Photo: The Weinstein Company
Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook") -- Lawrence
plays a manic widow on the verge of a nervous breakdown who exorcises
her demons ballroom dancing. Not only does she look great in leotards,
but also she's funny and fierce and has mad chemistry with Bradley
Cooper's bipolar, brokenhearted cutie in David O. Russell's Oscar-bound
dramedy. Add in her monster hit "The Hunger Games" (OK, I wish she'd get
nominated for that!) and her previous Oscar nom for "Winter's Bone,"
and you get frontrunner.