They Shoulda Won!! Best Actor Nominees From Past Years...

-What classic performance comes to mind when one thinks of the term "best actor??" For some its Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird or James Cagney's classic footwork in Yankee Doodle Dandy, Jack Nicholson's manic McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, or Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter in The Slience of the Lambs, among countless others which have come to represent the very best in screen acting. All of the aforementioned examples contained fire, intensity, passion, beauty, and above all a commitment to the role and the art of filmmaking. It seems as if there are no limits with regards to the kinds of roles the Oscar chooses to recognize. Villians and saviors, savants and charlatans have all been portrayed on the screen and the men who have brought them to life have been honored for thier fine work. This year's crop of nominees up for Best Actor contain one of the mosst diverse groups in years thereby reinforcing my point. A washed up country singer, a suicidal college professor, an army officer, a disconnected businessman and one of the greatest world leaders in history have all been brought to life on screen this year and now stand amongst each other for the Best Actor Academy Award. In honor of these roles as well as the many other nominated performances from before, I present to you seven Oscar-nominated performances that sadly went unrewarded.

1940s:

Lew Ayres for Johnny Belinda- lost to Laurence Olivier for Hamlet

-While the main focus of Johnny Belinda focuses on Jane Wyman's performance as a deaf mute farm girl who is raped by a local, many neglect to mention the beauty and intensity of Ayres' work. As the new town doctor who falls in love with Wyman, Ayres is incredibly heroric in a decidely low-key fashion, taking the troubled Belinda under his wing and believing in her ability to learn. The audience feels for his character which has the purest of intentions, a kind heart and an open mind; making what happens to Belinda all the more painful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSlBeXCIhi8

1950s:

Charles Laughton for Witness for the Prosecution (1957)- lost to Alec Guiness for The Bridge on the River Kwai

-In all of the screen performances of that decade, there was hardly one as unique as Laughton's turn in the film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution. As a famous lawyer recovering from a heart attack who takes on a murder case, Laughton is positively at his best. Only a skilled performer like Laughton is able to inject the proper doses of drama during the many courtroom scenes and delicious comedy in the sequences with his cheery nurse. Such a role requires an actor not afraid to juggle the two sides, which Laughton does masterfully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq3UK04pNrY

1960s:

Richard Burton for The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965)- lost to Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou

-John La Carre's stories have always seemed to translate well to the screen; captivating audiences with his tight plots of intrigue and complex male protagonists. For many, Richard Burton represents the quintessential La Carre hero with his gruff persona and cynical outlook on life. There isn't a shred of the dashing shakesperean leading man audiences had grown accustomed to, instead this film sees a different Burton in a role which remains one of the standouts of his entire career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNrjAMV0HJk

1970s:

Albert Finney for Murder on the Orient Express (1974)- lost to Art Carney for Harry and Tonto

-Of the various actors who have portrayed Agatha Christie's famous sleuth Hercule Poirot, Finney's portrayal was reportedly the closest to the author's inital image of the character. As the world-famous detective called upon to solve a murder aboard a train, Finney is unrecognizable with a waxed moustache and gleaming black hair. His performance is truly a tour de force that only gets better as he loses himself more and more in the role to the benefit of the film. If there was ever a time when the actor deserved the top prize, it was here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w-KfnLShIc

1980s:

Edward James Olmos for Stand and Deliver (1988)- lost to Dustin Hoffman for Rain Man

-While most feel that no one but Dustin Hoffman was entitled to the Oscar that year, no one can deny the Olmos' performance as a high school math teacher who changes the lives of a group of inner-city students comes a close second. Olmos has always been one of the screen's most dependable actors, but in Stand and Deliver he is truly inspiring playing this real-life figure. In what has otherwise become a tired and cliche-infested genre, the script and Olmos' portrayal make this a truly enriching movie experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIlHJsv0Joc&feature=related

1990s:

Richard Dreyfuss for Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)- lost to Nicholas Cage for Leaving Las Vegas

-While most films about inspirational teachers focus on the students they teach, Mr. Holland's Opus looks at the teacher as an individual. As a struggling composer whose life is transformed after accepting a teaching job, Richard Dreyfuss is nearly flawless in one of best latter day roles. He plays Mr. Holland as a man whose dreams have escaped him leaving him deep in regret, yet finds meaning in a path he never expected to take.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tQJBBY7X6I

2000s:

Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah (2007)- lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood

-I would venture to call Jones' performance in this film the culmination of his career. Jones plays a retired military officer investigating the disappearance of his son who has recently returned from Iraq. The beauty of the actor's performance here lies in how he is able to project worry and grief while remaining completely contained throughout; its a challenge for most actors, yet somehow it seems tailor-made for Jones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwmvAEetTs

Tomorrow...Best Picture!!