Jan 25 2009
Oscars 2009: Best Supporting Actor
I always find the supporting categories to be much more interesting than the leads and this year is no exception. I don’t actually have a real preference for a winner, I’d be fine with any of them taking home the gold dude, though there seems to be general consensus that there’s only one option for the win.
THE NOMINEES
Josh Brolin, Milk – Don’t get me wrong, I think Brolin was great in Milk, but this just isn’t the role I expected him to earn his first nomination for. He does a great job, but the role itself is a little shallow. In fact, Brolin’s performance does king of make me want to see a second movie called White that just focuses on his character, because I was left with the feeling that there was a lot more to this guy that was left off the table. If the Academy decides, for some reason, that they just can’t give an award to a comic book supervillain, I think Brolin is the most likely dark horse candidate in this category. He’s had a really good couple of years and this could be seen as a reward for all of that work, not just Milk. Still, the guy seems like he’s on quite a roll and like he might havea few more shots at the gold dude, which can’t really be said of his main competition.
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder – I loves me some Robert Downey Jr. and really love that the Academy ditched their snootiness long enough to give this role a little recognition. Combined with Ledger nod, this makes the supporting actor character one of the most populist main categories, in that the average movie goer probably saw at least two of these movies. Downey’s great in this role and it’s wildly funny, but you really just have to take a quick glance at his competition to know that he is the absolute long shot here. I think even newcomer Michael Shannon has a better shot at this award.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt – Hoffman is one of, if not my absolute favorite actor, so I kind of always want him to win because I just always think he deserves it. The guy never phones it in, he’s always firing on all cylinders and that can definitely be said of this performance. It helps that this is such an actor-driven film. Unlike some of the other nominees in this category, there’s little to distract you from the the fine performances given by the entire cast (all of which are nominated). His scene with Meryl Streep near the end of the film could have earned him this nomination alone. There’s no way he’s beating Ledger, especially since he already has an Oscar, but the fine work he did in this film should not be trivialized. He earned this nomination, it’s some of the best work he’s done and for someone with his resume, that’s really saying something.
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight – There aren’t a lot of sure things in this year’s nomination list, but this is definitely one of them. Maybe. I still can’t help but feel skeptical about this one, especially since the Academy has clearly shown how much they don’t love The Dark Knight. Still, the momentum that Ledger’s performance is getting is undeniable and it helps that the Academy probably has a little guilt for not rewarding him for Brokeback Mountain a few years ago. Politics aside, this an undeniably fantastic performance and I can’t but be a little disappointed that probably the only reason this is a sure thing is because of his death. He deserves this win and the really tragic thing is that he won’t be there to receive it.
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road – It’s a difficult task to distract me from Kate Winslet, but Michael Shannon stole every scene he was in and made it look natural. Given the lack of support for the film and his relative unknown, he’s only slighty less of a long shot the Downey. I’m certainly hoping that the nod gets him more work. And I’ve gotta root for my fellow Chicagoan just a little. 
THE FORGOTTEN
Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight – The role didn’t have as much flash as The Joker, but Aaron Eckhart was equally transformative and with a much more significant arc as Harvey Dent/Two Face. Given all the obvious press that Ledger gets, I always feel the need to give Eckhart a shout out. The man was awesome and he’s been incredibly gracious about being overshadowed by his co-star.
Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon – Poor Michael Sheen, he’s always getting upstaged. A few years ago it was Helen Mirren that stole his thunder in The Queen, now it’s Frank Langella. I found Sheen’s performance in Frost/Nixon to much more nuanced and subtle than Langella’s occasionally cartoony interpretation of the former President. Granted, I’m not a huge fan of the film and probably wouldn’t place Sheen’s turn in my list of the top five, but with all the love the movie got from the Academy, it’s sad that once again, this guy got left out in the cold. Always a bridesmaid.
Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married – Anne Hathaway’s deservedly getting a lot of praise for this movie, but there were many great performances surrounding her. Irwin’s father of the bride has been recognized by a few critics groups, but mostly ignored. It’s not a really flashy role and this is always a crowded a category, but I tip my hat to the guy, he did a really nice job.
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire – With all the love being thrown Slumdog Millionaire‘s way, I really thought this guy was going to make the cut, especially after he snagged a SAG nomination. Alas, no. I think it was a weird choice for the studio to lobby for him in the supporting category given that he’s clearly the main character. Yes, three actors play the role, but Patel bears most of the weight and screen time. It seems like this guy’s been getting a lot of love from fellow actors while going through the awards circuit, so I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of him, but I sure would have liked to see him nominated.
