The 91st Annual Academy Awards: Who Should Win (Part I)
We are just a few days away from this year’s Oscar ceremony, following what has been the most unpredictable awards season in recent memory. In this article, I rank the contenders in each of the four acting races while delving into my take on the relative merit of the contenders.
To find out who I think should win in the other major categories — including Best Picture, check out Part II of this article.
To find out who I think will win, check out my Oscar preview article.
Although I admittedly love the glitzy ceremony, the behind-the-scenes drama, the near-century of statistics and milestones, and the fun of predicting the eventual winners, I pay so much attention to the Oscars each year primarily because I love movies. I love watching movies, reflecting on movies, and debating movies. I believe that the art of filmmaking has shaped my life — and our culture — in profound ways. Thus, each year I make sure to see each film nominated in the Top Eight categories (Best Picture, Best Director, the four acting categories, and the two screenplay categories), along with as many of the others as I can squeeze in. Below, I rank the five nominees in each acting category based on my evaluation of the quality of the respective performances.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
5.) Sam Rockwell, Vice (Prior Oscar Appearances: He won this category last year for Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri). Let me get my main rant regarding this year’s acting nominations out of the way. It is absolutely absurd that Sam Rockwell is nominated for his turn as former President George W. Bush in Vice. Had he done a killer comic impersonation of Dubya or brought some sort of interesting nuance to the character I could forgive a nomination for such an exceedingly brief role. But he delivered neither. Interestingly, his winning performance last year was also my least favorite of that crop of nominees. To clarify, I actually think Rockwell is a gifted actor. I just don’t think the roles he was given in either of these films was worthy of him.
4.) Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is his first nomination). Adam Driver is a gifted character actor who has delivered consistently compelling performances on the big and small screen for the better part of a decade. He seems destined for Oscar glory someday, but his role as Detective Phillip “Flip” Zimmerman in BlacKkKlansman does not quite give him the material necessary to get him there. With that said, he brings skill and heft to the integral role.
3.) Mahershala Ali, Green Book (Prior Oscar Appearances: He won in this category two years ago for Moonlight). As Don Shirley, the gifted black pianist whose talent and success could not spare him from the injustices of American racism, Mahershala Ali gives a truly compelling performance. Even though the character enters the film in an exceedingly campy way and exits the film in an exceedingly schmaltzy way, Ali remains dignified throughout and imbues Shirley with grace. Although I don’t particularly feel that Ali is worthy of winning a second Oscar so soon after his first, I won’t begrudge him his inevitable win on Sunday. After all, he manages to make a deeply problematic and clumsily executed film watchable.
2.) Sam Elliott, A Star is Born (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is his first nomination). The gifted character actor, who has acted in 43 feature films since his film debut as “Missouri Townsman” in the 1967 Western “The Way West,” got a long overdue first Oscar nomination for his role as Bradley Cooper’s half-brother and manager in A Star is Born. It is a pitch perfect, utterly wrenching performance that has been woefully underrated this awards season. In any other year, he would have my vote. But this year he will have to serve as runner up.
1.) Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is his first nomination). Prolific character actor Richard E. Grant finally broke out in 2018, 31 years after his acclaimed film debut in Withnail and I. Far from being a “career achievement award,” his first Oscar nomination came for an utterly extraordinary performance that may just be the best of the year in any category. He plays Jack Hock, the right-hand man of Melissa McCarthy’s literary forger in the powerful character study Can You Ever Forgive Me? His character is brimming with swagger and is larger-than-life, but he is immensely lonely and impoverished, living at the furthest fringes of society. His chemistry with McCarthy is superb and nowhere is it on better display than in the film’s heartbreaking final scene, which in the hands of lesser actors would have played like pure schmaltz. Grant goes beyond the cliche of the “sassy gay sidekick” with a performance of profound depth. I think it is the best performance of the year and not just because Grant’s clear joy regarding his first Oscar nomination has been the highlight of the awards season.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
5.) Amy Adams, Vice (Prior Oscar Appearances: She has never won an Oscar but has 5 prior Oscar nominations for Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master, and American Hustle). In contrast to Sam Rockwell, Amy Adams brings a great deal of texture to her role as former Second Lady Lynne Cheney in Vice. She goes beneath the polished image and imbues the character with an at-times ruthless ambition. It is a great performance and Adams is a national treasure (as her six Oscar nominations attest). Unfortunately, the screenplay has very little idea what to do with her character and as a result what could have been a performance for the ages is actually the weakest of the line-up.
4.) Emma Stone, The Favourite (Prior Oscar Appearances: She won the Oscar for Best Actress two years ago for La La Land and has one additional nomination for Birdman). First things first, Emma Stone’s role in The Favourite is in no way a supporting role. She has more screen-time than either of her nominated co-stars and is clearly the film’s protagonist. Even without holding that against her, she fails to rise to the top of this very competitive category. That is not to say the performance is a failure. Far from it. She is convincing and compelling as the wide-eyed servant Abigail Masham, who schemes her way to power in the court of Queen Anne. Her character’s evolution is the crux of the film and the performance provides further evidence that Emma Stone is one of the best actresses of her generation.
3.) Marina de Tavira, Roma (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is her first nomination). The single biggest surprise in the acting categories on Oscar nomination morning was undoubtedly Marina de Tavira, whose performance as Sra. Sophia in Roma had not garnered a single prior nomination throughout awards season. However, her inclusion was hardly surprising to me. I cannot imagine a viewer who saw Alfonso Cuaron’s opus and was not deeply impressed by her passionate and heart-wrenching turn as our heroine’s employer, a privileged woman whose personal heartbreak sends her oscillating between acts of cruelty and profound humanity towards her housekeeper.
2.) Rachel Weisz, The Favourite (Prior Oscar Appearances: She previously won in this category for The Constant Gardener). As Duchess of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, Rachel Weisz gives the best performance I have seen in her impressive career. She delivers her cunning dialogue with razor-sharp precision and fully commits to the film’s more bizarre demands of her character. It is a ferocious performance that would make it a very worthy Oscar winner (even if, like Stone, the role is hardly a supporting one.)
1.) Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is her first nomination). As Sharon Rivers, a devoted mother who goes to great lengths to fight for her family in 1970s Harlem, Regina King gives a remarkable, fully-realized performance. The role of Sharon is a true supporting role. There are only two real scenes where she gets a chance to take center stage — first during a remarkably emotionally complicated family dinner and second during a wrenching mission to Puerto Rico to prove her son-in-law’s innocence. In both scenes, King is extraordinary. In a film that is hindered ever-so-slightly by some one-dimensional characterizations and a reliance on aesthetic over emotion, King grasps at the heartstrings and does not let go each moment she is on screen.
BEST ACTOR:
5.) Viggo Mortensen, Green Book (Prior Oscar Appearances: He was previously nominated for Eastern Promises and Captain Fantastic; he has never won an Oscar). Viggo Mortensen is a truly great actor. His performance as Frank “Tony the Lip” Vallenlonga is not a truly great performance. On the plus side, he mostly nails the Italian accent, has solid chemistry with Ali, and demonstrates some heartfelt moments. On the negative side, the screenplay reduces his character to a tired cliche throughout, a dim-bulb meathead whose journey to basic decency is supposed to make us swoon with admiration.
4.) Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is his first nomination). When Rami Malek first appears as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, I cringed. It is hard to know what element made me cringe the most. Was it the horrific wig, the even worse fake teeth, or the slurring, lisping accent? Thankfully, his performance gets better as the film progresses. He proves remarkably adept at channeling Mercury’s remarkable stage presence and unique movements and manages to effectively sell the dramatic material that caps the film. It’s not an award-worthy performance by any stretch but at least it grows into something competent by film’s end.
3.) Christian Bale, Vice (Prior Oscar Appearances: He previously won for The Fighter and received additional nominations for American Hustle and The Big Short). The English method actor absolutely disappears into the role of former Vice President Dick Cheney. As someone who has personally met Dick Cheney (I’d rather not get into that…) I can attest that Bale nailed everything about this character, from his inscrutable nature to his unexpected moments of tenderness. Nevertheless, the messy screenplay fails to provide him the necessary material to make this a deserving Best Actor winner.
2.) Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate (Prior Oscar Appearances: He was previously nominated for Platoon, Shadow of a Vampire, and The Florida Project; he has never won an Oscar). Veteran character actor Willem Dafoe’s nomination for his role in Vincent Van Gogh in the little seen biopic At Eternity’s Gate was one of the biggest surprises on Oscar morning, but it should not have been. He is typically brilliant in the role, which is one of his most substantive in ages. Certainly, some of director Julian Schnabel’s artistic choices will make the film difficult for many to connect with, but those who can stick it out will be rewarded with a truly masterful performance.
1.) Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born (Prior Oscar Appearances: He has three prior acting nominations for Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American Sniper, as well as a Best Picture nomination for the latter; he has 3 total nominations this year; he has never won an Oscar). One could view my first choice ranking of Bradley Cooper’s turn in A Star is Born with several dismissive explanations. One could say that I chose Cooper by default in a category that I found atypically weak. One could say that I was swayed by the impressive string of performances he has given since he became a big screen star in 2009. One could say that I see this as a consolation prize for his snub in the Best Director category and his almost certain loss in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. But none of these explanations would be true. I think that Cooper gave the single best performance by a lead actor this year (nominated or not). His musical training showed incredible commitment and paid off handsomely. His chemistry with co-stars Sam Elliott and Lady Gaga was extraordinary. And he sold his character’s battle with aging and addiction just as well as the numerous other acting luminaries who have tackled similar roles since the dawn of film.
BEST ACTRESS:
5.) Yalitza Aparicio, Roma (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is her film debut). The Best Actress category is by far the strongest category at this year’s Oscars and any of the nominees would make a worthy winner. Although I rank her last, indigenous Mexican Yalitza Aparicio is astonishing in her film debut. Without any prior training as an actress, she shows a remarkable intimacy with the camera, demonstrating a lived-in sense of weariness, heartbreaking vulnerability, and flashes of humor. It is a performance of great skill and beauty.
4.) Glenn Close, The Wife (Prior Oscar Appearances: Glenn Close has never won an Oscar, but has received 6 prior nominations for her roles in The World According to Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, and Albert Nobbs). Glenn Close is currently the record-holder for the most nominations without a win among any living actor. This is a true shame as she has consistently ranked among the best actors working for several decades. It would be fitting if she won for her role in The Wife, given she plays a remarkably talented woman who erupts after decades of being under-appreciated. And it’s hard to deny her worthiness given that she carries the film nearly entirely on his shoulders and expertly brings to life one of the meatiest roles of her career. If the performance wasn’t ever-so-slightly hindered by the film’s uneven screenplay, she would likely be closer to the top of my list.
3.) Olivia Colman, The Favourite (Prior Oscar Appearances: None; this is her first nomination). As I watched The Favourite, it seemed likely to me that Queen Anne was not meant to be the film’s third lead. Rather, the character is written like a scene-stealing supporting player that the right actress could simply knock out of the park. Olivia Colman does not just knock her scenes out of the park, she all but overtakes the whole film. Colman is wildly entertaining in the scenes that depict Queen Anne as a vain, delusional, and grotesque figure, but what’s more impressive is how deeply affecting she is in the moments that depict her profound well of sadness.
2.) Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Prior Oscar Appearances: She has one prior nomination for 2011’s Bridesmaids). As cliche as it is to use this term, Melissa McCarthy is nothing short of a revelation in her portrayal of down-on-her-luck biographer Lee Israel. The remarkably gifted comic actress demonstrates a hitherto unknown range in an exceedingly challenging role. McCarthy is tasked with getting the viewer in Lee’s court despite the fact that she is misanthropic, uncouth, and frequently cruel. But rather than transgress into caricature, McCarthy finds the profound pain that underlies Israel’s icy demeanor — her isolation, her disappointment, her sexual longing — and conveys them all with expert skill.
1.) Lady Gaga, A Star is Born (Prior Oscar Appearances: She has one previous nomination for Best Original Song and one additional nomination this year in the same category; this is her first acting nomination). As a longtime fan of Lady Gaga’s musical career, I have to be open to the possibility that I was a bit biased when it came to evaluating her big screen debut. (But then again, there are artists I have loved far more than Gaga whose film debuts I have been woefully disappointed by.) The fact is that although Ally may not be a feminist icon, Gaga makes her a familiar, relatable, and heartbreaking character. Although Gaga is certainly effective at balancing her character’s raw passion and profound insecurity in the film’s dramatic scenes, it is her musical scenes that truly make her performance rise to the top of the list. Whether she’s covering a French classic in a drag bar, delivering an impromptu delivery of “Shallow” in front of thousands, or suffering the humiliation of a tragic Saturday Night Live performance, Gaga delivers every musical number superbly. If any other actress had delivered these musical performances she would be given the Oscar in a heartbeat.
Check out my rankings of the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay nominees and my prediction of who will win all 24 categories!
I will be blogging all throughout awards season, so follow me on Medium and/or Twitter if you want to stay up to date on how things progress.
Check out my other awards show articles on the Oscar hosting and popular film category controversies, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Primetime Emmys.
Check out my articles about the following nominees: BlacKkKlansman, Black Panther, and A Star is Born
