As Keanu Reeves might say: “Whoa.”
Sandra Bullock, best known for popcorn films like “Speed” and “Miss Congeniality” — as well as her marriage to a guy who has more tattoos than socket wrenches — is suddenly the front-runner to win Best Actress.
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And what makes Bullock’s presumed favorite status so especially improbable is that she’s beating out Meryl Streep, an artist who has turned in so many impressive performances in her career, there’s almost nothing left to talk about at this point.
How’d Bullock do it? First, her little football movie, “The Blind Side,” wasn’t expected to do much business and it turned into a massive $249 million smash. Second, Academy voters seem to love it when perceived acting lightweights handle weightier material. Think Charlize Theron in “Monster,” Jamie Foxx in “Ray” or Julia Roberts in “Erin Brockovich.”
Whatever the reasons, Bullock is likely going home with a statue.