Best performance by a child actor/actress

[Tangent]

@KarlGauss

Until two days ago, that is, before I saw Leon, I would have answered River Phoenix in Stand By Me if asked what was the best performance by a child (he was either 14 or 15 when the movie was filmed).

Even more impressive, IMO, is his performance in The Mosquito Coast, which came out the same year as Stand By Me.

And I agree with Rodgers01 about Henry Thomas in E.T. The great thing about that movie is that the character of Elliot actually behaves like a kid, instead of a little adult.

[KarlGauss]

@Diogenes the Cynic

That girl in Whale Rider was astonishing. That recital scene had me bawling.

Actually, I forgot about her. I agree - she was incredible.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

I’ll go with Abigail Breslin and Rory Culkin in Signs. Both were amazing, I thought.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

Oh, and I forget Emily Browning in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

[Eleanor_of_Aquitaine]

I thought Max Pirkis did a great job as the midshipman in Master and Commander. Also as Octavian in HBO’s Rome.

[vivalostwages]

Dakota Fanning’s little sister, Elle, in The Door in the Floor. So much sadness and gravity in one so young; she turned five while they were filming.

[cruel_butterfly]

@spoke-

Now that I think about it, Lucas Black as the kid in Sling Blade is my pick for best performance by a child actor.

Lucas Black was also pretty good as P. Joe in Crazy in Alabama

[MovieMogul]

The remarkable Ana Torrent in The Spirit of the Beehive.

[Dijon_Warlock]

@Diogenes the Cynic

That girl in Whale Rider was astonishing. That recital scene had me bawling.

AGREED! Keisha Castle-Hughes. She also played the Queen of Naboo in “Revenge of the Sith.”

Jodie Foster has always been one of my favorites. Not only for “Taxi Driver” but also for The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. Very cool movie. Martin Sheen is great in this.

Nobody has mentioned Brooke Shields’ performance in Pretty Baby yet? Her best role, IMO. I’ve always been a fan of hers, as she is one of the most consistently beautiful people I’ve ever seen in the media; yet I’ve never much been a fan of her acting. Pretty Baby, however, captured her perfectly. Shoot, I wanted to have sex with her by the end of it.

(But I didn’t, so you can relax.)

[Kalhoun]

@vivalostwages

Dakota Fanning’s little sister, Elle, in The Door in the Floor. So much sadness and gravity in one so young; she turned five while they were filming.

And if she isn’t a mirror image of Dakota, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle…er…aunt. She was wonderful in that part.

[Kythereia]

@Gene Frenkle

The little girl who played Keanu Reeve’s sister in The River’s Edge.

And Ponette.

Ione Skye, I think, and Victoire Thivisol, who was also in Chocolat with Juliette Binoche.

@Shirley Ujest

I think that the boy who played Edward, in the Chronicles of Narnia did a very good job and whomever played Lucy is one to watch.

The boy who played Liam Neeson’s son in Love, Actually I thought was brilliant.

Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley, and Thomas Sangster, who was also recently in Nanny McPhee.

@Diogenes the Cynic

That girl in Whale Rider was astonishing. That recital scene had me bawling.

Keisha Castle-Hughes, who was actually nominated for an Oscar for her role in 2004 (she lost out to Charlize Theron in* Monster*). She’s–get this–playing Mary in the upcoming film The Nativity Story, to be released in December.

[Horatio_Hellpop]

How about the redheaded kid in that Fray video, “Over My Head”? Sort of the anti-Jeremy.

[Tangent]

@Kythereia

Ione Skye, I think,

Ione Skye played Reeve’s girlfriend. I’m not sure who played his sister, but she was much younger.