# Great acting that will never see an Oscar **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118 "2004-06-13T14:53:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/1 "2004-06-13T14:53:44Z")
In my opinion, the Oscars for Acting have far more to do with the writing than with the acting. Oscars are, often as not, awarded because people loved the _role_, and probably would have as long as anyone reasonably competent had played it. Real acting doesn’t come along very often, because most screen plays are written to present fairly normal people reacting to events in believable ways; it’s not hard for someone to act the role because it’s pretty easy to imagine yourself in the situation and just express the emotions that come naturally. Plus, the words, the script, often carry the burden of conveyance. But yesterday, I saw the new version of _The Stepford Wives_. In my opinion, it was a nice enjoyable bit of fluff, with, in general, nothing spectacular called for. However, early in the movie, Nicole Kidman comes in to work as a high powered executive, excited about beginning another day (apparently there really _are_ people who enjoy going to work - go figure), and is told that she is fired. The camera then goes for a medium closeup on Kidman’s face. For about five seconds, we see her, initially smiling and gradually the smile fades as she actually processes what she’s just heard. And suddenly the realization hits! She exhales as if she’s been hit, her eyes suddenly fill with tears and her nose turns read as she looks at her firer in stunned disbelief. It’s not that difficult to summon tears. But to _suddenly_ go from a half smile to barely suppressed weeping in considerably less than a second! That’s acting. But it’s a brief moment in a not particularly memorable role in a not particularly memorable movie, so it will certainly never see an Oscar. So, do you have other “pet moments” in movies where the acting struck you as particularly superb? Not the dialog, or the profundity of the moment, or its importance to the movie, but the acting itself? ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/2 "2004-06-13T14:56:17Z")
> [@AvhHines](#): > > and her nose turns read as she looks at her firer in stunned disbelief. Er, that would be, her nose turns _red_! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/3 "2004-06-13T15:04:51Z")
Just about every time I’ve seen **Ian Holm**. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/4 "2004-06-13T15:57:25Z")
Just about any performance by Tony Shaloub. Or Alec Guinness. The thing about those guys is that they are (or were) so good that you could never tell they were acting. They just don’t draw much attention to themselves. But I’d have to go with Stallone’s performance in Cop Land. It was all in his eyes, you see. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/5 "2004-06-13T16:39:13Z")
**Paul Newman** in _Nobody’s Fool_. He did an amazing job of playing a broken down construction worker with childhood abuse issues. Neither he nor the movie got any mention, as I recall. It’s still one of my favorite all-time films. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/6 "2004-06-13T17:04:29Z")
Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Dr. Frederick Treves in _The Elephant Man_ (a movie I mentioned in another thread earlier today). Now that he’s famous, there’s mention of his performance in this movie. But in 1980 he was unknown to the general public, and most attention went to director David Lynch and Best Actor nominee John Hurt. In fact, I think Hopkins’ performance in this movie is _better_ than his performance as Hannibal Lecter in _The Silence of the Lambs_. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/7 "2004-06-13T17:45:19Z")
Phil Fondecarro. The man is good in just about everything I’ve seen him in. But he really blew me away in Creeps. Creeps is a horror/comedy about an invention which brings Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolfman from the realm of fiction to our world. But, due to a malfunction, they’re dwarfs. Fondecarro plays Dracula. He does the role as straight horror, and he’s one of the best Draculas I’ve ever seen. He’s frightening, sensual, primal, and commanding. Before this, I’d realized that he was a much better actor than the rest of the cast in the many b movies he’s in. In Creeps, I realized that had Phil been born of normal stature, he’d be a household name and have more awards than shelfspace. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/8 "2004-06-13T17:55:41Z")
Some of you may think this is a stretch, but I’ve always said no one could have pulled off \*\* Ace Ventura{/b] as well as **Jim Carrey**. I’m still amazed to this day how effectively he played the role; just seemed so natural. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/9 "2004-06-13T17:59:59Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > Some of you may think this is a stretch, but I’ve always said no one could have pulled off \*\* Ace Ventura{/b] as well as **Jim Carrey**. I’m still amazed to this day how effectively he played the role; just seemed so natural. A lot of people think Carrey is a joke, but his performances in The Majestic and Man on the Moon were pretty impressive. I think in another 20 years we may see him looking at an Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/10 "2004-06-13T18:20:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Real acting doesn’t come along very often, because most screen plays are written to present fairly normal people reacting to events in believable ways; You talk as if this is easy to do. Here’s a tip: Try it yourself sometime. And not just in front of a mirror after you finish brushing your teeth… go to your local community college and audition for a show. > [@](#): > > I think in another 20 years we may see him looking at an Oscar. Another 20 years? Hell, I think he deserves an Oscar NOW, for his performance in _Eternal Sunshine_. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/11 "2004-06-13T20:20:48Z")
I’m embarrassed that I don’t know the name of he actor or his character, but one of the guys in _John Carpenter’s The Thing_, gave a tour de force performance, including, having a heart attack, opening his chest and biting off the arms of the man giving him CPR, and stretching out his head so far from his body that his neck snapped like a piece of Play-Doh, causing his head to drop to the floor, whereupon, he sprouted spider legs from it, and scuttled underneath a table. If I could do that, I’d call myself an _actor_. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/12 "2004-06-13T20:28:53Z")
Well, the role will definately never will an Oscar for the simple fact that it’s on TV, but James Gandolfini consistently blows me away as Tony Soprano. And I mean almost every week for season after season, not just in one movie. His performances are almost always vivid, realistic, full of emotion - you can tell on his face when he knows he just stepped over the line and he went and said that one thing he shouldn’t have said anyway. He’s been in some movies, but he always plays the same guy anyway (although it’s hard to measure up to him beating up Patricia Arquette in _True Romance_. I’ve never seen a woman get seriously beaten up like that in a movie before or since.) I doubt he’ll ever really have a career as anybody but Tony Soprano, but there’s definately, absolutely no shame in that. Everything he does as that character is utterly and perfectly convincing, every time, every week. I mean, damn. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/13 "2004-06-13T20:29:57Z")
Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s performances in _The Hudsucker Proxy_ perfectly capture the feel of the time period. Many of their co-stars, Paul Newman, Bill Cobbs, Jim True-Frost, Bruce Campbell, and John Mahoney, also put in performances that make the movie live up to its larger than life set design, screenplay, and direction by the Coen Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/14 "2004-06-13T22:22:36Z")
> [@AVHines](#): > > In my opinion, the Oscars for Acting have far more to do with the writing than with the acting. Oscars are, often as not, awarded because people loved the role, and probably would have as long as anyone reasonably competent had played it. I don’t think that’s always the case, but it’s definitely true at times since most of the time similar parts win awards. In particular the Academy seems to favor older, veteran actors playing ‘mentor’-type parts. Kevin Spacey in _L.A. Confidential_. He’s won Oscars for other roles and deserved them, but I think he’s just terrific here. His last scene in the movie is just amazing. I guess I’ll use the boxes since the title doesn’t say anything… I’ve never seen anybody die so convincingly. You can actually see the life go out of his face. It’s fucking spooky, and I still have no idea how he did it. Amazing. Denzel Washington was nominated for _Malcolm X_ and should have won, I don’t care what the competition was. There’s not one particular scene in there, just the whole damn movie. ---
**Author:** ![AmyG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@AmyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmyG)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/15 "2004-06-13T23:05:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **Paul Newman** in _Nobody’s Fool_. He did an amazing job of playing a broken down construction worker with childhood abuse issues. Neither he nor the movie got any mention, as I recall. It’s still one of my favorite all-time films. He didn’t win, but Paul Newman _was_ nominated for an Oscar for this role. I agree with the assessment, though. His performance stuns me every time I see it. Great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/16 "2004-06-13T23:12:16Z")
> [@AmyG](#): > > He didn’t win, but Paul Newman _was_ nominated for an Oscar for this role. > > I agree with the assessment, though. His performance stuns me every time I see it. Great movie. I stand corrected. I must have been overseas and missed the nominations list. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/17 "2004-06-14T00:16:35Z")
I was always disappointed that John Goodman’s performance as Walter went completely unnoticed by the Academy. Every time I watch that movie–it’s just so surreal. There -is- no John Goodman in that movie–there’s only Walter. He owned that role, totally. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/18 "2004-06-14T00:18:15Z")
> [@Ashtar](#): > > I was always disappointed that John Goodman’s performance as Walter went completely unnoticed by the Academy. > > Every time I watch that movie–it’s just so surreal. There -is- no John Goodman in that movie–there’s only Walter. He owned that role, totally. His performance in ‘The Big Lebowski’ I should add. Need more coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/19 "2004-06-14T00:51:37Z")
> [@Ashtar](#): > > I was always disappointed that John Goodman’s performance as Walter went completely unnoticed by the Academy. > > Every time I watch that movie–it’s just so surreal. There -is- no John Goodman in that movie–there’s only Walter. He owned that role, totally. I never thought about it before, but you’re right. That’s another thing about Oscars (although it’s hardly a novel observation)- great comic performances just don’t get the same respect. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118/20 "2004-06-14T01:47:18Z")
Kurt Russel in _Miracle_ is astounding, yet I will bet my paycheck that he will not win the Oscar for it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-that-will-never-see-an-oscar/250118.md?page=2)