streep, or perhaps some of you are still holding out for Carey Mulligan (An Education) or Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) to pull off the MAJOR upset. Either way, weigh in with your prediction and reasoning below and let the conversation begin.

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