The Fight to Be the Best Supporting Actor

To be a great supporting actor, male or female, one must do one of two things; The first thing is hold up a film to a point that when not on screen the audience is wishing they were, the second is provide such significance to a plot that without that character the plot would be flat and incomplete. In some years the supporting performances were superior to the lead performances, like the year Mo'nique for Precious and Christophe Waltz for Inglourious Basterds won when the lead performances were Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side and Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart; that year it was all about Mo'nique and Christophe, and rightly so. This year really isn't one of those years, but nevertheless there are some great supporting performances from both males and females this year that are blowing everyone away. For this post, lets just discuss Best Supporting Actor.

Best Supporting Actor has some definite shoe in performances, but unlike the lead categories, there is room for some one to jump in a take a spot. I have not had the chance to see all of the supporting men who are getting Oscar buzz, but I have seen a few. In my mind here are the locks:

1. Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks. Hanks is having an amazing year and is looking very likely to be a double nominee this year for not only Saving Mr. Banks, but also for Captain Phillips. In Saving Mr. Banks Hanks he plays the legendary animator,Walt Disney who is trying to secure the rights of the story Mary Poppins to make his classic film of the same name. It will be hard for the Academy not to nominate him for playing a man whom so many people love and adore but Walt Disney himself holds the record for most Oscar wins (22 competitive, 4 honorary). The movie premiered at the AFI Festival and was met with high acclaim for not only himself but also for Emma Thompson, who plays the creator of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers. When it comes to winning, he will have to play the charm factor just like Emma will. Hanks is loved by the Academy and people in Hollywood, so winning is definitely a possibility. If he does win he would join the likes of Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ingrid Bergman, and Walter Brennan all of whom have won 3 Oscars. After I see his performance, I will let you know where I rank him in terms of winning. 
2. Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club. If Tom Hanks fails to bring the heat, the Oscar will likely go to Jared Leto. This would be his first nomination, like many of the other buzzed about men. He plays a transvestite suffering from AIDS who assists Matthew McConaughey's, undoubtedly Lead nomination, character in smuggling unapproved anti-viral medication from other countries into the US and helps in treating other infected people. His performance looks to be a knock out, and has been met with universal acclaim. This is Jared's first movie in 8 years, so he has the comeback kid narrative that will play well in the minds of Academy voters. I will be seeing this film later this week, so check in to see my thoughts. 
3. Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave. Michael has the advantage of playing in the definite movie to beat for Best Picture, 12 Years a Slave. It is always good to have that advantage because then you know that most of the Academy has actually watched the film. I have seen this movie and to give a warning, it is not an easy film to watch. It tells the true story of a free African American man who is tricked by some white con-artists and is sold into slavery and fights to get back to his family. Michael Fassbender plays the evil cotton plantation owner who believes it is biblically okay for him to abuse his slaves. Fassbender plays an unlikable character, which over the past few years unlikable characters have become popular winners in the supporting actor category, which generally can be hard to overcome when it comes to rewarding a performance. His flawless performance will get him nominated, and could very well win him an Oscar. 

The other two spots in the category will have to be fought for by a couple men who will bring serious competition:

1. Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips. He will be in a probable Best Picture nominee. This was his first film role, and for his first time he gives a very memorable performance. My feelings for the movie are not as high as my feelings for Abdi's performance. I would love to see him nominated, but he is unknown and is not playing a likable character. So he will have an uphill climb if he wants a spot in the 5 nominees that get to hear their name on Oscar night. 
2. Bradley Cooper, American Hustle. No one has seen the movie, but many people are predicting lots of nominations for it, especially in the acting categories. As I mentioned before in my Best Actress post, check it out, David O. Russell has a great track record for getting his movies nominated and especially his actors. From the trailer, which one should never go by, Cooper's character looks to have some pretty awesome moments which is all that we can go on. Who knows where he will end up, but I am sure Cooper will have a fighting chance at a nomination. 
3. John Goodman, Inside Llewyn Davis. John Goodman gets the status this year as the man who has deserved nominations but has never been nominated, which is weird considering his impressive track record. Goodman has been in the past two Best Picture winners, Argo and The Artist, with two other Best Picture nominees one from each year, Flight and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. The man deserves some awards attention, and this year could finally be it....if he plays his cards right. His performance has already garnered him some high praise, that will hopefully result in a nomination. He is well loved and respected and will be staring in one of my most anticipated movies! So we will watch him closely!! 
4. Daniel Bruhl, Rush. Rush is a true story racing movie directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard. The movie was well received throughout the summer, but nothing has been long lasting except for Daniel Bruhl's performance. I have not seen it, but many people have reserved him a spot in the final 5. I plan to watch it soon, and I will let you know if he is worthy to be nominated or not.     

There are a few other men that could be game changers to the above four but they are the ones who will truly have to fight and campaign hard to be nominated:

1. James Gandolfini, Enough Said. I am not sure about this performance or movie. I have not seen it, but from the trailer Gandolfini looks to have stepped out of his acting comfort zone for what has become his final film role. Gandolfini has received numerous awards and nominations for playing a mobster in the hit show The Sopranos. Earlier this year Gandolfini passed away from a heart attack. It is sweet that his final role was one that looks to be warm and inviting in an indy romantic-comedy. 
2. Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street. I think everyone was pleasantly surprised when Jonah Hill decided to step away from his adult comedy films to make a serious film career when he starred in Moneyball. That film earned him a supporting nomination, and this year he could receive another one. Martin Scorsese is my all time favorite director, and generally his actors and movies get nominated. No one has seen the movie yet to judge it or Hill's performance, but I have a feeling Jonah will prove that Moneyball was not a fluke and that he can act. I personally am reserving him a spot in the finally 5, but that is sight unseen. 
3. Jake Gyllenhaal, Prisoners. If anything from Prisoners gets nominated it should be Mr. Gyllenhaal. He gave such a complex performance that cannot be easily summed up into words. His character is a mystery to me, but left me blown away. It is great to see him doing such fantastic work. Unfortunately though he is one that will have to fight hard, because this movie is one that could be easily forgotten within the next few weeks when all of the big awards movies start showing up. Hopefully he can sneak in, but I highly doubt it, though it would be deserved. 
4. Geoffrey Rush, The Book Thief. The Book Thief will be a crowd pleasing holiday movie, but word on the street it is a sleeper for awards. Critics are behind Rush's stand out performance. He is already an Oscar winner with many nominations under is belt, so he has the love of the voters that could aid in his fight to a nomination. It is doable, especially when it comes to Rush, who always gives fantastic performances. Be on the look out for him. 

The Supporting Actor race is crowded with so many men fighting for their shot at a nomination, and it is all up in the air. I would like to think that I am on the right track when it comes to this category, but I cannot help but feel this will be be the category where there will be shocking upsets, nominations, and snubs throughout all of the award ceremonies, not just at the Oscars. Last years supporting men where pretty predictable, this year it could go so many different ways. As I see the movies I will get a better grip on who will be nominated and who I think should be nominated. This category is definitely one to watch, so stay tuned!