This race is easily the hardest to predict, since there are a series of women who could very easily get nominated and win it all. I will attempt to make some kind of prediction of who the nominees and winner will be:

Winner: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Other Nominees:

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Amy Adams, Doubt

Viola Davis, Doubt

Taraji P. Henson, Benjamin Button

This could be completely wrong, but here is why I predict this: Cruz is a given. She has won most of the precursors and is on the board for the rest. She carried her film and has been nominated in the past. She is also the most well-known foreign actress in Hollywood (Britain doesn't count). Other than her, Viola Davis has won the most critics awards. She is only there for six minutes, but there have never been six better minutes onscreen. She did everything Ruby Dee didn't do last year (no disrespect to Ms. Dee). Amy Adams also did great and was snubbed last year, despite being in a great film and performing well live at the Academy Awards. She may miss, however, since Davis had more raw emotion and Streep dominated the rest of the film. Taraji P. Henson was excellent in Benjamin Button, which will get a lot of nods at the Oscars. If the big campaign for Button succeeds, and it probably will, she will be very likely to get her first nomination. However, she would be the second of two "Black Mama" roles (hate to say it like that) in that category and she just wasn't as good as Davis. That brings me to Kate Winslet. A brilliant performace in a very good film. She hasn't taken many precursors, but that's because some thought she was a lead role and she won a few of those. If she can win at lead, she can win at supporting. She'll have a double nomination year, and she should have a statue by now. I doubt she'll go home empty-handed and most think she was better in The Reader than Rev. Road.

It's really down to Cruz and Winslet IMO, but there are several actresses to consider as well. Marisa Tomei could easily slip in for The Wrestler. Rosemarie DeWitt has gotten praise for Rachel Getting Married, as has Debra Winger, though that would be a stretch. Keep an eye out for those three. Also, Vera Farmiga was said to be great in Nothing But the Truth. If that film gets a move on she could pull off a surprise, but that is very unlikely.

If Marisa Tomei doesn't get a Best Supporting Actress nomination for "The Wrestler", there is no justice. This is a tight category and Viola Davis and Amy Adams are brilliant as well. But the raw emotion that Tomei brings to her portrayal of Cassidy is achingly beautiful. You won't find a better supporting performance this year.