Halle Berry deserved the Best Actress Oscar

As most of middle America assumed Berry won because she was black and had a sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton, let me set the record straight. Berry won on merit and surge- and here's some factors:

BEST ACTRESS 2001
Halle Berry in Monster's Ball
Judi Dench in Iris
Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge!
Sissy Spacek in In the Bedroom
Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones Diary

This was fierce competition and all five ladies had strong cases going for them.

Zellweger was obviously the weakest link, but a deserving candidate. She most likely replaced Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. since that film was a masterpiece to enthusiasts and academics but not to the common folk. The comedic timing of Zellweger and her over-all charm make this arguably her most natural performance to date, and it was nice to see this make the cut in a whirlwind of dramatic roles.

Dench, a true pioneer in the game, also could be seen as a filler-nominee, but her performance as Iris Murdoch should still be noted as a genius in articulation- no small feat even for a genius like Judi Dench, who had won an Oscar in 1998 for Shakespeare in Love. Albeit a brief performance as the Queen of England, she none the less was seen as a winner already and therefore not eligible for a second win in the eyes of the academy unless truly a unique case (eg the film was a box-office hit, the performance outshined all on screen. In this case it didn't- Kate Winslet was nominated for supporting actress as a younger version of the title character).

Now its time for the 3 main players in the 2001 Best Actress race.

Sissy Spacek had won the New York Film Critics and Golden Globe (Drama) awards for Best Actress for her subtlety sad work in Todd Field's In the Bedroom, a Best Picture nominee that still rendered too talky for modern audiences, almost like taking osteopathic medicine and then dozing off. Still, she was considered the early frontrunner. And since she hadn't won since 1980 for Coal Miner's Daughter, it seemed fit she could win number two 21 years later. However, the performance is widely considered supporting, as Tom Wilkinson is the driving force to the movie's heart and also stirring grand finale.

Nicole Kidman was the "It" girl of 2001. Freshly divorced from the then hottest actor in Hollywood- Tom Cruise-, Kidman could relish in the fact that not only did she sing and die in Moulin Rouge! and win a Golden Globe for it, she also received even more critical praise for her dramatic work in The Others, a summer horror flick that had grossed $96 million domestically despite being a sleeper sensation. Since Moulin Rouge! was also a Best Picture nominee, it seemed Kidman was in the perfect position to win an Oscar for being the "poor little divorcee" who came back on top.

Halle Berry finally had three things going for her. Monster's Ball first off showcased her finest performance to date. Filled with rich undertones of brutality and hostility, Berry was able to demonstrate full range in the hospital, restaurant scenes and her undoing with Thornton. Secondly, September 11th had happened. So politically voters felt inclined to anoint her and Denzel Washington as 2 Lead African-American Actors finally taking home Oscars in the same year. Yes, race did have a say so in 2001 and for plenty of reasons. Thirdly, Berry had the National Board of Review award, Venice Film Festival honor and the Screen Actors Guild award (voted for by actors). So she was largely appreciated across the board.

It most likely came down to Kidman vs. Berry, with Berry winning and deserving so.