I think I'm picking things up again so hopefully I can keep knocking out the last of the 80s and make my way into the 70s finally. I have seen none of these films but the actors are all big names except maybe Charles Durning but I'm hoping that means good stuff is coming my way.
1983 Best Supporting Actor
Jack Nicholson - Terms of Endearment
This was Nicholson's second win of his three Oscars and completes seeing his trifecta for me. I'll have to let this one marinate more and all three are a bit different but this might be the weakest of them. Now, Nicholson's weakest Oscar winning performance (let that phrase sink in) is obviously still very, very good. Part of the knock against this win is that you probably could/should characterize this as a leading role. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger are the two who drive the film and the true leads but Nicholson is featured a lot more than John Lithgow and Jeff Daniels (maybe only slightly more than Daniels but whatever). Because of his star power he feels more like a lead. If he were placed in Lead Actor, does he win? Probably not. So there you see why some criticize the win. How is the performance, though? Nicholson plays a retired astronaut who spends his days chasing younger women, drinking, driving his sports car and generally behaving like, well, Jack Nicholson at the time. I think that's mostly why I'd rate this win third of his three because it's more just Nicholson playing Nicholson. He's not really out of his depth at all and it feels like a real easy, breezy performance for him. He's obviously great at playing someone that's just like him and he is entertaining and funny and you enjoy whenever he's onscreen because he adds to the film. The big draw is his chemistry with MacLaine, as the two of them are so good together. They can be so sarcastic and stinging when they hate on each other and both are a hoot to watch especially if you pay attention to them because you might miss a joke with their deliveries. It's classic Jack and a heart and soul peek through the playboy exterior that adds to the emotion of the film. It's good but I'll have to wait and see if it's worth another Oscar win for Nicholson.
Charles Durning - To Be or Not to Be
You might see the name Charles Durning and not recognize it but you'll definitely recognize his face. He's one of those character actors that once you realize who he is, you see he was in a ton of great films. I mainly remember him as the Governor in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (one of my favorite movies) and he was perfectly cast in that. Once I realized who he was, I was hoping that him being nominated for a Mel Brooks film would mean it was a fun, hilarious performance. It seems like a really great fit but it's only an okay performance. It's funny, yes, but not overwhelmingly so and no where near as good as his Coen Bros work. Which is probably unfair of me to compare the two at all since the eras are completely different. Durning plays a Nazi Colonel who Mel Brooks fools multiple times into releasing prisoners and stopping this and preventing that thing from occurring, it's funny Mel Brooks stuff. Durning plays the role in an over exaggerated way that fits the comedy of the film and garners some laughs. Brooks, however, overshadows most of the other performers by being the main character and dominating every scene since it is his film. I think Durning could have been funnier and used a bit differently but I still think it's a neat little comedic performance that normally doesn't get the attention of the Academy. I know Durning was also nominated the year prior for another twisted comedic role, so maybe there was just something about Durning that they especially loved. It's cool because I didn't know he had one, let alone two, Oscar nominations. I'm looking forward to his first one now to see how it stacks up. A nice little comedy performance.
John Lithgow - Terms of Endearment
It always surprised me that John Lithgow was a two time Oscar nominee. I knew him from his TV stuff and thought he was fantastic as a cold serial killer in Dexter. So it should be no surprise that he's got the acting chops for two nominations. He's got a ton of other awards including Emmys and Tonys and I mention this simply because you might not think of him as a great actor, I know I certainly didn't really think of him as such. But he is and though he has a smaller role in this film, the talent is undeniable. In this film, Lithgow plays a married banker who has a little fling with Debra Winger's character and it shows how she deals with her husband doing the same to her. It is a kind of weird relationship. It's treated very nonchalantly and as a little cutesy type of thing when it feels like maybe it should have some heft to the scenes to really talk about the ideas and nuances of cheating to deal with problems. That's probably me reading way too much into things but Lithgow is good as the sad sack nice guy who just wants to get laid because his wife can't do it. He's sweet and cares about Winger and you get the sense that the two would be a good couple if they left their spouses but we don't see enough interaction between the two. Because we don't see too much of Lithgow, I can't vote for him to win but I like the small performance he gives in a very emotional film.
Sam Shepard - The Right Stuff
Sam Shepard is a good actor. This was actually the toughest review to write for me, however, and I don't really know why. I think because in a film like The Right Stuff where there's a huge ensemble of good actors, how do you set apart just one and then talk about that one? That's not to say I didn't like Shepard as much or anything like that. Shepard plays the badass Chuck Yeager, the man who broke the sound barrier. In the beginning of the film, the story focuses on those pilots paving the way for the future astronauts and Chuck is one of them. They push the limits in dangerous ways and are respected and adored. Yeager is quietly strong and commands respect with his presence and isn't much of a playboy. Shepard plays his Yeager with a lot of internal action. Yeah that sounds pretentious as hell but when you watch Shepard you can see a lot more going on underneath than he is outwardly showing. This is evident in the talks with his wife or when he's sitting at the bar while others are going on and on about whatever or when he's looking up at the sky at night. You get the sense that he longs for more but feels he's a pilot first and not just a crash test dummy to ride in a capsule. He bridges the old guard with the new guys for the audience and allows you to respect and admire both groups. He shows up in the film every now and then and defends the astronauts to someone and you see the kind of man he really is. The performance is more subtle and more about quiet intensity than being outwardly badass, which I like. I think Shepard is a good representation for the film since most of the actors are really good in this one. This might be my winner just based on the other performances so far, so we will see.
Rip Torn - Cross Creek
There are a lot of people out there who are happy that Rip Torn has an Oscar nomination. Most people know the name and maybe the face but couldn't tell you what he's been in. That was me. Anyway, Torn plays a local man with a family that Mary Steenburgen's Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings meets after moving to Florida. He has a tomboy daughter who is raising a young deer named Flag who becomes the direct inspiration for The Yearling. Torn is essentially a rough Florida cracker living on the land and is what you'd think of when thinking about an old country guy. The main part of Torn's performance is towards the end where the deer has gotten bigger and threatens to eat crops after it escapes so Torn has to shoot it which upsets his daughter. Torn's character goes on a bender in town and then is sitting in the woods drunk with a shotgun and is killed by the sheriff. The death of the deer seems to be a bigger moment than Torn getting killed which should clue in on his impact. It's an okay performance to me and fits the character and film just fine. But it's nothing that really stands out to me and feels like maybe they were trying to get him a nomination. I don't know if that's accurate at all but it's certainly not one that you're going to seek out unless you really like Rip Torn.
A year of big names and pretty interesting films ultimately comes down between just two of the guys for me. The bottom three are all okay but their performances are lacking and leave you wanting more. Rip Torn doesn't do a whole lot in his film besides play a Southern guy and be moody. It's decent but nothing I would single out. Then we get both John Lithgow and Charles Durning who are returning after being in the same spot a year before in 1982. Maybe the Academy just liked both or there was some other reason going on but both give good but underwhelming performances. Lithgow is a sad sack married guy hooking up with Debra Winger. He just doesn't get much focus in the film before he's left behind. Durning is funny but not outrageously so and for a comedic performance, I feel you need a little something more to be memorable. The winner then becomes a two way battle between Jack Nicholson and Sam Shepard. My issue with Nicholson is that he's essentially just playing a version of himself and has a lot of charm and is good but is that something we really need to reward? I feel like maybe the Academy really wanted to give him a second one because he was so heavily nominated and well liked. I think I'd prefer to give Shepard a win for his only nomination because I liked it and because it's something different and also rewards his film. By name this group looked great but ended up being kinda average so hopefully 82 is pretty awesome.
Oscar Winner: Jack Nicholson - Terms of Endearment
My Winner: Sam Shephard - The Right Stuff
Jack Nicholson
Charles Durning
John Lithgow
Rip Torn
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