- Here’s a purely speculative Oscar 2010 question: Could the Susan Sarandon–Tim Robbins split result in a sympathy nomination for the former for her performance in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones? “Could”? Theoretically, yes. Will it? That’s a whole other matter.
(Purely speculative) Oscar 2010 question: Could the Susan Sarandon split from Tim Robbins earn her a sympathy nod?
Best Actress Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking, 1995) isn’t exactly a top contender for the 2010 Oscars. After all, her performance as a bosomy, booze-loving granny in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones hasn’t been getting any notable accolades so far this awards season; she has been bypassed by U.S. critics groups, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In fact, Jackson’s supernatural psychological crime drama has turned out to be a critical and box office misfire that, with the exception of supporting nods for Stanley Tucci, has been all but ignored by awards-giving groups.
Not helping matters, reviews for Sarandon’s performance have been mixed. For instance: Whereas Salon’s Stephanie Zacharek asserts that the film’s “mood brightens considerably” whenever the veteran actress and her cleavage pop up on screen, the Los Angeles Times’ Kenneth Turan found her portrayal over the top.
And yet … Susan Sarandon (born Susan Abigail Tomaling; from 1967–1979 she was the wife of Chris Sarandon) could theoretically get a number of sympathy Oscar votes following her split from longtime companion, Bull Durham costar, and Dead Man Walking director Tim Robbins, which has, inevitably, led to an outpouring of messages of sympathy and condolences.
Sympathy Oscars
True, the end of a relationship – even one that lasted 23 years – isn’t quite the same thing as the tracheotomy that earned Elizabeth Taylor a Best Actress Oscar for BUtterfield 8 back in early 1961, or the recovery from a debilitating stroke that may well have helped Patricia Neal land a nomination for the 1968 family drama The Subject Was Roses.
Susan Sarandon’s personal circumstances are hardly that dire. Even so, enough Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members admired the Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client, and Dead Man Walking actress so much that she received a total of five Academy Award nods – including one win – over the course of 15 years.
Not exactly likely, but…
Now, having said all that … First, let’s remember that Sarandon’s last Oscar nomination (and eventual win) took place nearly 15 years ago.
Besides, working against her is the fact that the Best Supporting Actress competition is unusually strong this year – e.g., SAG Award and Golden Globe nominees Mo’Nique for Precious, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air, Penélope Cruz for Nine, to name four major contenders.
And yet again … once one takes into account the way Oscar votes are tallied, nobody should be too surprised if Susan Sarandon’s name is included among the five Best Supporting Actress finalists come next February. All she needs is a relatively small segment (16 percent) of ardent Actors Branch supporters to place her at no. 1 or no. 2 on their ballots.
That’s not an impossibility.
Speculative question factually answered
Update: As it turned out, no matter how many sympathy votes Susan Sarandon may have received from the Academy’s Actors Branch members, she failed to be shortlisted in the 2010 Oscars’ Best Supporting Actress category.
The five nominees were Mo’Nique, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Penélope Cruz, and, surprisingly, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart.
“Susan Sarandon Sympathy Oscar Nod?” (No) notes
Susan Sarandon The Lovely Bones image: DreamWorks | Paramount Pictures.
“Susan Sarandon Sympathy Oscar Nod?” last modified in November 2025.