While the Oscars so often get it wrong, they do get things right too. What follows aren't necessarily the best winners, but rather the ones that are the most right.
1. Dr. Haing S. Ngor. Best Supporting Actor for The Killing Fields (1984). Ngor was not even an actor at all - a doctor by training, he was chosen because he survived the Khmer Rouge himself, and came to the US as one of the boat people. But he delivered such a natural performance that professional actors should take note of what it means not to show off, but to simply act.
2. Gene Hackman, Best Supporting Actor, Unforgiven, 1992. Hackman's competition was Jack Nicholson, who gave one of his typical showy, over the top performances in A Few Good Men. Hackman was a close winner, and richly deserved it, delivering a performance both strong, violent and controlled.
3. Joe Pesci, Best Supporting Actor, Goodfellas, 1990. Because Goodfellas lost in Best Picture to Dances with Wolves, it is often forgotten that the Academy did get one thing right that night, rewarding Pesci's electric performance. He and Hackman's performances and roles offer interesting comparison, as they approached viscously violent men completely differently.
4. Jodie Foster & Anthony Hopkins, Best Actress and Actor, The Silence of the Lambs, 1991. The year after Dances with Wolves debacle, the Academy made an entire night of great choices, giving 5 oscars to Silence of the Lambs. No Academy decision of the last 30 years has proved to be better. Especially impressive was the decision to place Hopkins in the lead actor category, despite having only 16 minutes of screen time.
5. Linda Hunt, Best Supporting Actress, The Year of Living Dangerously, 1984. Forget that Hunt, a woman, plays a man in the movie. The whole point of the character is someone who is ignored, and who seethes with an anger that he can't express, and that goes misunderstood. Somehow, Hunt gets across specifically emotions that don't come across at all.
6. Liza Minnelli, Best Actress, Cabaret, 1972. Like her mother, Judy Garland, Minnelli' s unique musical and acting talent combination would rarely find the parts she deserved. But this one part is it, and it's rare to find a difficult role so well suited to one performer. One of the great lead performances of all time, male or female.
7. Walter Huston, Best Supporting Actor, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, 1948. Huston was directed by his son, the great director John Huston, and took a stock, supporting part and completely enlivened it. It's one of most natural pieces of acting ever, and still delights today.
8. George Kennedy, Best Supporting Actor, Cool Hand Luke, 1967. Kennedy is so wonderful in a movie of great performances. His character is acting too, and his charm meshes so well Paul Newman's effortless charisma.
9. Robert de Niro, Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part II, 1974. De Niro's warm mobster provides the perfect foil to Al Pacino's ice-cold mobster. Its the only performance of de Niro's career where he's charming.
1. Dr. Haing S. Ngor. Best Supporting Actor for The Killing Fields (1984). Ngor was not even an actor at all - a doctor by training, he was chosen because he survived the Khmer Rouge himself, and came to the US as one of the boat people. But he delivered such a natural performance that professional actors should take note of what it means not to show off, but to simply act.
2. Gene Hackman, Best Supporting Actor, Unforgiven, 1992. Hackman's competition was Jack Nicholson, who gave one of his typical showy, over the top performances in A Few Good Men. Hackman was a close winner, and richly deserved it, delivering a performance both strong, violent and controlled.
3. Joe Pesci, Best Supporting Actor, Goodfellas, 1990. Because Goodfellas lost in Best Picture to Dances with Wolves, it is often forgotten that the Academy did get one thing right that night, rewarding Pesci's electric performance. He and Hackman's performances and roles offer interesting comparison, as they approached viscously violent men completely differently.
4. Jodie Foster & Anthony Hopkins, Best Actress and Actor, The Silence of the Lambs, 1991. The year after Dances with Wolves debacle, the Academy made an entire night of great choices, giving 5 oscars to Silence of the Lambs. No Academy decision of the last 30 years has proved to be better. Especially impressive was the decision to place Hopkins in the lead actor category, despite having only 16 minutes of screen time.
5. Linda Hunt, Best Supporting Actress, The Year of Living Dangerously, 1984. Forget that Hunt, a woman, plays a man in the movie. The whole point of the character is someone who is ignored, and who seethes with an anger that he can't express, and that goes misunderstood. Somehow, Hunt gets across specifically emotions that don't come across at all.
6. Liza Minnelli, Best Actress, Cabaret, 1972. Like her mother, Judy Garland, Minnelli' s unique musical and acting talent combination would rarely find the parts she deserved. But this one part is it, and it's rare to find a difficult role so well suited to one performer. One of the great lead performances of all time, male or female.
7. Walter Huston, Best Supporting Actor, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, 1948. Huston was directed by his son, the great director John Huston, and took a stock, supporting part and completely enlivened it. It's one of most natural pieces of acting ever, and still delights today.
8. George Kennedy, Best Supporting Actor, Cool Hand Luke, 1967. Kennedy is so wonderful in a movie of great performances. His character is acting too, and his charm meshes so well Paul Newman's effortless charisma.
9. Robert de Niro, Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part II, 1974. De Niro's warm mobster provides the perfect foil to Al Pacino's ice-cold mobster. Its the only performance of de Niro's career where he's charming.
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