Shoulda Been a Contender

Black actresses have clocked many Academy Award nominations of late, especially in supporting roles. With the announcement last week of the 2008 nominations, two more actress were added to that list: Taraji Henson for her role as Benjamin Button's mother-figure in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Viola Davis as the mother of an abused boy in "Doubt."

Maybe all the attention of late is to make up for years of being ignored by the academy, as black actresses have historically notched few nominations and only four wins (Butterfly McQueen, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson) in 81 years.

Now I'm not saying its a black thing, but here are four noteworthy performances that should have merited these actresses consideration for the top prize:
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Ruby Dee received her first nomination last year for her work in "American Gangster," but she was woefully overlooked for her supporting role in 1991's "Jungle Fever."

Perhaps it was the Academy's hate-hate love affair with the film's director, the brash Spike Lee, that did her in. Whatever. The scene where her junkie son Gator (Samuel L. Jackson) dies is one of the most powerful I've ever seen. This is something you should only watch once.

1991 Best Supporting Actress Winner: Mercedes Reuhl, "The Fisher King"
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Angela Basset had clocked her first nomination for a leading performance two years earlier for her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic "What's Love Got to Do With It?" But in "Waiting to Exhale," (1995) she brings to the screen a fictional character, Bernadine, one of the heroines from Terry McMillan's novel of the same name.

Directed by future Oscar winner Forrest Whittaker, Bassett brings depth to the role of the woman scored. She hurts, she fumes, she gets even. The scene where she rounds up her philandering husband's clothes and turns them into a bonfire is priceless.

1995 Best Actress Winner: Susan Sarandon, "Dead Man Walking"
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Regina King has come a long way since playing Brenda on the NBC sitcom "227," and has showcased her growth as an actress in films like "Boyz N the Hood" and "Poetic Justice."

By the time "Ray" came out in 2004, she emerged as a full-blown artist. Her performance as Margie, Ray Charles' background singer and spurned lover, is a sight to behold. King shows us Margie's humanity, including her hopes to marry the already-married Ray. They channel the friction between them into great performances, but Margie can't hold on at the end.

2004 Best Supporting Actress Winner: Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator"
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"Antwone Fisher" is a love story on many levels, thanks in large part to Joy Bryant's performance. She helps thaw Antwone, coming to terms with being given up by his birth mother and years of abuse at the hands of his foster mother. Guided by first-time director Denzel Washington, her rapport with co-star Derek Luke seems so genuine that it appears she isn't acting at all.

2002 Best Supporting Actress Winner: Catherine Zeta-Jones, "Chicago"