In your humble opinion, give me one (1) person who you think was most deserving of an Academy Award acting nomination that was simply shanked when the nominations came out.
I’ll start off with Johnny Depp, for (a) Edward Scissorhands and (b) Ed Wood. Whether playing a leather clad guy with scissors for hands or the oddest and hardest working director off all time, I think he brought a huge sense of odd dignity to thoese oddballs. He makes an emphatic link between the audience and the characters and actually manages to make us care about what happens - not a mean feat in these days of post-ironic slacker characters & characterless action figures. I still cry during Ed Wood, especially the scenes with Ed and Bela Lugosi. Damn, what a fine piece of acting.
Ed Norton - Primal Fear - People v.Larry Flint - American History X - Rounders - Fight Club - Such diverse characters and believable as every one of them.
Vincent Gallo - Buffalo '66 - Heartbreaking performance, in my opionion.
The next one I’m pretty sure everyone will disagree with, but to hell with ya.
Bobcat Goldthwaite - Shakes the Clown - The Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies. Seriously, I can’t explain it, but I love that movie.
Jim Carey - Man on the Moon. I am not a Jim Carey fan, and I am not an Andy Kaufman fan, but while watching that movie, I couldn’t believe how eerily dead on Jim was playing Andy.
Actually, I have to agree with you that this is a seriously twisted, strangely great movie. Could use a little more drama, but works great as a so-black-it’s-ultraviolet comedy. Also has Adam Sandler’s only good performance as another clown, a running gag about beating up mimes, and Robin Williams in an unbilled role as a psychotic mime teacher. The only other great mime in a movie (besides Marcel Marceau in Silent Movie is Jeremy Piven in Singles.
Leonardo DeCaprio…for the retarded brother in “Gilbert Grape”. Back before he became a hack and a household word. And I do believe he was nominated for best support.
Robert Downey Jr…for the coke addict in “Less Than Zero”. Rather prophetic I’d say.
Edward Norton…“Primal Fear” great performance but like the above two personal nominations I have no idea who beat him out.
Leslie Ann Warren…as James Garner’s gun moll in “Victor/Victoria”. She may have been nominated that year can’t remember. She did prove with that performance she was capable of doing something other than cry a lot during a made for TV movie.
Really big rip off… wasn’t even nominated…Kevin Bacon as the abused prisoner in “Murder in the 1st”. Blow you away performance.
And on a happier note…Hillary Swank deserving every praise she recieved. Wow!
I almost forgot the biggest ripoff in Oscar history…Steven Spielberg…to give that man a “liftime achievement” award because they knew he had deserved it so many other times before. Assholes!
Christian Bale in “Empire of the Sun” (John Malkovitch being his brilliant self as usual.) Another Spielberg gem that was over looked for a film of much lesser impact. The big picture winner that year I believe went to the film about the kid living through the WWII bombings in England. Based on the director’s life. Can’t remember the name. Decent film but did not compare in impact or performances to this one.
Actually, the Best Picture winner in 1988 was The Last Emperor.
Interestingly, Christian Bale is now the stepson of Gloria Steinem, as she and his father married each other a few days ago. Betcha they won’t be discussing Jesus or American Psycho at Thanksgiving.
Oooh, good one. I was trying to dredge my memory for films I really liked and were ignored, and this was definitely one of them, it just totally slipped my mind.
I, the man with the iron emotions, cried at his performance.
Crap. No, not BC, but my memory. Personally, my favorite scene in that movie is Fran Drescher as their record label rep explaining to them exactly why the cover art for “Smell the Glove” is offensive.
God, I am going to be so there at the Fine Arts to see that movie again…
Hey Joe…“The Last Emperor” huh? OK I’ll buy that. Not a bad movie but a little long and a little bit slow. No really outstanding performances either that I can remember. Visually stunning at times but then so was “Empire”. Do you remember the British film I described? Believe it came out that same year?
Thought of another (yes, it is slow at work today):
Philip Seymour Hoffman, in The Talented Mr. Ripley & in Boogie Nights. Watch those two movies and then think to yourself, “That was the same guy?” Brilliant actor.
Speaking of Jeremy Piven, it’s a crime that his show Cupid was cancelled two years ago. The concept was fresh, the writing was dazzling, and Piven himself was incredible. Awesome characterization.
(Oh, and while I’m on the subject of television–someone explain to me how Homicide, and Andre Braugher in particular, got so few Emmy nominations over its lifespan?)