Best Supporting Actress Analysis

I've decided to have an Analysis of sorts of each of the Oscar winners in the top 8 categories. Lets start with Best Supporting Actress. 2000: Marcia Gay Harden as Lee Krasner in Pollock: A fierce, masterful performance. Have no problem with her winning, although I think that Frances Mcdormand should have won for Almost Famous. 2001: Jennifer Connelly as Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind: Awful. Just awful. 2002: Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in Chicago: This is my opinion, but I just love this performance. I felt that she clearly deserved her Oscar. 2003: Renee Zellweger as Ruby Thewes in Cold Mountain: Ugh. What a bad performance. Zellweger delivered great, Oscar-worthy performances in Bridget Jones's Diary and Chicago, but the Academy decided to give her an Oscar for an over the top, mediocre effort in a flawed movie. 2004: Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator: Entertaining and wonderful characterization of Katharine Hepburn. But Virginia Madsen (Sideways) is my pick. 2005: Rachel Weisz as Tessa Quayle in The Constant Gardener: Beautifully layered, brilliant performance. A deserved win, although Amy Adams was great too. 2006: Jennifer Hudson as Effie White in Dreamgirls: Is there anything else that hasn't been said before? Just terrible. 2007: Tilda Swinton as Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton: Terrific, superb performance. 2008: Penelope Cruz as Maria Elena in Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Cruz brings plenty of fire and life to her film and delivers a strong performance, but Tomei (The Wrestler), Adams (Doubt),and Davis (also from Doubt) were all superior to her performance. I will post my Best Picture Analysis soon. Comment!