Nominated lead: Peter Sellers (lost to Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady)
Famously, Stanley Kubrick convinced George C. Scott to do
outlandish and over the top takes for all of his scenes in Dr. Strangelove, as a way to warm up to
his “real” takes. Kubrick promised Scott that his crazy takes wouldn’t end up
in the final movie, and, obviously, that was not the case. Scott was furious
and promised to never work with Kubrick again. Manipulated or not, Scott’s zany
performance is sheer brilliance.
John Cazale – The
Godfather Part II (1974)
Nominated lead: Al Pacino (lost to Art Carney, Harry and Tonto)
Although The Godfather
Part II dominated the Supporting Actor category (with nominations to Robert
De Niro, Michael V. Gazzo, and Lee Strasberg), Cazale deserved to occupy a
fourth spot. And hell, dare I say, he deserved to win.
John Cazale – Dog Day
Afternoon (1975)
Nominated lead: Al Pacino (lost to Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)
Pacino’s performance in Dog
Day Afternoon works so damn well for many reasons, the main one being
because it was Al Pacino in his prime. But supporting turns from Chris Sarandon
(who was justly nominated) and Cazale certainly deserve equal credit. The
desperation of Cazale’s Sal is utterly mortifying.
Robert Duvall –
Network (1976)
Nominated leads: Peter Finch and William Holden
(Finch won)
While Ned Beatty’s nominated performance may be the flashier
of the supporting roles in Network, I
just love the hell out of Duvall’s spitefulness. He slings Paddy
Chayefsky’s words like the best of ‘em.
Denzel Washington –
Philadelphia (1993)
Nominated lead: Tom Hanks (won)
Washington’s exclusion from the supporting actor category in
1993 remains one of the Academy’s biggest oversights. To this day, Tom Hanks is
adamant in his praise for Washington’s work in this film. The strength of
Hanks’ work in Philadelphia relies
much in part to Washington’s command. Period.
Dwight Yoakam – Sling
Blade (1996)
Nominated lead: Billy Bob Thornton (lost to Geoffrey
Rush, Shine)
Yoakam’s Sling Blade
character, Doyle, is one of the nastiest sons of bitches I’ve ever seen on
screen. A redneck loser made of pure vile. A horrifying character, a fantastic
performance.
Chris Cooper –
American Beauty (1999)
Nominated lead: Kevin Spacey (won)
Many thought Cooper was a shoo-in for a Supporting Actor nod
for American Beauty. But given his
very strong competition, he was ultimately left out. A shame, indeed, as his
Col. Frank Fitts is a perfect incarnation of a confused man-child. But at least
the Academy saved face three years later.
Christopher Plummer –
The Insider (1999)
Nominated lead: Russell Crowe (lost to Kevin Spacey, American Beauty)
Again, the Supporting Actor category is rarely as strong as
it was in 1999, but I am still baffled that Plummer didn’t get a nomination
here. A veteran actor playing a real life character, and playing it with such
vigor… should’ve been Plummer’s to lose.
Paul Dano – There
Will Be Blood (2007)
Nominated lead: Daniel Day-Lewis (won)
Because, well...
Andrew Garfield – The
Social Network (2010)
Nominated lead: Jesse Eisenberg (lost to Colin Firth,
The King’s Speech)
I could not agree more with this list. I thought that Paul Dano, George C. Scott and John Cazale gave Oscar worthy performances. I loved Robert Duvall in Network, but to me, William Holden should have been nominated in supporting (rather than lead). Had he been nominated in that category, he surely would have won the Oscar.
ReplyDeleteThanks man, glad you dig it!
DeleteSeems like we agree a lot. I've always felt Holden's performance was a supporting one, and if he landed that nomination, Network would be the only film to have ever won the four acting categories. That would've been something.
Woah. I didn't even realise that! It would be worthy of all the accolades too! I know that Taxi Driver is pretty much your favourite film (and I think it's amazing). I'm curious, who would you pick for Best Actor 1976. DeNiro or Finch? To me, Finch gets it hands down. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take this anymore!" That line always gives me chills.
DeleteAhh, I have to go with Travis Bickle, my favorite film character of all time. Tough though, because Finch is certainly perfect. They just don't make 'em like they used to.
DeleteI agree with a lot of these, particularly John Cazale and Denzel. Given how brightly his star burned for those few years, you have to wonder what Cazale could've done with more time.
ReplyDeletePaul Dano, however, I thought was too *loud* a performance and also too familiar. Many of the ticks Dano exhibits in that film are amplified versions of similar traits he's brought to other characters. Call me greedy, but I need something more, something novel to consider a performance truly great.
I enjoyed a lot about Garfield's Saverin (in my favorite film of '10), but there were many other great, unheralded supporting performances that year that weren't nominated: Neils Arestrup in A Prophet, Fassbender in Fish Tank and Ray McKinnon in That Evening Sun. Granted, none of the leads in those films were nominated, either.
Man, could you imagine if Cazale would have lived to endure a full career? He would've been one of the all time, uncontested greats.
DeleteI hear what you're saying about Dano, but for me, that's honestly the only worthy performance he's given. I haven't really enjoyed him in anything else. At all. But Paul/Eli Sunday floored me.
2010 was by far the worst Oscar showing in the past several years. There were a number of truly great films \ that year (a few of which you mentioned) that got no love from the Academy. Stupid.
It's a damn shame Tahar Rahim and Hal Holbrook (of A Prophet and That Evening Sun, respectively), didn't have a snowball's chance in hell with Oscar. A Prophet doesn't need much championing--it did end up in the Foreign Film category/ghetto, after all--but That Evening Sun is one of the great overlooked films of the last decade.
DeleteAny year that Oscar goes gaga for "prestige" ('96, '98, '01, '10, '11) is a bit of a snooze for me. Sure, there may be a few laudable elements in those films, but Oscar often decides to award *everything* about these middle-of-the-road productions.
I agree 100% with everything you said here. All the way. Your "Foreign Film category/ghetto" line made me laugh out loud. So true.
DeleteThe Cazale performances deserve more recognition, so it's a surprise that he wasn't nominated. The one that stands out to me from the others is the fine work of Denzel Washington in Philadelphia. He gets a lot of screen time and is a fully fledged character. His development is really important to the story, and Washington does amazing work. Cool list!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan! I'm still shocked Washington didn't get a nomination, especially considering that, the year before, many people felt he got robbed for Lead Actor. But oh well.
DeleteCazale deserves endless praise. Then and now.
Great list as always. John Cazale, while brilliant, was surrounded by so much talent in both those movies it's easy to see why he was passed up. One that immediately came to mind for this list was Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption even though I see the two of them as leads just like I do Hanks/Washington in Philadelphia. Also I still haven't seen Schindler's List but I'm surprised you didn't bring up Ben Kingsley.
ReplyDelete-Dan
Thanks man. I can understand how Cazale was overshadowed, but man... he deserved at least one nomination.
DeleteRobbins is more of a lead in Shawshank than Freeman, in my opinion.
Never seen Schindler's List? That's a classic. Kingsley is good in it, but 1993 was a damn strong year for Supporting Actor, and I don't think he deserved a spot over the five nominated men.
We should've called this list the John Cazale list of Top 10 Supporting Actors Who Didn't Get Nominated Alongside Their Leads....
ReplyDeleteHe was in five great films that are still classics yet never got any recognition.
Shit... I've got nothing to add to this list. You pretty much nailed it.
Seriously, Cazale deserved at least four supporting nominations for his work. I bet the thinking back then was "Oh, we won't nominate him now, but we'll make up for it later." Seems as though they waited too long.
DeleteOh great list. I remember being outraged when Garfield didn't get nominated. Heart and soul of that movie. Totes agree on both the Cazales, Duvall, Scott, Cooper and goddamn Dano. I remember watching There Will Be Blood and being totally awestruck by what he did. I mean yes, DDL is all amazing and stuff, but I was not expecting *this* from Dano.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I thought you'd be a fan of my inclusion of Garfield. Damn shame he didn't make the cut.
DeleteDano wowed the hell out of me in TWBB. Dude was nuts.
in the insider there is a perfect al pacino, more than plummer, IHMO
ReplyDeleteA perfect Al Pacino, indeed. A perfect lead Al Pacino.
DeleteAlso a perfect Crowe (but he was nominated so that really doesn't apply to this post).
DeleteHa. True and true.
DeleteExcellent list. Nothing really to add.
ReplyDeleteThanks man! Glad you like it.
DeleteAn amazing list. I cannot believe Cooper was left out - his performance is actually my favorite from American Beauty and the most memorable one too.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You know, watching the film now, Cooper delivers my favorite performance in the film as well. He and Janney. "Wear a raincoat."
DeleteCruise in Rain Man, Bettany in Beautiful Mind, Highmore in Finding Neverland,Willis in Pulp Fiction, Taylor in Shine,Cruise in The Color of Money, Levine in Silence of the Lambs.
ReplyDeleteThis was easier to think of examples for than the supporting actress post. There are certainly more this was just quick brainstorming.
Big Cruise fan, huh? I dig most of your picks, but prefer my 10 above them.
DeleteCazale x 2. 'Nuff said. And Duvall really deserved to get in instead of Beatty.
ReplyDeleteI forgot Scott wasn't nominated. That's really odd, given his recent nods for Anatomy of a Murder and The Hustler.
'Nuff said indeed.
DeleteHad Scott been nominated, man, I can't imagine how much he would've publicly lambasted that.
Good list: I agree with almost all of these (especially Garfield and Cazale), but I have to disagree on Scott. His performance is hilarious, but while his broad hamminess suits the tone of the film I feel like it's just another scenery-chewing performance. Entertaining, but not Oscar worthy. I'm also not convinced on Cooper; I do think he does a good job with the role, but the writing of his character feels too obvious for the film - a closeted, tightly-wound military man with dark violence brewing underneath. Cooper does his best, but it still reads as a character in a film rather than a real person to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will be forever stunned that Cazale never received any major awards attention, save one Golden Globe nom.
DeleteGuess we have to politely disagree about Scott and Cooper.
Great list, man. Dog Day Afternoon was another movie that changed everything for me. What a performance by Cazale.
ReplyDeleteI'm in full agreement with Dano. How improbable it was to not get entirely swallowed by DDL, only reinforces what a remarkable job he managed.
And let me just get this off my chest. I've never seen Philadelphia. Criminal.
Thanks buddy! Dog Day Afternoon was one of those turning point films for me too. That's when I knew how good movies could be.
DeleteLove hearing further Dano praise. I loved him in that film.
Philadelphia, man. It's a damn fine film. Damn fine. Hanks' best performance.
Really cool list, man. Had no idea about the multiple takes with Scott -- now I feel I need to rewatch Dr. Strangelove. Any excuses to watch that again is a good one to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks man. Writing this post was a great excuse to check out Dr. Strangelove again. It had been far too long.
DeleteI agree 100% with Christopher Plummer being on this list. Whenever I watch The Insider I'm always amazed that he wasn't nominated. Such a great role for him and one that I believe is terribly underrated.
ReplyDeleteOther pics I might raise would be Anthony Hopkins in The Elephant Man, James Woods in Nixon, and Delroy Lindo for Malcolm X. But really, there are many great performances that are never even recognized (for any category), sometimes I'm more baffled at who isn't nominated than who is.
Your last sentence has been my precise way of thinking for the past few years. I'm often more stunned by the exclusions than the inclusions.
DeleteI love Plummer's work in The Insider. So fucking good. "Mike?.... Mike?.... Try Mr. Wallace."
Nice picks. Lindo is phenomenal in Malcolm X.
Yes x 1000 for Paul Dano not being nominated along side Daniel Day-Lewis. That drove me nuts. Another one that I thought was snubbed was James McAvoy for The Last King of Scotland, even though he felt more like a lead, they could've marked him as supporting.
ReplyDeleteLove the Dano love.
DeleteI did consider McAvoy here, even though yeah, he's definitely the lead of that movie. Either way, very solid performance.
James Franco for Best Supporting Actor in Spring Breakers!
ReplyDeleteOne can hope!
DeleteGreat list here man, I love the double dose of Cazale. His Fredo Corleone is haunting, his lazy body language, sunken eyes and his plea ringing out. You can't think of that performance without thinking of him yelping out "I'm Smart" in his browbeaten almost dog like intonation. Duvall is a beast and his performance in Network is on of the many reasons it occupies my list of favorite films. It's been too long since I've watched American Beauty and that's a real crime, it's high time I bust out the old VHS and get watching.
ReplyDeleteAlso I admire the inclusion of Andrew Garfield's Eduardo, his control of the screen was masterful, a great emotional contrast to Eisenberg's stoic and disconnected Zuckerberg. I remember reading a article likening Eduardo and Mark's relationship to Jed and Charlie Kane's in Citizen Kane, one bred on ideal slowly dissolved on those same principles. What a great movie and I hope Garfield moves past tawdry comic book adaptations to capitalize on his staggering talent.
Thanks man, and great comment here. That article sounds like a great read, I love that comparison. Also love what you said about Cazale in Godfather II. That scene absolutely crushes me. And Duvall in Network... such a beast.
DeleteGreat post, totally agree with what you say about John Cazale.
ReplyDeleteThanks man. LOVE Cazale.
Delete