Supporting Actor 1998

I've only seen one of these performances and I'm very excited to see the rest since this has become my favorite category. It's mostly due to interesting performances but also really interesting films that otherwise don't get nominated in the Best Actor or Picture categories. So I love it for that reason alone!

1998 Best Supporting Actor

James Coburn - Affliction

When I was going down the list of winners before the project many moons ago, this was one of the first names I didn't recognize as a winner. I knew of James Coburn but had no idea he won an Oscar, especially in 1998. So obviously my interest was peaked and with some research, peaked even more when you find out he basically had no precursor awards traction. So would this be another veteran win or is this well deserved? Coburn plays an overbearing, alcoholic father who we see primarily in flashbacks at first before meeting him in the present day. I must say that he nails the intimidating factor perfectly, snarling his words and stumbling around drunk during these flashbacks. Sometimes drunk acting can look so ridiculous and fake that it takes you out of the film, but Coburn succeeds in making it seem natural and visceral. When we meet him in the present day, he's still a stinker but just a more muted one because his sons are grown and he can't domineer them as much. These scenes he plays more of the antagonist, sticking in the craw of Nolte's character, acting as a reminder of his childhood and upbringing. He's that constant reminder of why Nolte is where he is today. The flashbacks are the more interesting scenes for the viewer as they are a bit more violent and explain the tone of the film. However, the ending is the most explosive part of both Nolte's and Coburn's performances. I honestly think it's both actors at their best in this film and it coincides with such a pivotal moment. Coburn is his same ornery self and is being a drunk asshole and confronts Nolte but ends up getting his just desserts. It's great acting because it's not overdone at all and it feels very real. It's just done right and Coburn's performance never feels forced or exaggerated. I think he did a great job with his character.

Robert Duvall - A Civil Action

This seems like a prestige film featuring Duvall and John Travolta (and lots of other good actors) that I've legitimately never heard of until now. It's the kind of film that I think if done today would carry more weight, especially with the Flint water crisis going on. These are the kind of films I'm looking for from unknown acting performances. I always want them to be good and I want them to be interesting. This covers both and I really enjoyed Duvall's performance to boot. Is there much to the performance, though? Not really. Duvall plays a lawyer for a huge conglomerate who are part of a lawsuit about contaminated water from a tannery. He's the old, wise lawyer that kinda does whatever he wants because he's so brilliant. His character has these quirky things he does like taking a pen from a meeting, listening to the Red Sox in like a basement, and just being an affable guy. I was never sure if he was supposed to be a villain or if he was a good guy, I think he was just presented as is. He gives some advise to Travolta's character and just seems like he's so content with how things go. I think Duvall does a great job with the character even if there's not much to the performance. Pretty much all else that I can say about it is that I liked it but I would never vote for it to win.

Ed Harris - The Truman Show

Ed Harris plays a megalomaniacal director who has experienced years of good fortune as a director because everyone was interested in his star. The thing with this performance is that you can't separate it from the film at all or it will fail. Meaning, Harris succeeds in the scope of the film. If you were to remove his director character, you wouldn't get the same response because Carrey's Truman makes Harris that much more of a scumbag, or at least a hated figure. So what I'm saying is that this performance can't stand alone but works well within the film. Harris is this God persona, having created the idea of the TV series and having cultivated Truman to his whimsy, knowing he could do whatever he wanted to Truman at anytime and Truman would respond in kind. I think that's probably what most directors would want from their actors! Do this and don't question my way of thinking. This is obviously the ultimate directorship because you have complete control over someone's life and can manipulate it however you see fit. That's a lot of power! Harris is good in the role because of his look and because he's good at portraying the authority figure. He looks like a villain and is easy to root against. I feel like people really wanted to vote for the film as a whole and even though Jim Carrey didn't get nominated, this is sort of the payoff for his film. It's a good performance, though not strong, and makes for a decent nominee.

Geoffrey Rush - Shakespeare in Love

I know I've been a little harsh on Mr. Rush in the past but I've got to say that I really liked his performance here! It's a comedic relief type performance in a comedic film and hits the spot time and again. Rush gets these great, sarcastic one liners and also is pretty adept at the physical comedy aspect of the role, as well. And that's what surprised me a little about Rush is that he's really a physical actor when he wants to be. There's a part after the opening scene when his feet are getting burnt that he's waiting for Shakespeare and is chilling in a tub of water and gets out of it as Will comes out of a building and Rush kind of pratfalls his way after Shakespeare. And when he's standing in the middle of the actor fight and reading the new act and telling them not to destroy his props, well it's fantastic comedy that not everyone could pull off. Not to make it sound like only Rush could do it, but he does have an ability for the humor. I like to think he's sort of the representative of the film which this spot could have been as easily filled by Tom Wilkinson or even Ben Affleck...okay, not Ben Affleck but point stands. Wilkinson and Rush are kind of a misfit duo that play off each other so well and are absolutely hilarious. It's an easily likable performance, very funny, and very supporting. It might not be the best ever, but it's highly entertaining.

Billy Bob Thornton - A Simple Plan

This was back when Billy Bob was getting nominations left and right during the 90s. I find once someone gets nominated a first time, they seem to have a window where they can get nominated for anything they do as long as it's decent because the Academy loves going back to the well and they love creating stars. Thornton is a very gifted actor, especially back then, which can seem like a surprise when you watch some of his more recent stuff (though he's been great in TV). I think part of what makes a memorable supporting performance is the unique look of a character. Thornton's character is a simple minded guy who gets caught up in something that spirals out of control when he only wants to do the right thing. He has a distinctive look with a beanie and big, dorky glasses and long, unkempt hair. He stands out amongst the other characters and naturally you gravitate towards watching his performance. Thornton's character is a naive, trusting, do-the-right-thing kinda guy but Thornton doesn't recycle his Sling Blade character and make this performance of an unintelligent man into one focused on his shortcomings. What makes it good is that Thornton portrays Jacob very honestly and sweetly, focusing on making him a real person trying to navigate what life is throwing at him. Thornton never overplays or exaggerates any of Jacob's traits and give a genuine performance of a simple man caught up in a bad situation. He's also the moral center of the film and his equivocating is displayed wonderfully and heartbreakingly. The last scene puts an exclamation point on an already great performance from Thornton.


As always, my favorite category delivers some pretty good performance, one especially that I probably would have missed out on. I think if I were ranking this back in 1998, I would have been rooting for both Thornton and Rush - for different reasons. Thornton gives the all around best performance of the group and Rush gives us a very funny performance in a very funny film. Thornton would win because his is more fully realized, but I did like Rush a lot. If Tom Wilkinson was nominated, it might have been even closer. I like Coburn as the win for the Academy, as 3 of the 5 already had Oscars and his somewhat of a veteran win is deserving. He gives a strong performance but one I'm not sure I would have actively rooted for back then. Duvall gives a decent performance in a very relaxed kinda role which was interesting to see. Then I'd have Harris, who just doesn't really wow me all that much even though the performance is fine. All in all, another great year for this category just because of what it introduced me to and how all of the guys were pretty good. I like having no stinkers in this list.

Oscar Winner: James Coburn - Affliction
My Winner:  Billy Bob Thornton - A Simple Plan
Geoffrey Rush
James Coburn
Robert Duvall
Ed Harris