The Best Actor category solidified pretty early on this year. I imagine the eventual line-up had slid into place as early as November, and after the Screen Actors Guild made things more official, the predictable race unfolded from there. What we have now is a typical mixture of seasoned veterans, solid industry players and newcomers to the awards season.
But things weren’t always so clear. Before a last-minute decision to release what, from afar, always appeared to be a potential awards vehicle for a respected star, things could have gone a number of ways. Sometimes jumping in late can be a boost, and sometimes it just seems like the obvious play.
The nominees are:
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
Most lead actor staples seem to be represented: the redemption tale, the biopic, the star vehicle, the art-house favorite, etc. But the writing has most certainly been on the wall in this category since, oh, November 4th.
The odds-on favorite to win the Oscar for Best Actor this year is one of Hollywood’s favorite sons. Jeff Bridges cranked out one of his best performances in Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart,” a lived-in portrayal of an alcoholic country crooner that exhibited everything the consistent actor has to offer. That certainly goes a long way toward dispelling any thoughts that the award would be a makeup honor. This is the fifth nomination for Bridges, whose career has spanned six decades (if you could the 1951 on-screen debut as an infant). He has been called a national treasure and with good reason. Bridges’s work is woven into the very fabric of American cinema, and his performance here is a wonderful tip of the hat to that legacy. I wouldn’t spend too much time wrapping my head around a potential upset.
George Clooney received some of the best notices of his career for some brave work in Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air.” I say brave because, as a disconnected, single-and-loving it business elite, the actor was met with the opportunity to stare certain parallels to his own life right in the eye. The performance has reaped a number of the accolades the category’s frontrunner missed along the way and Clooney has also been front and center in the public eye, arranging a successful Haiti telethon and being tapped “the industry’s new class president,” as writer Mark Harris recently put it in a thorough study of the season in the pages of New York Magazine. Perhaps the only thing holding Clooney back from a more competitive angle on this race is the fact that he just received an Oscar four years ago.
Much like Jeff Bridges (though for a much shorter period of time), Colin Firth has always been a dependable actor who has forged lovable characters, generally within the context of ensemble films. But in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man,” the actor is out front and in the spotlight, giving a beautiful performance of nuance and introspection, the signs of emotional wreckage painted subtly on his face throughout. Without a last-minute entry from Fox Searchlight, The Weinstein Company may have drummed up enough good will for Firth to really compete for the award. He was, after all, the only performer from the studio’s trio of hopefuls left standing in the category. Firth will be honored in Santa Barbara later this week with the “Outstanding Performance of the Year” award.
As Nelson Mandela in the incredibly underwhelming “Invictus,” Morgan Freeman kind of sticks out like a sore thumb in this category. The performance was, to put it mildly, phoned-in work that didn’t do much to illuminate the personality of one of the world’s most recognizable figures. Furthermore, the nomination rather stinks of lazy consideration from the actors branch. Freeman fades in and out of an already dubious accent while building on little more than his physicality to flesh out the character. It’s bottom-tier work by anyone’s measure (save for the, uh, NBR). Had the film made a real impact, or had the work stood out amongst Freeman’s competition, there might have been a play for him to win his first lead actor honor from the Academy. As it stands, this is the very definition of an also-ran.
The only actor in the category that I feel has any angle on upsetting the agreed-upon flow is Jeremy Renner. In Kathryn Bigelow’s war drama “The Hurt Locker,” Renner exhibited a wide range of acting chops, gracefully handling both internalized emotions and tense outbursts. In the film, he makes for a strong yet unpredictable anchor for the audience. He’s also one of only two actors in the category whose film also had enough support to land a Best Picture nomination. In most instances, that is something worth pointing out, but it’s unlikely that such a thing will greatly handicap the year’s frontrunner. Still, Renner makes a handsome runner-up. This is his first nomination, but he’s finally hit the leading man big time after a string of capable supporting performances, so, he’ll be back.
Will win: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Could win: Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
Should win: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Should have been here: Sharlto Copley, “District 9”
Who do you think deserves to win this year’s Oscar for Best Actor? Have your say in the sidebar poll!
Comments
64 responses to “OSCAR GUIDE: Best Actor”
Bridges deserved the win, followed closely by Firth.
Clooney, Renner, & Freeman don’t even make my Top 10 line-up. But they were are decent-good.
If they’d put Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man) instead of Freeman, this category would have been perfect for me (although Sharlto Copley would have been a good pick as well).
Even though my vote in this category would go to Firth, I still think Bridges deserves to win, since he has been excellent for years.
Haven’t seen Crazy Heart or Invictus but those other three performances didn’t do much for me at all. Real shame that Michael Stuhlbarg, Tom Hardy and Sam Rockwell aren’t in this race.
It’s interesting to ponder what this race would be like if Crazy Heart hadn’t gotten on board at the 11th hour.
Clooney perhaps surprisingly won a lot of the critics awards, but would he have won the Oscar if Bridges hadn’t come along? Not only is he a recent winner, but it’s such an understated performance too.
Firth seemed like the early odds-on favorite, but was replaced by Bridges as the “for long and faithful service” contender.
Maybe Renner would win.. maybe he will win. But I doubt it, this one’s Bridges’.
Too bad Ben Foster didn’t take the slot that Freeman got. Bridges and Firth would be great, but Renner’s performance is by far the best here. I second the National Society of Film Critics.
Viggo Mortenson deserved a nomination for “The Road” — he carried that film, and that kid on his shoulders, brilliant work — and agree that Copley should have been nominated, terrific piece of acting —
Colin Firth! Probably one of my favorite performances of the last decade. He played that part so so so beautifully, achingly perfect.
Sorry Bridges, you’re fantastic too.
I love you simply for mentioning that Sharto Copley should have been here.
If the season was longer I think Renner could take it.
This does seem inevitable but it would have been exciting if some truly fresh faces had been included (instead of Freeman, for instance). I would have loved to have seen Copley here and also Tom Hardy. I have not seen MOON so I can’t take a stand either way (although I do think Rockwell is usually quite good).
I’m thinking Firth might have had a real chance if Bridges hadn’t shown up. But, then again, with Penn winning last year for playing gay – maybe not. I’m just not seeing Renner yet – even for a great performance in a best pic nominee – especially if the Academy was feeling like giving the LOCKER best pic – that would have just seemed like overkill. Maybe, if Bridges hadn’t shown up, Clooney would be getting a Best Actor statue!
Having not seen Crazy Heart, this is the only category where my own personal ballot matches Oscar 0/5.
My Best Actor ballot:
Sharlto Copley – District 9
Patton Oswalt – Big Fan
Joaquin Phoenix – Two Lovers
Sam Rockwell – Moon
Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man
I know these were all long-shots so I’m not “disappointed” by their lack of a nod, but they’re still my choices, like it or lump it.
Kris, do you ever wonder how much of a self-fulfilling prophecy Oscar bloggers are responsible for in terms of some nominations? I know it’s impossible to say whether you or Sasha or Nathaniel have actual influence in the race but I think it’s plausible to think you do. This year I would cite Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Stanley Tucci, and Penelope Cruz as examples. It seems that all the bloggers were talking about them all year and all this articifial buzz carries them to December when their movies open and low and behold it’s nothing special. Yet, they get nominations. Especially in the case of the two Supporting Actor nominations, I can’t believe that Academy members actually think Damon and Tucci’s performances were better than say Anthony Mackie and Alfred Molina, but because people kept talking about it being THE year for the former two, voters niminate them in precursors and they became part of the five. I’m probably overestimating everything and I’m definitely seeing it from a limited perspective but it’s something to think about.
Copley’s absence is particularly unfortunate in that District 9’s screenplay got nominated, even though the dialogue was largely improvised by him.
Realistically Oscar nominations seem to be for a body of work – you don’t want to give it to someone who might be a flash in the pan, but are you giving it to the performance, or to the actor? (in the case of Morgan Freeman, it seems to be Hollywood saying, “Gee, we’ve always wanted to see him play Nelson Mandela, and now he has!”)
The only performance here I haven’t seen is Bridges, but from all I’ve seen and heard, I’m sure he deserves it.
Of the 5, I’d take out Freeman – “underwhelming” is right when it comes to the film and the only reason he is nominated is because of the prestige of the role. Firth is magnificent and is my first choice without having seen Bridges.
Still, cannot help but feel sad to see Sam Rockwell’s magnificent performance in Moon go virtually unrecognized. It would’ve been nice to see him sitting there Oscar night w/ a well-deserved nomination.
So am I the only one here who things Freeman deserved his nod? I thought he was quite great and I actually would consider it one of his best performances.
When we look back on the Best Actor snubs, it’ll be remembered as the time when the sci-fi performances were snubbed. Sharlto Copley, Sam Rockwell and Viggo Mortensen all gave tour-de-force work, but due to genre and an almost unprecedented amount of laziness they were ignored.
Well, I guess they can take solace in the fact that Rutger Hauer wasn’t nominated for Blade Runner, either.
Here’s the problem: There is an annual sci-fi film awards (the Saturn Awards) but they take place in June. Sci-fi needs its own credible “precursor” awards for the season that are given out at the end of the year, so that all this fine work actually gets recognized when it ought to be recognized.
max records, viggo, and stuhlberg
id chose firth out of the 5
Unfortunately, there’s NO runner-up for the win.
BEN FOSTER should’ve been there. How was he ignored by all the critics?!
Sharlito Copley for ‘District 9’ and Sam Rockwell for ‘Moon’ should be here, without question (preferably in the place of Renner and Freeman for me)
I haven’t gotten the chance to see Crazy Heart yet, but beyond that, I agree with all the considerations here. Colin Firth, Jeremy Renner, and to a slightly lesser extent, George Clooney belong here. I am sure once I see Crazy Heart I’ll agree with Jeff Bridges placement as well. And I love Morgan Freeman, but this is not nearly his best work. I agree 200% that Sharlto Copley should’ve been there. His work in District 9 was phenomenal.
Having seen Bronson yesterday, this whole award seems quite worthless.
Dean said something very interesting about bloggers who intentionally or unintentionally stir the pot/kick-start buzz.
I never would have considered A Single Man/Colin Firth or even Up in the Air til I read Kris’ spirited comments/reviews about them. And I’m sure glad I did.
I agree that Freeman’s nomination was a disappointment. If it were up to me, I think that Firth deserves the Oscar out of these five, but really no “winning” buzz has surrounded that film, and now that Moore was snubbed, it puts him even further off the map. I still have no problem with a Bridges win.
“I never would have considered A Single Man/Colin Firth … til I read Kris’ spirited comments/reviews about them.”
**clears throat politely but audibly**
;)
“I say brave because, as a disconnected, single-and-loving it business elite, the actor was met with the opportunity to stare certain parallels to his own life right in the eye.”
I’ll just come out and say it: I really don’t see why this is so praise worthy. Gee, there are parallels between this rich, handsome, middle-aged white man who doesn’t want to get married and George Clooney? Wow, that’s SO brave of him to take the part, it must have been so difficult to play a charming businessman who, gee whiz, just won’t settle down!
Am I the only one who finds that kind of role, um, easy for him to play? What in this performance have we not seen in Out of Sight or Ocean’s Eleven? How can we call this a revelatory performance in light of Michael Clayton (his strongest work, in my opinion)?
In light of Mickey Rourke confronting his painful and truly destructive past, or Haing S. Ngor having to draw on his own horrific experiences under the Khmer Rouge for his Oscar-winning performance, it seems a little silly and borderline insulting to be applauding Clooney so much for having to confront such relatively trivial issues in his own life. Am I alone here?
Woooops, sorry Guy. :-)
I think it’s something Clooney wouldn’t necessarily be expected to address, and while it’s not commendable necessarily from a quality-of-performance stand-point, it’s certainly commendable to tackle your own image through a role.
No one but you brought up the idea of comparing it to other, much more substantial examples, Robert.
That having been said, I’m long on the record as saying the performance isn’t near his best work and seemed like “George playing George” in many ways, so…
Yeah, I wasn’t necessarily directing my rant at you (I remember your review stating “George playing George,” or as Nat Rogers called it, “Clooney at his Clooniest”), it was just me unloading my general frustrations at the amount of accolades he’s recieved for his work in Up in the Air.
I wish I wasn’t the only one comparing it to other, better “confronting yourself” performances. Such thinking might put it in proper perspective.
I thought George Clooney did a great job in Up in the Air, even though the role wasn’t that difficult for him. Sure he doesn’t sink into his character as Bridges, Firth, and Renner do, but some great actors, like Humphrey Bogart, can be remembered for great low-key performances that make it look easy and natural. In my opinion it’s not the best performance of the year, or Clooney’s best either, but it was an engaging performance in a role that few actors could play better.
The main reason Clooney gets and deserves praise is simply: the man plays well with others. Interesting that two of the year’s standout male leads worked opposite a man in a mo-cap suit (Sharlto Copley) and himself (Sam Rockwell), but no actor is an island. It’s not acting without action, and there’s not much action without a scene partner. Clooney could have chemistry with a piece of wood (*cough*Anna Kendrick*cough*), and his open and playful nature make him an ideal scene partner–it’s one of the most giving performances I’ve seen in a mainstream film all year. It’s just not a matter of “He makes it look easy” (which he certainly does; and by the way, as an actor, I can tell you, it’s not as easy as people like to paint it–granted, that should kind of be the baseline of a professional actor, and yet we have Keanu Reeves, so…). It’s a matter of his ability to electrify every scene he’s in and elevate the work of everyone around him (even damned fine performers like Vera Farmiga and J.K. Simmons are having to play at a different speed and rhythm when they’re sparring with Clooney). Just because his work is kinetic doesn’t mean it’s shallow. Too many actors get wrapped up in THEIR character. Clooney maybe could dig a little deeper, but he does enough homework to be able to go out there on set and play with his partner the way that any good actor does–by making it ALWAYS about the other person. Make no mistake: the man is DAMN good at what he does.
That’s a fantastic point, Adam.
I think too often people try to isolate a performance in order to evaluate it, when quite the opposite is necessary. (It is, for example, why I dislike both of this year’s nominated performances in “The Last Station”: gifted with great actors, Michael Hoffman allows them to Act (capital intended) against each other rather than collaboratively. Just my take, of course.)
I dig what Adam said. It’s an undervalued skill. I’ve felt similarly about Mark Ruffalo’s work. It would be a fun list if we compiled all the actors/actresses that excel at this beyond the ordinary.
I really wanted to love Bridges in Crazy Heart, but it honestly just didn’t do it for me. He’s terrific, as usual, but it didn’t blow me away. I haven’t gotten to see Firth’s bid yet, but hopefully sometime soon I can get out to see it. Until then, I’m holding myself down in the Renner Camp — which, I’ve been saying for quite some time, has to be one of the most brilliant casting moves to occur in quite a while.
I wonder if Freeman is aware that he really shouldn’t have been nominated.
@ Adam Smith: Touché, sir. A strong argument and well-made, though Clooney still wouldn’t quite make my shortlist.
Loved Renner. Haven’t seen Firth. Still a little sad JGL didn’t make the cut for (500) Days.
@Robert: Nor mine, but he easily cracks my top ten.
Again, American (generally speaking, of course) disdain for Eastwood’s latest films is annoying at least. If he’s getting this reception at 79, I wonder what will happen if he lasts as long as Manoel de Oliveira…
Anyway, without seeing Bridges or Firth yet, I’d put Freeman above the other 2, and well above Clooney specially (very overrated as nearly always). He played Mandela as inspiring, brave and visionary, while at the same time being shamessly manipulative as virtually all politicians are. And he made me forget he wasn’t Mandela most of the time, which is hard considering the two of them don’t look alike much, to me at least.
I finally saw Crazy heart and not crazy about anything about Bridges performance — and I love Jeff Bridges. It’s nowhere near an oscar worthy performance and why wasn’t he nominated in the globes for best actor comedy or musical like joaquin was for walk the line???? If there wasn’t such a bias for young men taking this award and if the academy were truly rewarding the best — it should go to Jeremy Renner. Hurt Locker works because of him. Please someone out there must agree that bridges is not that great
Yes, it should not have been Freeman, although haven’t seen his performance — it should have been Brad Pitt or definitely Joseph Gordon Levitt for 500 days.
My Choices (I’m leaving out “Creation” and “Micmacs” because they’re 2010 releases):
Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”
Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”
Viggo Mortensen – “The Road”
Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”
Ben Whishaw – “Bright Star”
And the winner is: JEFF BRIDGES!
I have yet to see: Colin Firth – “A Single Man”
Also, at Ted, how can you say Morgan Freeman did not deserve his nomination when you haven’t even seen the film? He was amazing as Nelson Mandela. I was stunned at his personification and I thought he captured Mandela’s soul and political idealisms effectively. “Invictus”, the film, felt a little rushed though in editing and some visuals though. I think one more year of post-production would have made an excellent film out of it.
Sorry, Ted. I’ve seen many a Bridges performance. And I think this latest one was one of his very best. I think he nailed Bad Blake. But Colin Firth is right there for me. If either won, I’d be ecstatic.
Well written piece. And as good as Bridges is, I don’t think he does anything remarkable. And it was done before, in Robert Duvall’s Oscar winning turn in “Tender Mercies.” (Amazing how similar they are if you go back and look.) The winner should be Firth with Renner the runner-up.
Oh, and I’ve got to hand it to Dean about his assessment of culpability here as well as in other Oscar blogs for beating the drums for unworthy performances like Tucci’s, Freeman’s and Cruz’s. If you had spent more time trumpeting the likes of a Sharlto Copley or Christian McKay or Anthony Mackie, and put them on that conspicuous right hand column of probables, then perhaps certain Oscar voters wouldn’t have picked lazy choices like these. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is no way that Academy voters view all those movies or screeners. But they do look at your lists and say, “Oh, I here that Tucci is really great in “The Lovely Bones” and that passes for viewing his work. Tucci did deserve a nomination for supporting actor for “Julie & Julia.” Perhaps if that was listed here as inevitable, you could have influenced the voters for more good.
You’re right, I hate to comment on freeman since i did not see the performance, but this article says that he shouldn’t be here and i’ve heard from some people that the performance is not that good. Let’s face it, he’s not gonna win, so me saying that he should not be nominated is coming from that — at least if joseph gordon levitt or brad pitt being nominated, it would actually be less of a sure thing that bridges will win.
It is obvious that Jeff Bridges is still the most underrated actor of our time. He will win and deserves to win. He is simply amazing as Bad Blake.
Colin Firth is, of course, relying on his love for a woman to get to the pain he feels for the loss he needs to express in the movie. He has to, because a man can never feel about another man the way he can feel about a woman. We are just not built that way, at least if we are normal.
Ellen, I think you need to watch A Single Man and pay close attention to the scene where Firth yells at Julianne Moore for suggesting that his love for Jim was “not real”. You might learn a thing or two about the capacity for love between two men if you can pull away the bigotry from your eyes.
I am not a bigot. I have every right to discriminate against a behavior I do not approve of.
Love is love.
Might I add that a LOT of gay men (such as myself!) follow the Oscars (again, like myself!), so Ellen is just barking up the wrong blog. :)
Will Win: Jeff Bridges (although I’m very wary of this pick lately)
Could Win: Colin Firth
Should Win: Jeremy Renner