My Favorite Best Actresses

To start off our month of oscars I thought I would talk about my top five favorite performances from leading ladies that have grabbed the top spot.

1. Katherine Hepburn for "The Lion in Winter" Hepburn is the Academy's most honored actor male or female with 4 wins to her name, even though some of her best performances ("Bringing Up Baby", "Adam's Rib") were never recognized with a nomination. But in "Lion in Winter" she is a gigantic force to be reckoned with as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine who has a battle of wills and wits with her husband King Richard II about which one of their sons should succeed him on the throne. Hepburn is always best when she is coupled with a great leading man, and in this film she is given the great Peter O'Toole in what may be his best performance. Hepburn herself has never been so cunning, manipulating, and elegant all the same time.

2. Olivia De Havilland for "The Heiress" This is one of the great unsung performances that is not really talked about. De Havilland who is best known for her role in "Gone with the Wind" is stunning in this period piece about a wallflower who is dominated by an over bearing father and is duped into marrying a gold digger. De Havilland does wonderful in showing off both naive sweetness and later bitterness.

3. Diane Keaton for "Annie Hall" I don't know anyone who doesn't love Diane Keaton. She is one my favorite actresses working today, but it was with her early Woody Allen films where she created such a unique on-screen persona. Annie is a smart, funny, neurotic mess of a girl but someone you just can't help but love.

4. Frances McDormand for "Fargo" McDormand's Marge Gundersson may be the most memorable police detective in modern movies. The great thing about all the performances in "Fargo" is how they never seem to dip into parody but are all funny and sincere, but Sheriff Gundersson is the no nonsense heroine who gives the film its conscience.

5. Claudette Colbert for "It Happened One Night" Of all the great screwball comedies, this one was the only one ever honored so highly by the Academy which is part of the reason I'm adding Colbert's performance. Along with Myrna Loy, and the great Barbara Stanwyck, Colbert was the screwball queen, but here along with her co-star Clark Gable she gives a very natural performance as a runaway heiress on the road with a tough talking reporter. Perhaps it's the chemistry between the two that make it look so effortless whatever it is it's magic.

Don't forget there is only one day left to vote for who you think should win best actress this year!!!