Best Actress of the Decade Tournament

Top 32 - Round 1

Helen Mirren vs. Maggie Gyllenhaal
Quantity: Gyllenhaal beats out Mirren, 22 to 17. Round - Gyllenhaal.
Quality: Gyllenhaal has been great in Secretary and Sherrybaby. Meanwhile, Mirren's best work has been in The Pledge, Gosford Park, Calendar Girls, State of Play and, especially, The Queen. Round - Mirren.
Oscar Nominations: Gyllenhaal has never been nominated. Mirren was nominated for Gosford Park and won for The Queen. Round - Mirren.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Mirren is a Dame! Round - Mirren.
Winner = Mirren.

Patricia Clarkson vs. Judi Dench
Quantity: Clarkson's 26 films destroys Dench's 13. Round - Clarkson.
Quality: Dench was great in Chocolat, Iris and Notes on a Scandal. However, I love Clarkson and just about everything she's done especially in the films The Pledge, All the Real Girls, Pieces of April, The Station Agent, Lars and the Real Girl, Elegy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Whatever Works. Round - Clarkson.
Oscar Nominations: Clarkson was nominated for Pieces of April. Dench was nominated four times for Chocolat, Iris, Mrs. Henderson Presents and Notes on a Scandal. Round - Dench.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Dench is a Dame! Round - Dench.
Tie Breaker: Dench may be a dame, but I've been on a huge Patricia Clarkson kick lately so... Round - Clarkson.
Winner = Clarkson.

Amanda Peet vs. Julia Roberts
Quantity: Peet's done 10 more films than Roberts so her 23 films beats out Roberts' 13. Round - Peet.
Quality: Peet was solid in Igby Goes Down and Identity but she really can't compare to Roberts' work in Erin Brokovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Closer and Duplicity. Round - Roberts.
Oscar Nominations: Peet has never been nominated. Roberts won for Erin Brokovich. Round - Roberts.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Roberts did the voice of Charlotte in Charlotte's Web. Round - Roberts.
Winner = Roberts.

Emma Thompson vs. Meryl Streep
Quantity: Thompson can't even beat Streep here. Her 10 films loses out to Streep's 16. Round - Streep.
Quality: Thompson was great in Stranger Than Fiction, Love Actually and Last Chance Harvey. Meanwhile, Meryl is Meryl and was amazing in Adaptation, The Hours, A Prarie Home Companion, The Devil Wears Prada, Evening, Mamma Mia and Doubt. Round - Streep.
Oscar Nominations: Thompson hasn't been nominated this decade. Meanwhile, Streep was nominated for Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada and Doubt. Round - Streep.
Shared Screen: They both appeared together in the TV movie Angels in America. Both were great but Meryl is Meryl. Round - Streep.
Extra Curriculars: Both appeared in the TV movie Angels in America. Round - TIE.
Winner = Streep.

Halle Berry vs. Joan Allen
Quantity: Allen's 11 films just barely beats out Berry's 10. Round - Allen.
Quality: Berry was best in Monster's Ball. Allen was great in The Contender and solid in The Notebook and The Upside of Anger. Round - Allen.
Oscar Nominations: Allen was nominated for The Contender but Berry won for Monster's Ball. Round - Berry.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Berry was great in the TV movie Their Eyes Were Watching God. Round - Berry.
Tie Breaker: Berry's acting just doesn't do it for me. Round - Allen.
Winner = Allen.

Jennifer Garner vs. Hilary Swank
Quantity: Swank's 24 films just barely beats out Garner's 11. Round - Swank.
Quality: Garner was adorable and fantastic in Juno, but Swank was amazing in Million Dollar Baby. Round - Swank.
Oscar Nominations: Garner was never nominated. Swank won for Million Dollar Baby. Round - Swank.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: I really want Garner to win. =( Round - Garner.
Winner = Swank.

Rosario Dawson vs. Susan Sarandon
Quantity: Dawson's 28 films beats out Sarandon's 20. Round - Dawson.
Quality: Dawson was kind of a bad ass in Sin City and great in Rent but Sarandon was amazing in Igby Goes Down, In the Valley of Elah and Enchanted. Round - Sarandon.
Oscar Nominations: Neither have been nominated this decade.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Sarandon did a hilarious guest spot on Friend a few years back. Round - Sarandon.
Winner = Sarandon.

Gwyneth Paltrow vs. Renee Zellweger
Quantity: Paltrow's 17 films beats out Zellweger's 14. Round - Paltrow.
Quality: Paltrow was great in The Royal Tenenbaums, Sylvia and Two Lovers. Zellweger USED TO BE AWESOME as evidenced in Bridget Jones' Diary, White Oleander, Chicago, Cold Mountain and Bridget Jones 2. Round - Zellweger.
Oscar Nominations: Paltrow hasn't been nominated this decade. Zellweger was nominated for Bridget Jones' Diary and Chicago before winning for Cold Mountain. Round - Zellweger.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Zellweger does a lot of voice work in movies like Monsters vs. Aliens, Bee Movie and Shark Tale. Round - Zellweger.
Winner = Zellweger.

On Sunday, heavyweights like Cate Blanchett, Marcia Gay Harden, Frances McDormand and Kate Winslet go head to head.