Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1942: Teresa Wright in Mrs. Miniver

Teresa Wright won her only Oscar from her second/third nomination for her performance as Carol Beldon in Mrs. Miniver.

Mrs. Miniver is a flawed but solid movie about the life of a middle-class family in England is turned upside down by World War II. It's a movie that features some memorable scenes in terms of direction (the shelter scene, the scenes towards the end with Greer Garson and Teresa Wright) and also a few strong performances but it didn't really age very well: the script feels extremely heavy-handed today (the scene with the German is in particular cringe-worthy) and most of the characters are written as one-dimensional and they often feel more of a symbol rather than true people.

Teresa Wright plays Carol, the granddaughter of a rich and respected lady. In her first scene, Carol visits the Minivers and ask them to make a friend of theirs withdraw his rose (named after Mrs. Miniver) from a flower contest, because Carol's grandmother also takes part at the contest and doesn't really like competition. Her request is actually less than honorable and you could make a point that Carol has no rights to ask that to the Minivers but Teresa Wright establishes Carol as such a kind and good-hearted girl that she makes her request seem almost noble: she knows she shouldn't be asking it but she is doing it nonetheless because she deeply cares for her grandmother. Wright is one of the most charming actresses ever and indeed she's extremely luminous and endearing as Carol, and she wins over the audience just as easily as she wins over the Minivers. She also portrays a bright intelligence in Carol and this is particularly clear when, after Vin (Mrs. Miniver's son) accuses her of taking advantage of her social position, she puts him back at his place cleverly but subtly pointing out Vin's immaturity - without ever losing her charm and her grace. 

After the scene, Carol and Vin slowly fall in love but sadly I don't think that Teresa Wright and Richard Ney share a very good chemistry, mostly because Ney delivers an extremely annoying and one-note performance that makes his character almost unbearable. But Wright is always top-notch - she is exceptionally sweet in every scene and her playful flirting with Vin is charmingly performed by her. She is also is very good in the scene in which there is a German attack and Vin takes charge of the situation - she perfectly shows how Carol is starting to see Vin under a different light and she conveys it all through her facial expressions. Unfortunately, the role of Carol is just incredibly limited: it seldom gives Wright anything to do past smiling brightly or quietly worrying about Vin who is at war, and while she does both impeccably well she can't quite escape the limited nature of the script. Carol is a simple and straightforward character and she seems to represent all of the young brides waiting at home worrying for their husbands' lives, instead of being an unique and full-fleshed human being. She still delivers in the role as she wonderfully portrays every emotion of the character and her lovely screen-presence makes her always stand out, but it's still quite disappointing to watch a brilliant actress trapped in a role that often feels thankless.

Her best scene in the movie is easily her speech to Greer Garson, in which Carol tells Kay that she is aware Vin might die at any minute but that she still wants to be happy and enjoy every moment they can spend together because, if he dies, then she'll have a lifetime for tears and grief. It's a heartbreaking moment that Wright portrays amazingly, and she perfectly shows the passionate soul that lie under her gentle appearence - she might not be fighting at war, but in a way Carol is actually the most heroic character in the movie, a woman who carries on with quiet determination and strength and anchors the whole family thanks to this quality of hers. And her final scenes are simply devastating - a lesser actress could have made them over-the-top and tearjerking but Wright handles them with subtlety and quietness which makes them even more powerful and moving. 

Teresa Wright doesn't have an amazing script to work with but she nonetheless delivers a compelling portrayal of her tragic character, showing off her luminous charm and her strong dramatic chops. She delivers a natural and quiet performance that both anchors and supports the movie, and one that starts off winning you over and ends up breaking your heart.

4/5