1997 was a great year for actors, but a tough year for Oscar; how do you choose when there are so many deserving nominees?
It’s that age-old issue that some award-worthy performances are going to be left out, which though unfair and sad, is very much part of the Academy Awards and frankly what makes the whole thing interesting for us. The Best Actor field ended up largely a battle of the old boys. The acting warriors from the 1970s gave some of their finest performances in 1997, and four of the five nominees for Best Actor had been icons for 20 years.
In fact the Academy could have allowed the one upstart to slip past and nominated Al Pacino in “Donnie Brasco,” which was the actor’s best work in years. As it was Pacino was by-passed in favor of young Matt Damon in “Good Will Hunting,” who found himself going toe-to-toe with Robert Duvall in “The Apostle,” Jack Nicholson in “As Good As It Gets,” Dustin Hoffman in “Wag the Dog” and Peter Fonda in “Ulee’s Gold.”
I first saw Duvall’s performance at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival and have written about it many times since. He won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Best Actor award, and then the National Society of Film Critics’ honor, but the Mayor of Hollywood stood in the way of Duvall’s second Oscar.
Jack Nicholson had given a fine performance as a writer suffering from Obsessive-compulsive disorder with a nasty penchant for saying precisely what is on his mind at the wrong time. The role was a good fit for Nicholson and he gave it all he had, offering one of his best performances as well. He won a Golden Globe and a SAG award, among other designations.
There was the outside threat of Peter Fonda in “Ulee’s Gold,” which had won him the New York Film Critic Circle’s award and the Golden Globe for drama, but it looked like Jack’s Oscar, and of course it was.
Pacino’s snub was surprising because the actor gave his best performance since “Dog Day Afternoon” as an old low-level mobster trying to stay alive, a far superior performance than the one they gave him the Oscar for in 1992. Among the actors joining Pacino on the sidelines in 1997 were Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic,” a shock since his co-star Kate Winslet was nominated; Pacino’s co-star, Johnny Depp in one of his finest performances; any of the gents from “L.A. Confidential,” who all deserved attention in either the lead or the supporting category; Sean Penn in “She’s So Lovely,” which was a daring and fine piece of acting that might have been too dark for the Academy, and Ian Holm in “The Sweet Hereafter.”
Like Matt Damon, young actor Ethan Hawke gave a brilliant performance in “Gattaca,” though one must wonder how many people actually saw the film at the time. It was deserving, sure, but not visible enough. The ladies, however, made for a strange lot, with the eventual winner coming as something of a shock because the performance is so…average.
Helen Hunt won the Oscar for her work opposite Jack Nicholson in “As Good As It Gets.” Her worl is acceptable, though that New York accent seems forced and sometimes just isn’t there. In no way was she stronger than any of the other four nominees, or a trio of ladies not even nominated.
Of the nominees, the winner should have been either Julie Christie in “Afterglow” or Judi Dench in “Mrs. Brown,” though Helena Bonham Carter gave a lovely performance in “The Wings of the Dove,” and Kate Winslet made those dreadful lines in “Titanic” somehow come to life.
Not nominated were Jodie Foster in “Contact,” Robin Wright Penn in “She’s So Lovely” and Pam Grier in “Jackie Brown.” Foster’s scenes in “Contact” when she sees the vastness of the universe and begins to laugh and weep at the same time, the awe forever registering on her face, were astounding, and I found her work in that film to be better than either of her previous Oscar wins, truth be told.
However, the best performance by an actress I saw in 1997 was given by Jennifer Jason Leigh in “Washington Square,” a remake of “The Heiress” with Leigh astonishing as an average young woman born into wealth looking for love, but under the thumb of her nasty father who demeans her at every chance and ruins any chance she may have at love. Sadly the Academy did not even nominate Leigh, one of the generation’s finest actresses, and to this day she remains without a nod.
The Best Supporting Actress category was another strong one, filled with excellent performances, with the eventual winner being Kim Basinger for her fine work in “L.A. Confidential.” When I heard Gloria Stuart had been nominated for “Titanic” I thought it was over and they would hand it right over. A star of the 1930s cinema, Stuart had never found the fame “Titanic” gave her, and it gave the Academy a chance to wax sentimental…but they didn’t.
Basinger was a worthy winner, though Julianne Moore in “Boogie Nights” gave the best performance of the nominees. The other two were the hysterically funny Joan Cusack in “In & Out” and Minnie Driver in “Good Will Hunting.” Strangely missing was Sarah Polley for her haunting performance in “The Sweet Hereafter” as an abused teenager crippled in a bus accident that claims the lives of all the town’s children but her.
Allison Elliott was criminally snubbed for her wonderful performance in “The Wings of the Dove,” the best work in the film. Anne Heche did some fine work in “Wag the Dog” and Christina Ricci, Joan Allen and Sigourney Weaver were all superb in “The Ice Storm.”
Though Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Good Will Hunting,” most of the critics’ awards had gone to Burt Reynolds for his spot-on work as an aging porn director in “Boogie Nights,” a role that nearly went to Warren Beatty. Though Reynolds hated the film and his work in it the first time he got a look, he changed his tune once the reviews started coming in. He got his first Oscar nomination for the part, and deserved to be the winner.
The other nominees — Anthony Hopkins in “Amistad,” Greg Kinnear in “As Good As It Gets” and Robert Forster in “Jackie Brown” — were not even close. Again, any one or more of the men from “L.A. Confidential” could have been in this category, my personal choices being Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe, both electrifying. And Ben Affleck did some fine work in “Good Will Hunting.”
Both Kevin Kline and Tobey Maguire gave sterling performances in “The Ice Storm,” and though perhaps not Oscar worthy, I quite liked what Tom Selleck and Matt Dillon gave us in “In & Out.” Finally, while Robert Forster deserved his nod in this category for “Jackie Brown,” I have to ask: Where was Samuel L. Jackson? He made my blood run cold with his powerful performance as a very bad dude.
What are your thoughts on the best performances from 1997? Have your say in the comments section below!
Comments
53 responses to “The Great Performances: 1997”
I totally agree. I do feel Jackson was snubbed for ‘Jackie Brown’. As he has been numerous times. Glad you mentioned Leigh in ‘Washington Square’. Great film. Great acting. Though I felt Williams deserved his win, ‘Boogie Nights’ should have won every award it was nominated for.
It’s really quite unfortunate that none of the men from L.A. Confidential found some respect come Oscar time, and I agree with you that it was difficult to really classify them as leading or supporting (though Spacey would definitely be supporting). I particularly loved Guy Pearce’s performance in that film, I thought he was excellent.
Lots of great choices. Thanks especially for mentioning Ian Holm and Sarah Polley in The Sweet Hereafter. Their performances have stuck with me for more than a decade as nuanced and heartbreaking.
And although the movie is fluff, Rupert Everett should have been considered for My Best Friend’s Wedding.
Holm in the Sweet Hereafter is a truly magnificent performance. I also think Crowe had one of his best roles in LA Confidential. But where is the Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights mention?
1997 easy picks * winner
actor
duvall – the apostle
damon – good will hunting*
kline – the ice storm
crowe – la confidential
wahlberg – boogie nights
actress
bonham carter – wings of the dove*
dench – mrs brown
lange – a thousand acres
winslet – titanic
foster – contact
s/actor
williams – good will hunting
greenwood – the sweet hereafter
kinnear – as good as it gets
reynolds – boogie nights*
spacey – la confidential
s/actress
elliott – wings of the dove
driver – good will hunting
morgan – eve’s bayou
weaver – the ice storm*
moore – boogie nights
All due respect to Ethan Hawke, but Jude Law is the sensation in “Gattaca.” I’m surprised not to see any mention of him.
And any discussion of the performances of 1997 is sorely incomplete without Kathy Burke and Ray Winstone in “Nil By Mouth,” in my opinion.
I’m still a bit stunned that Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t nominated for Titanic. I thought he was even better than Kate Winslet.
Rupert Everett would have been a great nominee as well for supporting actor in My Best Friend’s Wedding.
What about Rupert Everett in “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and John Cusack in “Grosse Pointe Blank”?
I think they were quite great in those films.
So next week it’s the next round of bitching about Roberto Benigni? Haven’t had any of that in a while.
Robin Williams was fantastic in GWH. I truly believe that he deserved the win.
However, Robert Duvall was criminally snubbed, as Nicholson effortlessly played that role….was wonderful…but not the powerfhouse Duvall was.
I liked Greg Kinnear, but Everrett wa the true game-changing, gay wild card that year and deserved a nod.
Kevin Spacey has possibly his greatest line reading when he simply answers, “I don’t remember.” James Cromwell was also fantastic.
Sigourney Weaver should have won that year. She wasn’t even nominated!
One of the best performances of the 1990s.
Debbi Morgan gave the best performance of that year in Eve’s Bayou.
Great work that deserves a mention:
Laura Dern – Citizen Ruth
Philip Baker Hall – Sydney
Both would have been worthy nominees.
Basinger was horrible in LA Confidential! But I agree that Sarah Polley gave a really good performance in the Sweet Hereafter.
Affleck was GREAT in Good Will Hunting but he was THE BOMB in Phantoms, yo!
Crowe SHOULD have won the Oscar several times, not just LA Confidential. A Beautiful Mind, and Cinderella Man were both a loss to the academy!! What great movies. Master and Commander was great. Heck, even Ben Wade was good when he was bad.
Hard to disagree with anything said by John Foote….
I will never understand what went wrong with the L.A Confidential actors, maybe a bad campaign, maybe category confusion, the latter one seems to be the obvious choice. I mean actors with a very thin line between lead and ensemble (so supporting) like Crowe and Pierce missed their shot.
But Kevin Spacey was a supporting actor in that movie, maybe a campaign wasn’t in place or him being the bigger actor he was placed lead as default so he missed for lack of screen time. He should’ve been nominated.
I don’t know, all I know is that 1997 was amazing for actors.
I agree with Guy completely Jude Law was very good in Gattaca. Hawke was good though.
And I feel HBC should have won for The Wings of the Dove and her costars should have been nominated.
Carlen, I completely agree about Debbie Morgan in “Eve’s Bayou.” I think she didn’t make the cut because she was also a soap opera actress.
Joan Allen was awesome in “Ice Storm”
I just don’t get Helen Hunt – I would not only take back her Oscar, but her emmys as well.
A lot of people are saying or insinuating that because a movie was great, that the actors should have been nominated. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes that we make when judging actors. An actor shouldn’t get extra credit because they are in a good movie and an actor shouldn’t miss out on a nomination because they were in a bad film.
“Not even close?” You must not have seen Jackie Brown in a while, John. Robert Forster not only gave the best supporting performance by an actor that year, but he arguably gave the second or third best performance in any Tarantino movie. Sure, Jackson had the meatier role, but Forster totally embodied Max Cherry to the point where it was impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part. Absolutely astounding work from him, and I can only attribute his loss to it being Williams’ “time,” similar to how Morgan Freeman beat a more deserving Clive Owen in 2005.
I was about to also express my utter shock at your lack of recognition for Debbi Morgan in Eve’s Bayou, but luckily Carlen and Lance did it for me already. I do disagree with Lance’s belief that she was snubbed beacause of her associations with soap operas, however. That whole film was completely ignored despite being one of the best of the year.
I’ll echo those in favor of nominations for Ian Holm, Jude Law, Allen & Weaver for The Ice Storm, and the men of LA Confidential (Pearce and Spacey being my favorites).
And I really don’t understand Hunt’s win for Actress. Out of that set I’d have gone with Bonham Carter, but whether or not it was her – how does Hunt emerge victorious out of that set of actresses and performances?
How about Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, and especially Jason Lee in “Chasing Amy?” Great work by all 3.
John, thank you, thank you for singling out Jodie Foster in Contact. I was deeply affected by her brave, powerful performance… and reminded why she is such an amazing actress. There were things wrong with the film (*cough* McConaughey *cough*) but her performance (as well as David Morse as her father) were not one of them.
I really think that Helena Bonham Carter should’ve won the Academy Award that year, for her tremendous performance in “The Wings of the Dove”, rather than Helen Hunt. It was a travesty.
Best Actor:
Pacino – Donnie Brasco
Ving Rhames – Rosewood
Jason Flemyng – Alive and Kicking
Cage and Travolta – Face/Off
Best Supp Actor:
Spacey/Pearce/Cromwell/DeVito/Strathairn– LA Confidential
or:
Reynolds/JC Reilly/PS Hoffman/Cheadle/Wh Macy–Boogie Nights
can’t decide : )
The real truth about Helen Hunt’s oscar is that she was the the only American actress in the category that year. But still, only a nomination for Judi Dench made her one of the regulars in the awards nominations in the years to come. I totally agree with you about Jodie Foster, she was magnificent. In the Supporting category it should have been Julianne Moore’s night, but the best supporting role of the year was Sarah Polley in THE SWEET HEREAFTER, still haunting me after all these years.
Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe should have both been nominated for L.A. Confidential. Basinger was the weak link in the cast and she gave a decent performance, but not worthy of an Oscar.
Of all the best Actress nominees the only one I’ve seen is Hunt… so I’m obviously not the best judge in this category, but I thought her work was strong.
Julianne Moore and Burt Reynolds should both have won for Boogie Nights and I’m probably in the minority here, but did anyone think that Mark Wahlberg’s work was worthy of a nomination? A lot of the films success lies with how much you care about Dirk Diggler’s journey and there’s not a false note in his performance.
Good Lord, was this really twelve years ago? By the way–um, Jodie Foster? Really?
I disagree with mostly everything, except Foster.
Tony Hopkins was the best, and Djimon Hounsou should’ve been a finalist.
I’d put these into the conversation.
Stellan Skarsgard – Insomnia
Robert De Niro – Jackie Brown
Homayoun Ershadi – A Taste of Cherry
Michael Douglas – The Game
Helen Hunt gave one of the best performances that year in “As Good as it Gets,” and probably has the most shattering, beautifully played crying scene of all time. All criticisms thrown at her win are completely and totally annihilated by the moment that scene ends.
(SEMI-SPOILER)
Acceptance letters the size of postcards? Really?
And an impromptu epilogue voiceover? WTF?
Whoops… wrong post.
There4 must be some rule that if you give Jack an oscar, you must also reward his leading lady (see also ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘Terms of Endearment’), but quite honestly I don’t see how you can say he was deserving for As Good as it Gets, and she was not. For my money I thought he was very good, but far from oscarworthy, and she was every bit as good as him. I was fine with both of them being nominated, but didn’t like either oe of them winning.
Sigourney Weaver should have been nominated, as well as one or more of her co-stars (at the very least Joan Allen for leading actress), but she once stated in an interview that Fox Searchlight refused to invest in a campaign, assuming that everyone would just get nominated on their own, based on the reviews.
Al Pacino was supporting in Donnie Brasco, and should probably have been nominated there. Were they putting him up for lead? Because I honestly don’t see where you’d get that from. He was supporting the same way Williams and Reynolds were: big name actor in a big role, but it’s not their story.
L.A. Confidental suffered from the age old problem of category confusion, though I think you could easily put Spacey up for supporting (where he should have been nominated, and also where he won the New York Film Critics) and have Pearce and Crowe compete for lead, which both would have missed anyway, due due vote splitting and unfamiliarity.
Foster’s performance is right up there with her best work, as was the Brave One, both roles nominated for Globes, but not Oscars, unfortunately.
Could not agree with you more on Foster’s performance in Contact. She definitely deserved to be in the top 5.
Hunt’s performance is the weakest of the 5, which is amazing considering the dialogue Winslet had to spout. That’s just how good Winslet is though… To think Helen Hunt won an Oscar over Christie, Dench, and Winslet (and Bonham Carter, who is no slouch) is an absolute disgrace, and I think why Dench went on to win an Oscar the next year.
While I think Nicholson’s performance is very good, Duvall’s I think is the best among the finalists. I agree that both of the men from Donnie Brasco being snubbed is a crime. Even though they honored a young Damon, he has gone on to prove himself as quite an actor.
I don’t mind that Robin Williams won, (never have been completely convinced of Reynolds’ greatness in Boogie Nights) but yes, someone from L.A. Confidential should’ve been shown a little favor in this category.
Finally, could not agree more that Julianne Moore should’ve won that Oscar. Her performance is incredible in PTA’s film, and she deserves one at some point. I was shocked though that Stuart didn’t win. Like you said, it seemed inevitable… Basinger’s performance is nice and harkens back to the noir films of the 40’s and 50’s, but I feel her performance hasn’t aged all that well.
There are still many films here I have yet to see, but even I am appalled that none of the men from L.A. Confidential were even nominated. I’m happy they gave Kim Basinger an OScar to represent the cast, but seriously, I would’ve out Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce in lead (and nominated them both) and given James Cromwell a supporting nomination. I understand, however, that Best Actor was very competitive. I just saw The Apostle, and while I didn;t like the film that much (too much religion for my taste) Robert DuVall was outstanding. By the way, John, what did you think of Dustin Hoffman in Wag the Dog? I thought he was hilarious. And what about Robin Williams (you didn;t state an opinion)? He’s one of my favorite actors, and I thought he was great in this film, so I’m happy he won. I also agree with a nomination for Rupert Everett, and for Jodie Foster (truly moving).
Another great cast that was left out in the cold was the cast of The Full Monty. You got Robert Carlyle leading an amazing cast of hilarious men, and Mark Addy was very moving in that scene where he voices his concerns to his wife.
BEST ACTOR
Matt Damon – Good Will Hunting
Johnny Depp – Donnie Brasco
Christopher Guest – Waiting For Guffman
Ian Holm – The Sweet Hereafter
Al Pacino – Donnie Brasco*
BEST ACTRESS
Helena Bonham Carter – The Wings of the Dove*
Judi Dench – Mrs. Brown
Jodie Foster – Contact
Pam Grier – Jackie Brown
Victoire Thivisol – Ponette
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mark Addy – The Full Monty
Rupert Everett – My Best Friend’s Wedding*
Robert Forster – Jackie Brown
Kevin Spacey – L.A. Confidential
Elijah Wood – The Ice Storm
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kim Basinger – L.A. Confidential
Catherine O’Hara – Waiting For Guffman
Parker Posey – Waiting For Guffman
Christina Ricci – The Ice Storm
Sigourney Weaver – The Ice Storm*
Not the first time I’ve said it and I’m sure it won’t be the last… but the continued lack of any mention for actors acting in anything but English really saddens me. There’s a whole world out there of cinema, I get why the Oscars overlook so much of it, I don’t get why a true film buff would do the same.
In lead actor, Tony Leung’s BRILLIANT work in Happy Together immediately comes to mind. So does Homayoun Ershadi in a Taste of Cherry. Javier Bardem is great in Live Flesh, Takeshi Kitano is fantastic in Hana-bi.
For actress, Susanne Lothar is stunning in Funny Games. Francesca Neri is great in Live Flesh.
In supporting actor, Arno Frisch is stunning in Funny Games himself. The whole cast is great but Vladimir Mashkov is unforgettable in the Oscar nominated The Thief. Jan DeCleir is memorable in the Oscar winning Character. Alan Arkin turns in some of his best work in Four Days in September. Mir Hossein Noori NAILS the best monologue of the year in a Taste of Cherry.
Meanwhile, Angela Molina is the best thing in Live Flesh. Yekaterina Rednikova is great in the Thief. Betty Schuurman is great in Character. Lots of great work this year.
I’ve still got more than a few films I want to see. Children of Heaven, Contact, The Game, Nil By Mouth, The Eel, Washington Square, Welcome to Sarajevo, but I have some pretty strong choices I’d feel at this point:
Best Actor:
1. Aaron Eckhart-In the Company of Men
2. Daniel Day Lewis-The Boxer
3. Samuel L Jackson-Jackie Brown
4. Tony Leung-Happy Together
5. Russell Crowe-LA Confidential
6. Peter Fonda-Ulee’s Gold
7. Homayoun Ershadi-A Taste of Cherry
8. Ethan Hawke-Gattaca
9. Takeshi Kitano-Hana-bi
10. Kevin Kline-The Ice Storm
Best Actress:
1. Joan Allen-The Ice Storm
2. Pam Grier-Jackie Brown
3. Julie Christie-Afterglow
4. Parker Posey-The House of Yes
5. Helena Bonham Carter-The Wings of the Dove
6. Joey Lauren Adams-Chasing Amy
7. Patricia Arquette-Lost Highway
8. Mischa Barton-Lawn Dogs
9. Emily Watson-The Boxer
10. Susanne Lothar-Funny Games
Best Supporting Actor:
1. Kevin Spacey-LA Confidential
2. Jude Law-Gattaca
3. Arno Frisch-Funny Games
4. Vladimir Mashkov-The Thief
5. Samuel L Jackson-Eve’s Bayou
6. Rupert Everett-My Best Friend’s Wedding
7. Djimon Honsou-Amistad
8. Jan Decleir-Character
9. Alan Arkin-Four Days in September
10. Anthony Hopkins-Amistad
Best Supporting Actress:
1. Alison Elliott-The Wings of the Dove
2. Christina Ricci-The Ice Storm
3. Julianne Moore-Boogie Nights
4. Genvieve Bujold-The House of Yes
5. Angela Molina-Live Flesh
6. Sarah Polley-The Sweet Hereafter
7. Cameron Diaz-My Best Friend’s Wedding
8. Debbi Morgan-Eve’s Bayou
9. Yekaterina Rednikova-The Thief
10. Anne Heche-Donnie Brasco
Parker Posey for The House of Yes wouldn’t have occurred to me – but I like that pick.
I likes Uma Thurman in “Gattaca”, now has mentioned her.
Jodie Foster should have been nominated, at least.
Helena Bonham Carter should at least be a triple nominated actress by now… (Fight Club; Sweeney Todd).
I’ll be waiting for next week. 98′ was one those years that you are surprised by how films are overrated and other underrated.
My trite, Larry David-esque comment of the day:
You tagged “PaN Grier” instead of “PaM Grier.”
Christina Ricci gave the best female performance of 1997 in The Opposite of Sex
“There4 must be some rule that if you give Jack an Oscar, you must also reward his leading lady (see also ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘Terms of Endearment’)”
So true – had Kathy Bates won her 2nd Jack would’ve won his 4th.
While I agree about Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex, that came out in 1998. Yes, she should have gotten a nomination, but let’s save that for next week.
I really loved Tom Wilkinson’s performance in “The Full Monty”, I think he deserved a nomination for sure
Speaking English: I’m glad to see someone sticking up for Hunt, whose win is one of the most unfairly denigrated of recent years. Her line reading of the single word “okay” to Shirley Knight is the actorly equivalent of perfect pitch — she might have won the Oscar on that alone.
Jude Law in Gattaca and Spacey in LA Confidential were the best supporting players IMO.
Grier should have been nominated for Jackie Brown.
Weaver’s snub is ridiculous.
And Cameron Diaz in MBFW ? Come to think of it, her comedic timing is perfect in this broad comedy. At least the Satellites recognized her !
In my opinion the best performances were:
Best Leading Actor:
Matt Damon – Good Will Hunting
Ulrich Mühe – Funny Games
Robert Carley – The Full Monty
Best Actress:
Susanne Lothar – Funny Games
Best Supporting Actor:
Robin Williams – Good Will Hunting
Arno Frisch – Funny Games
Rupert Everett – My best Friend’s wedding
Best Supporting Actress:
Julianne Moore – Boogie Nights
Sarah Polley – The sweet hereafter
Debbi Morgan – Eve’s Bayou
Cameron Diaz – My best Friend’s wedding
Love the praised to Sarah Polley and Ian Holm in “The sweet hereafter”. I think that’s one of my favourites movies of the 90’s, and both were brilliant!!
I also find that Helen Hunt in As Good as it Gets gave a wonderful performance but i also find that Susanne Lothar’s performance in Michael Haneke’s Funny Games was absolutely the best of the year.
Also a really good movie was Donnie Brasco with a wonderful cast (Jhonny, Al, Anne, Michael).