Best Supporting Actor 2018: Sam Elliott in A Star is Born

Sam Elliott received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Bobby Maine in A Star is Born.

Sam Elliott has long been a reliable character actor, however ever since his brief though notable appearance in The Big Lebowski, as the stranger/narrator he has received a certain iconic quality within cinema. In that if you want to get someone who just seems to embody some semblance of some sort of western Americana, Elliott is your man. This perhaps partially influenced Bradley Cooper casting Elliott as his brother. This casting you could almost call a bit of wish fulfillment from Cooper, as many would love the idea as Sam Elliott as their brother, even when the math doesn't exactly work out. Although to be fair Elliott being Cooper's brother is merely impractical and unlikely, not impossible, and who doesn't want that man with that iconic of a mustache and voice as their brother? Of course Elliott is currently in sort of another phase of his career, as he's recently being seemingly trying to find roles that allow others to see his acting ability beyond the voice and the mustache, in films like Grandma, and The Hero. One could potentially argue that his part as Bobby Maine, the brother of Cooper's successful though self-destructive rock star Jackson Maine, is a combination of a little of both.

Sam Elliott represents one of the major additions to this fourth version of the film with the inclusion of a brother for Maine. The character does have a slight comparison in the villainous handler in the previous versions, though all the negative qualities of the character has been switched to the Britush agent of this version's titular star, Ally (Lady Gaga). This grants a far personal connection between Jackson, and the man taking care of him, as they are bonded by blood. Now though Elliott sort of made his name as a presence, he is indeed a terrific actor. That's important as Bobby is very sparingly used throughout the film, and honestly given the brother's inclusion I do wish they expanded on the story line a bit. Instead we get sort of a rushed facet of the film where both were the son of a drunk, that Jackson still idolizes, and Bobby continues to take care of Jackson. Elliott though is a force to be reckoned with from his first scene where he reprimands Jackson's self care. Elliott brings the ferocity not of a an angry manager but rather a yet again disappointed older brother dealing with the same nonsense once again. Elliott is direct, and delivers every line with a quick incisiveness that establishes his relationship with Jackson instantly and effectively.

Shortly afterwards we see him in another setting as he takes care of a drunk Jackson. Elliott here bringing a real tenderness in his physical performance showing a clear concern for him, even as he expresses the same type of exasperation over the situation, however now properly tempered by Elliott. Their relationship soon comes to a head, probably too soon in a narrative sense, when Jackson finds out Bobby sold their father's ranch, leading him to violently accost his brother. Elliott plays the scene well, even if it could've used more build up, as he portrays his reaction as this anger tempered by sadness, as explains the worthlessness of the memory of their father while also stating his disdain for Jackson's life choices. Elliott again is terrific in being able to emphasize the love of the brother in his eyes, even while also conveying his delivery the disgust, particularly when Jackson dismisses Bobby's own life. This separates the two, and the film from Elliott for some time. He eventually reappears as a calmer reassuring force to support Jackson as he tries to recover from his demons. Elliott again attunes his performance so well in creating the sense of the relationship as in these scenes we just see the older brother not the manager. Elliott offers the right specific warmth in these moments as he shows Bobby showing his love for his brother, while also still recognition of their past difficulties. The one moment that breaks this is when Jackson recognizes that Bobby was the one he looked up to rather than their father. Elliott's reaction to this is shown only for a few seconds as Bobby is trying to back up his pickup truck to leave Jackson's house, yet it packs quite a punch as Elliott expresses completely how much that declaration meant to him as well as how much he really does care for his brother. Elliott appears only in one more scene, his only major scene interacting with Ally as the two of them reflect upon Jackson's ultimate fate. Elliott's work is again on point as he manages to find the right approach for the scene. In an overarching sense he delivers Bobby's words as comfort towards Ally, and in turn he tries to put up as supportive of a front as he can. Within that though Elliott realizes so naturally these moments of nearly breaking into tears, as he still conveys the love for his brother, though as a man trying to contain it for the sake of Ally. Although I do wish Bobby had been expanded within as a character, with a more gradually paced subplot, this is a strong turn by Sam Elliott as he makes the most of what he has and shows he's much more than a great voice and magnificent mustache.