On many lists they concentrate on only the winners. Here, attention is drawn to the performances that helped escalate a film, but simply fell short with Oscar voters. The performances are as brilliant as Oscar winners, adding depth to both the film and our experience as the audience.
by Paul Booth
Top Ten Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominees
1) The Godfather II (1974)
Lee Strasberg played Hyman Roth, the so-called friend, but enemy to Don “Michael” Corleone in The Godfather part II. That year the Oscar went to a young unknown actor named Robert De Niro (for The Godfather II). However, few know that Strasberg was the man behind the actor’s studio and not only taught Al Pacino in his acting class, but was Pacino’s life-long mentor. In this case, art did not imitate life. Pacino is quoted as saying “My career highlight was playing scenes with him (Strasberg), then seeing him nominated for an Oscar. It was better than my own nomination.”
2) The Wolf of Wall St. (2014)
Jonah Hill is one of the great actors in cinema, having gained his second Oscar nomination with Wolf. If you like this film, it is hard, literally impossible to see anyone else in his role. The film has many superb qualities and garnered seven Oscar nominations. However, if you closely examine the quality of DiCaprio’s performance, well his home runs are set up perfectly by Jonah Hill as “Diamond” Donnie Azoff.
3) Milk (2009)
Josh Brolin’s portrayal of the despicable Dan White who shot Human Rights activist Harvey Milk and was later acquitted for the infamous “Twinkie Defense” claiming sugar made him shoot Harvey Milk. White managed to leave his stamp on American History before killing himself. Luckily for us, Brolin only carried out the first part, leaving his signature on bringing Dan White to life and creating an eery performance that will carry on through Film History forever. Unfortunately Brolin was up against the incendiary performance by Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight. No performance stood a chance (rightfully so) nominated against Ledger.
4) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
DiCaprio garnered his first of five Oscar nominations (one is for Producing) with his portrayal of Arnie Grape. He teamed up with Johnny Depp as his on-screen brother in this touching portrayal of brothers. Arnie has mental issues and is considered retarded, DiCaprio flushed out Arnie with so much humanity, we rooted for him.
*****
5) GlenGarry Glen Ross (1993)
In a star-studded cast loaded with (past and future) Oscar winners (and nominees) Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris and Al Pacino. This shows the world of a real estate office and the high stakes and sometimes crooked nature of the biz. Al Pacino was nominated in 1993 for this film and as Best Actor for Scent of a Woman for which he won his first and only Oscar. The script is brilliant and the actors really make this movie a time-less gem.
6) The Godfather (1972)
This film would grab three of the five nominees for the category. In a film, sometimes called the “greatest film ever made”, one key component was Robert Duvall as the advisor to Don Corleone played by Marlon Brando. At the end of the day, enough has been said about this film, but seldom do people examine how great Robert Duval was. It is worth taking another look to appreciate Duvall.
7) Pulp Fiction (1994)
Samuel L. Jackson who rose to fame through Spike Lee’s films and overcame drug addiction to be everyone’s favorite, it all started here. He is on fire and this movie set the bar for what we all expect from Samuel L. Jackson. The over-hype of how good Pulp Fiction was or is, could have killed its chance at any Oscars outside the writing category. In 1994, it was Pulp over-kill. Samuel L. Jackson does live up to the ridiculous world wide hype for a movie that stole the idea of “putting the end at the beginning” from a much better film titled Serpico with Al Pacino (1974).
8) Moneyball (2012)
In one of Brad Pitt’s signature roles and a film that brilliantly managed to be perceived as a Baseball film, but is not about Baseball, owes a lot to Jonah Hill. His improv skills and ability to hang in with Brad Pitt as Billy Beane made for a poignant performance and moved Jonah Hill from “sidekick fool” in raunchy comedies to respected Actor.
9) Running on Empty (1988)
River Phoenix’s only Oscar nomination. He was 18. The young star would die at age 23, but leave a body of work that included this superb film about a family on the run from the FBI. He plays scenes with Judd Hirsch (Oscar nominee, Ordinary People) and manages to nail every nuance of a lost teenage boy. Yes, Phoenix had the help of master filmmaker Sidney Lumet, but Phoenix still showed us what a force of nature his acting was.
10) Gladiator (2001)
This was the 2001 Best Picture and also won Russell Crowe an Oscar. Like all great actors, they need someone to play off. Here, Phoenix helped Crowe shine. River and Joaquin are the only brothers to be nominated for Oscars. River is the quiet one and Joaquin plays volatile characters, they are both geniunes, it is sad the film world never got a movie with them co-starring.
