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The Up & Coming:

Jonah Hill

You don't think of Frat Pack members as being Oscar contenders, and I doubt that Adam Sandler will be nominated for either Best Actor or Best Actress this year, but Hill's work supporting Brad Pitt in Moneyball has turned a lot of heads. It's not a flashy performance, so Hill is reliant on love for the film to sweep him along. In addition, his youth and his reputation (his other film coming out soon is The Sitter) will also be strikes against him. This whole paragraph sounds pretty negative, but Hill was one of the most likeable characters in Moneyball, a film that is getting more love than just about any other movie this year. A nomination for Hill would prove that Moneyball has what it takes to win it all.

Armie Hammer

After a breakout year in 2010, in which he made a name for himself twice-over by playing both Winklevoss twins in The Social Network, Hammer is back with a much juicier role this year. As J. Edgar Hoover's right-hand man (and I can think of too many ways to turn that into a double-entendre) Hammer is supporting Leonardo DiCaprio, looking to follow in the footsteps of Djimon Hounsou, who was nominated in Supporting for Blood Diamond, for which Dicaprio was nominated for lead. Unfortunately, considering how mixed the reviews have been for J. Edgar, it is going to be difficult for Hammer to overcome the veterans who are vying for nominations. Supporting Actor is not a young man's game, although the occasional prepubescent sneaks in. That seems like one too many strikes against him, so unless the precursors are kind to him, Armie is going to be the one getting (I apologize for nothing!) hammered.

Patton Oswalt

If you're a fan of standup comedy, Oswalt's name should be very familiar to you, but if not, you might recognize Oswalt as the voice of Remy the rat in Ratatouille. Oswalt has not had much of a film career, but is set to make the jump from stand-up to legitimate actor with his supporting turn in Jason Reitman's Young Adult. As the sympathetic foil to Charlize Theron's misanthropic lead, Oswalt should able to capitalize on love for the film if it materializes. He would likely fill the same slot that Mark Ruffalo filled last year in The Kids are All Right, although Ruffalo has a lot more esteem in the film community than Oswalt does. One thing that is certain is that there is not enough room for both Jonah Hill and Oswalt in this category (even taking into account Hill's recent weight loss) so if one of them starts getting support, the other one is done.

The George Clooney:

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Since breaking through from indie character actor to big-name (still mostly indie) star, Hoffman has become a perennial Oscar contender, being nominated three times in the last five years. Unlike his first dance with Oscar, when he swept through the field to take Best Actor for his performance in Capote, Hoffman has been a category filler of late. Nobody thought he had a chance to win for his performances in the failed Best Picture contenders Charlie Wilson's War and Doubt, but he gave impressive performances in prestigious films, so he had enough support to get a slot. That could be the case again this year for his performance in The Ides of March. If that film is completely forgotten he doesn't stand a chance, but as long as it stays in the conversation, Hoffman should be considered a contender.

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