They Shoulda Won- Best Supporting Actor Nominees from Past Years

-Todays post pays tribute to some of the great past Supporting Actor performances from the 1940s- the present. I have personally always found the performances given by supporting actors to fall between decidedly opposite sides of the spectrum. On the one hand, a performance can be flashy and larger than life with the actor making the most of his limited screen time and seizing the opportunity to make sure everyone knows which moments are his. By contrast, some of the best performances by supporting actors are the ones which are subtle and understated; radiating grace, class and beauty as they are not afraid to let the leads have the spotlight. In any case, the role of a supporting actor is a quintessential one. He is many times the emotional anchor (Louis Gossett Jr.- An Officer and a Gentleman), the malevolent force (Javier Bardem- No Country For Old Men) or the voice of reason (Ben Johnson- The Last Picture Show). In all, the supporting actor is an integral part of almost any film experience. Here are tributes to 7 brilliant Oscar-nominated supporting turns from actors who sadly went home empty handed.

1. Clifton Webb- Laura (1944)- lost to Barry Fitzgerald for Going My Way

-The first of three Academy Award nominations for character actor Webb, the actor's loss remains questionable since that year's winner was also nominated in the Best Actor category for the SAME performance. Webb's characterization of an elisist critic who, like many others in the film, becomes enthralled with a beautiful woman, was clearly one of the decades best turns in the category. As Waldo Lydecker, Webb perfectly plays up the snobbery of his character, but also his devotion and slightly sadistic protection of the title character played by Gene Tierney. With a character that can be witty one minute and manipulative the next, Webb found the role of his career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC8A-MJ1ML4

2. Ed Wynn- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)- lost to Hugh Griffith for Ben-Hur

-There is hardly anyone who cannot picture the great Ed Wynn as anybody but Mary Poppins' delightful Uncle Albert, but the actor's truly greatest role on screen came with his turn in the classic The Diary of Anne Frank. As a Jewish man living in Holland who is forced into hiding during WWII, Wynn shocked many with his sensitive portrait of a man whose life is turned upside down in the midst of world-altering events. There is no trace of the classic Wynn at all throughout the film; instead what the audience is left with is a truly moving performance from a great actor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85v6tX5MH-w
(apologies for not being able to find a better clip)

3. Montogmery Clift- Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)- lost to George Chakiris for West Side Story

-Clift earned his fourth and final Academy Award nomination (his only one as Best Supporting Actor) for his role in the powerful war-crimes drama Judgement at Nuremberg. Playing a victim of Nazi Germany gave the already-troubled actor one of his best turns in front of the camera; delivering a truly gut-wrenching performance that at times can be difficult to watch. Its a testament to Clift's talent that in such a stirring and dynamic film with actors such as Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, and Judy Garland, among many others that the actor is able to hold is own for his all too brief screen time.

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

4. Ned Beatty- Network (1976)- lost to Jason Robard for All the President's Men

-Network is without question one of the greatest films to come out of the 1970s. Its satirical look at the outrageous agenda-setting tactics of news-media corporations remains potent to this day. Nowhere is the film's core theme more explicit than in Ned Beatty's speech to recently-liberated news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch). With a performance consisting mainly of one long take, Beatty channels a truly otherworldy force as he educates about the importance and vitality of corporate America. Its truly one of the film's most powerful scenes and one of Beatty's most captivating moments as an actor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeCMSLP3Wy8

5. Dan Aykroyd- Driving Miss Daisy (1989)- lost to Denzel Washington for Glory

-Aykroyd became the first of (to date) three SNL performers to receive an Academy Award nomination, which was rightly deserved as the long-suffering son of Jessica Tandy in this classic southern comedy. As Boolie Werthan, Aykroyd gave a sensetive turn as a man who is constanly faced with his own mortality as his mother refuses to accept hers. The native Canadian is authentically convincing as a southern gentleman as well as a loving son always concerned for his mother's welfare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KucQk8xFE94
(please watch from 3:20 onwardss)

6. Leonardo Dicaprio- What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)- lost to Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive

-Anybody who saw the film could clearly see a true talent emerging. As Johnny Depp's mentally-impaired younger brother, Dicaprio gave what many feel to be his finest onscreen performance. His role as Arnie is both humorous in his childlike innocence and curiosity and equally heartbreaking in times of great hardship. Its no small feat to steal a film away from Johnny Depp, but with a truly flawless performance, that's just what Dicaprio did.

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

7. Michael Shannon- Revolutionary Road (2008)- lost to Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

-Had it been any other year, Michael Shannon would have taken home the gold for his show-stopping work in this 1950s-set drama of suburban angst. As a mental patient out for a temporary visit, the character of John Givings acts as the only voice of reason amongst a society drenched in conformity. Though Shannon's role is only 3 scenes long, the actor literally brings the story of the main characters to a pause with an electrifying performance that never lets up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I-56Xyr0Bw

Tomorrow...Best Actress!!