Supporting Actor 1999

Ya know, sometimes I get so geeked about this project where I'll be at work bored and start thinking about all the stuff I've got left to watch and then maybe I'll read about the films or peruse other blogs and I just get so pumped and excited about it. It's an awesome feeling and I finally feel like I'm starting to get into the part of this project where I'm not bored. Not that I was before, but I was more anxious to get to films I haven't seen 5 times already. Now I'm getting to those films and I'm stoked to watch things I've been wanting to watch for years. I haven't seen 3 of these nominees yet and that's a wonderful feeling to finally tick the box of having seen them.

1999 Best Supporting Actor

Michael Caine - The Cider House Rules

Okay, let's be honest: the first thing you noticed about this performance (if you've even seen this dreadful movie) is that accent! It drifts in and out of Caine's normal accent to that of a New Englander. It kinda pulls your attention away from the film and you start to try to catch the slip ups. Besides the accent thing, what is there to the performance? Not much. Caine is a doctor in Maine who works at an orphanage and also helps deliver babies and does abortions. He teaches Tobey Maguire's character how to do the same and sleeps with the nurses and is addicted to ether. All of that sounds more interesting than it really is. This is purely the Academy wanting to reward Caine the man instead of rewarding the best performance of the year because this one doesn't even come close! I would rather vote for everyone else on this list first and I hate that he won here because he already had an Oscar! It's not like he was due and he would be nominated again a couple years later, so I don't understand the push to reward him again. I did read somewhere that he really wanted to win another one so he could accept it in person since he was doing like Jaws 12 or something when he won his first one but that's a weak reason to give him another Oscar. I would love to hear someone try and convince me he was worthy of the win because I'm just not seeing anything in this performance that looks worthy enough.

Tom Cruise - Magnolia

This should have been your 1999 winner and is a really great performance from Tom Cruise. The whole film itself is really interesting and a big part of that is Cruise's character. He plays a pick up artist who commands a seminar on how to get women to like you through any means necessary. He's a charismatic public speaker, intoning all those self help/religious fanatic/motivational speaker types who are electric on stage getting people to believe anything they say. It's somewhat of a departure from what you are used to from Cruise as it's not the leading man role and not an action packed role, either. He fits extremely well within the Paul Thomas Anderson landscape and adheres to his supporting role without trying to become the main focus. To go along with the pick up artist scumbag vibe, we get another side of him through an interview where we see he's a bit frenetic and full of himself, putting on a show whether on stage or not. The interviewer asks some deeply personal questions and we see the change inside of Cruise as he thinks things over. Cruise doesn't reveal too much here but it still works to show how much depth the character has and then we see Cruise go to his father's death bed and get even more honesty from him. It's seriously one of Cruise's best performances because it's so low key and so honest and so unexpected. This was leagues better than the crap that did win and it's unfortunate that Cruise was robbed. Just watch it and you'll see what I mean.

Michael Clarke Duncan - The Green Mile

On another blog I read, this performance was labeled as the "magical Negro" role and yeah, that pretty much sums up Duncan in The Green Mile. It was kind of a slight but also an admission that this is what the Academy nominates for black actors. That's kind of a sad truth but I'm sure Duncan didn't mind. You take what you can get and make the most of it. That's exactly what he did, too, in a role that seem perfectly fitted just for him. I mean really, can you imagine anyone else in this role? This was Duncan's and Duncan's alone. He brought the humanity to a character that's a bit dimwitted but full of so much heart. Duncan makes all of those competing versions of John Coffey work tremendously well together. He can be powerful and menacing as well as meek and child-like. It might get laid on a little too thick at times, but it's the story and writing asking that of Duncan. There's an obvious Jesus Christ correlation with John Coffey (JC, come on) that's not too subtle and speaks to Coffey's righteousness. He works miracles and seems to dole out his own righteous indignation when it's deserved. Duncan may not be truly Christ-like, but he is far better than a simple "magical Negro" that's for sure. This is a pretty tough role that could have ended up looking like a giant mess, but Duncan made sure we got a magical performance instead.

Jude Law - The Talented Mr. Ripley

What an interesting film! Was not expecting that much intrigue but I guess I should have known a Patricia Highsmith film would have a lot of it. In fact she wrote the story Carol is based on, which makes sense, and I saw The Two Faces of January which is by her as well and looks strikingly like this film, setting and plot. Anyway, this one concerns Law as an American ex-patriot living in Italy and enjoying his cavalier lifestyle. Matt Damon shows up after duping Law's father into going to Italy to track Law down and bring him back to America since Law's mom is ill and his dad wants him to not be a playboy anymore. So what we get is Law being a carefree, jazz loving, womanizing American enjoying the benefits of a rich life in Italy with a beautiful woman who seems to forgive his indiscretions and stays with him. This is basically the role Jude Law was born to play, although if he could use his British accent it might be even better. He is the carefree ex-pat who is totally engrossed in his own life and loves every second of not having responsibilities. He's a fit, handsome, charismatic man who does whatever he likes and lives a life of luxury you and I could only dream of. Damon's character takes note and wants to be him and creepily invades his life. The whole point is that Law is this ideal man: is rich, handsome, plays jazz, has a beautiful girl, can speak the local language, and everyone loves him. Law plays that role perfectly. He begins to question Damon's intentions and then pays for that but for that hour that Law is onscreen, he gives a good performance as the prima donna rich guy who is great at everything in life. I can definitely see why he was nominated and I feel there may be some envy behind it, but Law is good and this is a decent performance.

Hayley Joel Osment - The Sixth Sense

Okay, so I get that Bruce Willis was considered the lead actor for this film, but come one let's be real, Osment is the true lead since the entire story and film focuses on him and what he sees and does. I think this was more of wanting to reward Osment for his performance and knowing he'd have a tough time even getting nominated for Best Actor with that group, so Supporting seemed like the easier route. Anyway, that rant over with Osment delivers a very impressive performance. The kid came out of nowhere and really wowed people with his very serious turn as the kid who sees dead people. It's a juicy part and Osment does exactly what was needed for the role. It's something that could have easily gone off the rails. I think any other kid actor might have been too child actor-y, you know where the child wants to pretend he's acting like a grown up and comes off too polished and on the nose about everything. Osment is believable which is a necessity for this type of role. We need to really think he can see ghosts and we also need to be able to empathize with his plight. Osment allows us to do both and while his big watery eyes sometimes flirts with being too precious, I think he nails most of the performance. He still comes off as a kid instead of a child actor which allows the film to succeed and he also holds his own opposite of Bruce Willis and Toni Collette. I think Osment's performance makes the entire film and without his ability the film wouldn't have been as big a hit as it was, so kudos to him. He definitely belongs as an Oscar nominated actor.


A pretty good group if you can overlook the bullshit that won. Seriously, it pisses me off that Caine won for that garbage and prevented Tom Cruise from getting a well deserved Oscar. Like why the hell did the Academy find the need to reward him for a second time for something like that? Ugh! Obviously Caine is one of the worst winners I've seen yet, so last he will be. Cruise wins outright because he was so damn good and it's such a departure from his norm. Osment is a well deserved second because without him, that movie fails miserably. Duncan in his iconic role is the 3rd followed by Law who was interesting and a worthy supporting player but just not as good as the others. I'm hoping that these type of categories are few and far between because I'd rather be happy after finishing a group than angry because of the results.

Oscar Winner: Michael Caine - The Cider House Rules
My Winner:  Tom Cruise - Magnolia
Hayley Joel Osment
Michael Clarke Duncan
Jude Law
Michael Caine