MOVIES: Best of 2010 -- Actress

The runners-up:

• Emma Caulfield, Timer
• Patricia Clarkson, Cairo Time
• Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
• Paprika Steen, Applause
• Kerry Washington, Night Catches Us

The nominees:

• Annette Bening, Mother and Child -- An uncompromising portrayal of a "difficult person," and Bening is particularly good at showing us how she begins to adapt to a more social life without letting the rough edges be completely sanded away.
• Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone -- Lawrence has a remarkably communicative face, and we always know what she's thinking and (more important) what she's trying to keep hidden.
• Emma Stone, Easy A -- Charming and likable even in her character's most smart-aleck moments, Stone carries this movie and keeps us smiling despite the unsavoriness of the plot.
• Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine -- Working in two different timeframes, Williams does a subtle job of showing us how Cindy's traits, admirable and annoying, intensify over time in exactly the wrong ways, leading to the death of her marriage.

The winner:

• Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit -- Academy be damned, there's no way this is a supporting performance. Steinfeld carries this movie from start to finish, and she displays charm, verbal dexterity, and grace that take a back seat to none of her older and more experienced co-stars.