Female Actor In a Leading Role

7. Melanie Lynskey, “Hello I Must Be Going”

Lynskey burst onto the scene as a teenager opposite Kate Winslet in “Heavenly Creatures,” and while Winslet has gone on to Oscar glory, Lynskey has been quietly doing excellent work for years. As Amy, who suddenly finds her life uprooted when her husband leaves her, Lynskey steps into the lead and delivers one of the best performances of a career full of them.