Jennifer Hudson

Hudson's Effie in Dreamgirls is memorable for more than the scale of the singing. The performance makes pride, hurt and the fear of being displaced part of the character's musical force. Her show-stopping number lands because it is also an argument by someone who cannot accept what is happening to her. Start with the whole film rather than the isolated song, and watch the movement between confrontation and recovery. Her earlier American Idol visibility makes this an especially striking transition from singing competition to sustained screen character.