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Look no further than the biggest blockbuster of 1999 for an example of how MOST child actors act -- badly. Childishly. Without an ounce of passion or credibility. (Of course, I can say that about a bunch of adult actors, too.) Dakota Fanning, Alakinna Mann and James Bentley were convincing in roles that weren't even necessarily believable -- they sent the Jake Lloyds and the MacCauly Culkins of the world back to the toy bins where they belong. They gave better performances than some of their adult co-stars without any of that bland goofiness you get with most child actors.
That said, I'm not so sure Dakota should be getting a nomination (particularly over Alakinna), and none of them are evenly remotely as impressive as Tatum O'Neal ("Paper Moon"), Jodie Foster ("Taxi Driver"), Kirsten Dunst ("Interview with a Vampire"), Eamon Owens ("Butcher Boy") or my favorite Anna Paquin ("The Piano") were, but then again all of those roles were much more difficult and mature than what Dakota and Alakinna had to deal with. They truly were playing kids tossed into a horrific, destructive adult worlds -- and they performed absolutely admirably.
Basically my rule of thumb with child actors is anytime I watch them and don't want to wring their necks, they've done a good job, because other than the above exceptions (plus maybe Haley Joel Osment in "Sixth Sense"), that's almost always what I want to do when I watch one perform.
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