Best Actress of the Decade Tournament

Top 16

Helen Mirren vs. Patricia Clarkson
Quantity: Clarkson's 26 films crushes Mirren's 17. Round - Clarkson.
Quality: Clarkson has been good in so many movies including The Pledge, The Station Agent, Pieces of April, Elegy and more. However, none of her performances compare to Mirren in The Queen. Round - Mirren.
Oscar Nominations: Clarkson was nominated once for Pieces of April. Mirren was nominated for Gosford Park and won for The Queen. Round - Mirren.
Shared Screen: Both women were in The Pledge. Both women were phenomenal in The Pledge. But it's Clarkson's performance that sticks out a little more for me. Round - Clarkson.
Extra Curriculars: Mirren is a Dame!! Round - Mirren.
Winner = Mirren.

Julia Roberts vs. Meryl Streep
Quantity: Streep's 16 films beats out Roberts 13. Round - Streep.
Quality: Roberts was great in a few movies like Erin Brokovich and Closer. But Streep is great all the time and proves it in movies like The Hours, The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt and more. Round - Streep.
Oscar Nominations: Well, Roberts won for Erin Brokovich. However, Streep has been nominated three times (Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt). I guess three nominations wins out over one nomination, even if it's a win? Round - Streep.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Streep was in Angels in America. Round - Streep.
Winner = Streep.

Joan Allen vs. Hilary Swank
Quantity: Allen's 11 films falls short of Swank's 14. Round - Swank.
Quality: Allen has been great in The Contender, The Notebook and The Upside of Anger. However, and it's unfortunate, none of those performances were as powerful as Swank in Million Dollar Baby. Round - Swank.
Oscar Nominations: Allen was nominated for The Contender. Swank won for Million Dollar Baby. Round - Swank.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: It really pains me to say that Swank was great in Iron Jawed Angels. But Allen is far more awesome! Round - Swank.
Winner = Swank.

Susan Sarandon vs. Renee Zellweger
Quantity: Sarandon's 20 films easily beats out Zellweger's 14. Round - Sarandon.
Quality: Sarandon was great in Igby Goes Down and In the Valley of Elah. Also, I say it every time but remember when Zellweger used to be awesome? Bridget Jones' Diary. Chicago. White Oleander. Cold Mountain. Yeah, me too. Round - Zellweger.
Oscar Nominations: Sarandon hasn't been nominated this decade. Zellweger was nominated for Bridget Jones and Chicago before winning for Cold Mountain. Round - Zellweger.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Sarandon was hysterical on Friends. Round - Sarandon.
Tie Breaker: I'd like to say Sarandon should move on soley because Zellweger has been making some pretty crappy career decisions in the latter part of this decade. However, when she was good back in the first half, she was really, really good. Round - Zellweger.
Winner = Zellweger.

Cate Blanchett vs. Penelope Cruz
Quantity: Blanchett's 24 films just barely beats out Cruz's 23. Round - Blanchett.
Quality: Cruz's best performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona vs. Blanchett's best performance in I'm Not There? Blanchett wins every time. Round - Blanchett.
Oscar Nominations: Cruz was nominated for Volver and won for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Blanchett won for The Aviator and recieved nominations for Notes on a Scandal, I'm Not There and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Round - Blanchett.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Blanchett's I'm Not There performance always counts for extra. Round - Blanchett.
Winner = Blanchett.

Marcia Gay Harden vs. Zooey Deschanel
Quantity: Deschanel's 27 films beats out Harden's 22. Round - Deschanel.
Quality: Deschanel is good and adorable in a lot of movies (Almost Famous, Manic, All the Real Girls, etc.) but none of her performances even compare to Marcia in Mystic River, American Gun, The Dead Girl, The Mist, etc. Round - Harden.
Oscar Nominations: Deschanel has never been nominated. Harden won for Pollack and recieved a second nomination for Mystic River. Round - Harden.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Deschanel may front She + Him but Marcia is my very favorite actress ever. Round - Harden.
Winner = Harden.

Natalie Portman vs. Catherine Keener
Quantity: Portman just edges out Keener - 19 to 18. Round - Portman.
Quality: Portman was great in Cold Mountain, Closer and the Other Boleyn Girl. But Keener is fantastic in just about everything. To name a few: Lovely and Amazing, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, Capote, Into the Wild, etc. Round - Keener.
Oscar Nominations: Both ladies have been nominated once. Portman for Closer. Keener for Capote. Round - TIE.
Shared Screen: They have not shared the screen.
Extra Curriculars: Portman's hilarious SNL rap is so memorable, I've got to go with her. Round - Portman.
Winner = Portman.

Laura Linney vs. Kate Winslet
Quantity: Linney's 21 films easily beats out Winslet's 13. Round - Linney.
Quality: Linney is amazing. Her work in Mystic River, Kinsey, and The Savages, to name a few, proves it. But very little compares to Winslet in Eternal Sunshine, The Reader and Revolutionary Road. Round - Winslet.
Oscar Nominations: Linney was nominated for You Can Count on Me, Kinsey and The Savages. Winslet was nominated for Iris, Eternal Sunshine and Little Children before winning for The Reader. Round - Winslet.
Shared Screen: Both women appeared in The Life of David Gale. They were both amazing but it's Winslet I remember more. Round - Winslet.
Extra Curriculars: Linney was amazing in John Adams. Round - Linney.
Winner = Winslet

Next time there will be showdowns between my personal favorite (Cate Blanchett vs. Marcia Gay Harden) and least favorite (Renee Zellweger vs. Hilary Swank) remaining actresses!