Looking at Film from Every Angle
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Every week, we’ll pose a new “five favorites” question. You just list your five favorites that fit in that category (preferably in preference order) and you’re welcome to discuss and debate the selections and see just how much you do or do not have in common with others.
More Oscar themed polls this week with your five favorite Best Actor winners.
Which are your 5 Favorite Best Actor Winners?
1. Paul Scofield, A Man For All Seasons
2. Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Colin Firth, The KIng’s Speech
4. Jon Voight, Coming Home
5. Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry
Of the nominees that I have seen, and there’s a bevy that I have not. One qualification for a great winner is superiority over any other nominee (and also a lead performance; sorry Hopkins):
1. Sean Penn, ‘Milk’ (2008)
— With acting, greatness in performance can defined by two measures: the closeness one feels to the human being portrayed AND whether or not the narrative and human in question displays that which we find righteous, which is why Spencer Tracy and Gregory Peck are so glorious in their roles. They embody that which we find righteous so often. Right now, my favorite Oscar-winning Best Actor is Sean Penn in ‘Milk’. He’s chameleonic but not superficial, he is righteous but not without his flaws, you know him and mourn his end even though it is foregone conclusion…I think Sean Penn’s performance in ‘Milk’ is righteous, the best of the nominees, and currently my favorite Best Actor winner.
2. Gregory Peck, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (1962)
— I couldn’t tell you how much of a stretch this role would be for Peck, but this is a performance that becomes one’s own moral compass, and that is saying something.
3. Robert DeNiro, ‘Raging Bull’ (1980)
— Nothing righteous about this guy. One feels closer to Travis Bickle, is the only caveat I can offer against my choice.
4. Gene Hackman, ‘The French Connection’ (1971)
— Similarly, this isn’t Harry Caul or Royal, but he reveals the loathsomeness De Niro offers in ‘Raging Bull’ coupled with the Hackman-esque squirreliness that’s made him one of the most consistently entertaining actors ever.
5. Alec Guinness, ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ (1957)
— A performance of riveting principle and thought.
The Worst Best Actor Winner That I Have Seen: Geoffrey Rush, ‘Shine’ (1996)
— For lots of reasons, chief being that I haven’t seen nearly enough winners. 1) It is largely one-noted; 2) It is an act of brazen mimicry and 3) An egregious disabled performance that, while I’m sure is an accurate representation, largely equates Special with Annoyance, and 4) Omits anything recognizably human I can take away which 5) Contrasts the rest of the [mostly] well-acted film, in which Armin Mueller-Stahl and Noah Taylor dwarf Rush; 6) The film isn’t very good, and is easily the worst of the nominated films for Best Picture, and likewise 7) Geoffrey Rush is the worst of his not All-Time Great but clearly superior competition for the Award.
Bottom line, Geoffrey Rush winning for Shine is the closest we’re going to get to Ben Stiller winning for Simple Jack.
1. Geoffrey Rush – Shine
2. Adrien Brody – The Pianist
3. Tom Hanks – Philadelphia
4. Roberto Begnini – Life Is Beautiful
5. Anthony Hopkins – The Silence Of The Lambs
Such a tough group to chose only 5 from.
1. James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy
2. Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
3. George C. Scott, Patton
4. Jose Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac
5. Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Runners Up:
Geoffrey Rush, Shine
Ben Kingsley, Gandhi
The 5 Worst Winners:
Warner Baxter, The Cisco Kid
Ronald Colman, A Double Life
Russell Crowe, Gladiator
Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur
Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger
I’m a huge fan of Tripp’s choices. Here are my five, in no particular order
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird
Charles Laughton, The Private Life of Henry VIII
Jon Voight, Coming Home
George C. Scott, Patton
And the worst …
Ronald Colman, A Double Life
1. Anthony Hopkins in “The Silence Of The Lambs”
-Frightening, intelligent, perfectly balanced performance. He strikes just the right chord and never turns Hannibal Lecter into a caricature which lesser actors might have done.
2. Gregory Peck in “To Kill A Mockingbird”
-His court room speech at the end of the trial is still one of the greatest moments in film history. I still can’t believe he was able to do that in only one take.
3. Dustin Hoffman in “Kramer vs Kramer”
-So many memorable moments. That scene in the hospital where he insists on being in the room while Billy gets stitches still brings tears to my eyes no matter how many times I see it.
4. Kevin Spacey in “American Beauty”
-Lester Burnham is still one of my favorite movie characters.Spacey’s best performance especially in the voice-overs. “Well Janie today I quit my job, told my boss to go f@#k himself and then I blackmailed the company for $60,000 dollars. Please pass the asparagus”
5. Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump”
– The script was such a mess but his performance alone makes this film work
My 5 that I posted here last year. Now that I have seen it, Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde might sneak into number 5
1. Burt Lancaster – Elmer Gantry (A dynamic, electrifying performance that stands the test of time)
2. Peter Finch – Network (Another all out performance, this time perfectly balancing the over-the-top rants with a realistic soul)
3. Adrien Brody – The Pianist (A wonderful recent win (one of the few), a performance that reminds us you don’t have to say a lot to carry a film)
4. Gregory Peck – To Kill a Mockingbird (A great strong, quiet hero)
5. Marlon Brando – On the Waterfront (He redefined film acting, and this is one of the reasons why)
Ray Milland – The Lost Weekend
Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Jack Nicholson – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Burt Lancaster – Elmer Gantry
Peter Finch – Network
In chronological order:
Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips
James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy
Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons
Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot
Anthony Hopkins – Silence of the Lambs
Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood
Dustin Hoffman – Kramer vs Kramer
Peter Finch – Network
Marlon Brando – On the Waterfront
– Robert De Niro/Raging Bull (one of his best roles….but Taxi Driver is my no. 1))
– Jack Nicholson /One Flew Over The Cuckoo´s Nest + As Good As It Gets (simply brillant….I would have loved seeing him win for “About Schmidt” as well)
– Tom Hanks /Forrest Gump (wonderfully naive….and one of my favourite movies)
– Anthony Hopkins / Silence of the Lambs (scary)
– Sidney Poitier /Lilies of the Field (well-deserved)
….I am sorry I have to include two performances without being a winner
– Charlie Chaplin /The Great Dictator (one of my favourite performances….a genius!!)
– Morgan Freeman/ Driving Miss Daisy ( wonderful, heartwarming)
Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1931
I’ll never take that drug again!
Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons
I do none harm, I say none harm, I think none harm. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live
Peter Finch – Network
I’m mad as hell and i’m not gonna take it anymore
F. Murray Abraham – Amadeus
I will speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint
Daniel Day-Lewis – My Left Foot
Fuck all love that is not 100 percent commitment
Anthony Hopkins – The Silence of the Lambs 1991
A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti
Al Pacino – Scent of a Woman
There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off
Sorry Wesley, I broke the 5 rule, too many great performances in this category
Very tough to narrow 82 winners down to five. I’ve disagreed with Oscar in this category a lot since I started following the awards something like two decades ago. So I skew towards the classics.
Humphrey Bogart in “The African Queen” (1951)
–Very entertaining
Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront” (1954)
–Powerful, iconic role
James Cagney in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1942)
–Joyous, energetic
Maximillian Schell in “Judgment at Nuremberg” (1961)
–Intelligent, compelling
Anthony Hopkins in “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
–Rare scary role, chilling, memorable
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