Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1998: Tom Wilkinson in Shakespeare in Love, Jeremy Davies in Saving Private Ryan, Ralph Fiennes in The Prince of Egypt & Noah Emmerich in The Truman Show

Tom Wilkinson did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite receiving a BAFTA nomination, for portraying Hugh Fennyman in Shakespeare in Love.

Let's take a moment to honor the great Tom Wilkinson, rarely was there not a time where he brought a bit of something extra to any role no matter the size, and was just a welcome addition to any ensemble. His role in Shakespeare in Love might be the truest form of this, as really my favorite aspect of the entire film, partly because it is entirely in the realm of putting on Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theater. Wilkinson plays one of the men Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush), owns money to that we see in the opening of the film where he is ready to torture the man for his earnings. Wilkinson played initially very much the powerful heel, something he was frequently called to do, and with good reason. From his stature, to his regal presence, to just his commanding manner, Wilkinson had an ease with menace, and that is certainly the case here. Even though this film is largely a comedy Wilkinson brings a very much a real threat with his calm grin as his men go about torturing Henslowe for the money, until he comes up with some situation where Wilkinson's Fennyman will become a beneficiary of the next production. Where Wilkinson makes his first easy glide over to the comedic acceptance of the terms with a great bright grin on his face, though even in that the certain danger Fennyman presents is very much alive.

The situation makes Fennyman into a new world of the theater, and in turn the man is a bit out of his element for the most part. We occasionally get another moment of threat again to Henslowe if something goes wrong, or his eagerness to join a fight of men interrupting a rehearsal, which I especially love Wilkinson's performance of. Although the former moment we get that of the brutal loan shark, the latter, while utilizing the intensity of the loan shark in the physical fight, Wilkinson brings this sense of joy as though it is just the old accustomed routine for the man to deliver a beat down so does it in stride, though there's something a little different, a sense of quiet passion about it that Wilkinson's performance portrays that now Fennyman isn't being violent just for money, there's a genuine matter of pride as he's part of this creative endeavor in the globe. The idea that is so wonderfully realized in the moment where favored actors arrive, and even largely silence, but allow Fennyman to stay as a proprietor. Wilkinson's reaction in the moment is greatness, because he's utterly convincing in his silence because he brings awe within the silence, showing the tough loan shark, genuinely lost for words when silenced by those engaging in what he sees as real artistry.

The last act of Wilkinson work, as much as he makes great use of every second he had before being hilarious as the no nonsense loan shark, to being funnier as when that loan shark gets so invested in the theater, to being even greater when he given the small but pivotal role by Shakespeare as the seller of the poison that will lead to the final tragedy. Wilkinson's so good in just portraying the immediate moment of Fennyman being lost for words and creating in that reaction the sense of the man truly treasuring this opportunity to the best of his abilities. Something we see then when the man is repeating his lines to himself, Wilkinson brings this spirit of a man gripped in fear of the task in front of him but at the same time with this absolute conviction about getting the lines right given he sees this endeavor as so valuable. A feeling that reveals itself when Fennyman's moment finally comes into the performance of the play, and Wilkinson and Fennyman steal the show, and are just marvelous as one. Because Fennyman delivers a great performance bringing such intensity in creating the sense of real dread to the nature of the poison, and Wilkinson is amazing because he shows Fennyman performing as though every line is the most important line of his life, but he's also genuinely great in being this actor bringing the utmost to a brief yet pivotal role and making sing beyond its text. Which one can take the role of Fennyman, as for me, just as Fennyman steals the play, Wilkinson steals the film. Every moment he gets he makes the most, whether he needs to bring menace, comedy or artistic passion, Wilkinson delivers and brings forth the most entertaining arc in the film, but also strangely the most compelling as well.

Jeremy Davies did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Private Timothy Upham in Saving Private Ryan.

As I've frequently noted, Saving Private Ryan is both a reinvention of the old fashioned WWII film, and also just an old fashioned WWII film. One way is in the colorful crew we follow through the mission, that despite some claims otherwise, very much are defined by a trait or two. One of the men theoretically in this situation is Jeremy Davies as the pencil pusher brought onto active duty due to his knowledge of foreign languages. Setup to be the cowardly inexperienced soldier of the group with somewhat faulty artistic ambitions and always out of his element. What Davies does is what any actor needs to do with such a role with potential pitfalls in this instance, is just make it seem real when it could easily be caricature. Davies does so from even the opening scene where we have him recruited by Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and he has to do some physical maneuvers to show a klutzy manner overemphasizing, script wise, the inexperience of the character. Davies though nicely doesn't play into any misplaced comedy with his own performance, no wide eyes or silliness, rather a straightforward sense of the sudden hit of adrenaline in the less than refined movement of the man completely out of his element, but made believable by his performance. As we progress, we naturally get the experienced men low key insulting him for wanting to write a book and not knowing the lingo like Fubar. Davies consistently creates space within his performance not to go for kind of the easy delivery in emphasizing the stupidity, or at least ignorance of Upham, even when written as such. He wisely underplays the moments, like looking through his guidebook for fubar, to be genuine in Upham being lost in this situation, leaning towards creating a reality of someone just lost in the situation rather than a silly type, which I'd say Edward Burns for example very much is as the cynical guy. 

Allowing for a greater reality and power to his work when they are in battle, and Davies's performance brings the real fear to his work within every battle. Grounding each moment as we see his physical work as Upham often gripped in that state of truly being nearly paralyzed by the battle, while trying to uphold a kind of humanity. Eventually leading to the moment where he tries to keep a German soldier from being executed by the men, Davies bringing this basic humanity to his performance that brings only the sincere empathy in the plight and again, doesn't overplay to become cloying as though he is superior in the act, rather fixated on just not going towards the barbarous act. Something which ends up being the challenge of the character as they reach the titular Ryan and the final battle, where Upham's measure is tested as he acts as the ammunition delivery boy. And Davies is great in every reaction, every moment of hesitation, exhaustion and terror. Particularly when his failure to act leads to the death of a comrade, and Davies's performance delivers on a man just shivering in fear as a German soldier walks by his pathetic husk. Something that would seem potentially too much, if Davies had ever played into the caricature, but he earns it by having been honest with the role to deliver on this moment. Even more essential perhaps for his final moment of again freezing as he sees even the old German captive he had helped save being instrumental in killing his comrades, only taking action after the battle is nearly over. A scene that Davies grants a greater impact to because he does this, and shoots that German captive, Davies plays not as a machismo, but rather this quiet shame of a man still living in his cowardice even when finally doing something. Davies consistently delivers on elevating the caricature to a character and beyond the limits of the screenplay.

Ralph Fiennes did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Rameses in The Prince of Egypt.

Voice casting frequently is casting with a specific purpose in mind, particularly when using a known actor, and casting Fiennes as Rameses very much seems to fulfill the purpose of the villain, given his commanding voice that often emphasizes a cold menace. Interesting then that this version completely subverts that idea given the film much more looks at Moses and Rameses as brothers, rather than rivals even before Moses's true parentage is revealed. And that is where the genius of the casting reveals itself because as much as Fiennes could've played that casting choice, the even greater choice is the casting of Fiennes not for the menace he could bring but rather the fact that he's a great actor. Fiennes for over half the film isn't at all the expectation of a Fiennes performance even remotely, as he brings such warmth in every vocal delivery that emphasizing the brotherly connection between Rameses and Moses. When Moses learns about his true parentage and runs, Fiennes's performance emphasizes even then an earnest empathetic delivery of a brother trying to be there for his own and confused when Moses, after killing a slave driver, runs away. Only for Moses to return and even then Fiennes subverts the expectation in bringing even a cheerfulness to his replies to Moses and eagerness to connect with his brother who had been away. Even when Moses challenges him to let his people go, Fiennes's performance brings a bemused quality still keeping alive the idea of Rameses not knowing how not to deal with Moses as a brother. It is only when Moses is insistent on it that Fiennes changes tone effectively, though even then with a subtle nuance in his voice to convey a sense of betrayal in their former connection and the right degree of vulnerable insistence that he will not be a "weak link" as a Pharoah. Only bringing out the force of his voice when essentially Rameses is presenting himself as the force he wants to be rather than what he really may be. Fiennes even has the chance to sing in "Plagues", and while never going to be a focal point as a performance of his, regardless acquits himself well there in bringing a more emotional performance that again alludes to the depth of the conflict that is personal as well as political. Even after the plagues, Rameses still tries to connect with Moses, and Fiennes delivers so much within every word in creating his sense of anguish over the plagues mixed in with nostalgia for their past and sadness of what has happened to them. Fiennes bringing not a cold callousness, but an emotional rage then when Rameses threatens the children of the Jewish people, as his father has done. Leading though to the opposite when the final plague, the angel of death, comes which leads to the death of Rameses's own son. Fiennes again delivering all the raw heartbreak in just a brief line as he sends his people away, and again bringing such humanity to the technical villain of the piece. Fiennes consistently does this however, finding every nuance he can with only his voice, and doesn't waste a bit of the potential depth within the role of Rameses here. 

Noah Emmerich did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Louis Coltrane who is portraying Marlon in The Truman Show.

The always dependable Noah Emmerich plays the designated best friend of Truman (Jim Carrey), who is the star of the reality show he's not aware is his reality. Marlon/Louis being in one of the strangest situations as he must be one of the chief liars to Truman while also being his friend. Emmerich's performance I think might be one of the great examples of an actor getting the unfortunate short shrift in the edit, and an example of one of those things which I do really like the Truman Show, you get those glimpses for even more potential in the film. The story of Marlon/Louis is one of these things, and it might seem strange then that I am taking time to review Emmerich, but I think his performance remains a great example of an actor doing what he can with so much limited material. Because in the final edit, Marlon/Louis is basically just a stooge of the show where it doesn't get into his own feelings about living this lie of pretending to be a man's best friend, though technically you might still be his friend. And we see some of that where we see Marlon/Louis is designed to keep Truman content in his current state, while obviously also making sure the cameras catch the labels on his beer can. Emmerich gives the performance of Marlon/Louis as kind of a bad performance, though effectively so, in that Louis plays Marlon very thin in just accepting everything as is, as perfect without any need to question it. Emmerich's eyes as Louis playing Marlon are not quite lifeless, but nearly so, in showing a man truly just going through the motions of supporting the existence designed for Truman. Something that challenges only when he must convince Truman of his fake reality where Truman is in a truly conflicted state. And this is the scene of Emmerich's performance that alludes to the rest of his work, and is truly great work, because Emmerich is creating the layers of every word. As on the surface it is still just Marlon convincing Truman of the fake reality again, as he is voicing the words of his director Christof (Ed Harris). As Emmerich is feeding the nostalgic lines of the past of togetherness and how they got along, he does the surface Marlon words of supportive comfort, but in Emmerich's eyes you can see Louis genuinely filled with nostalgia but also shame for using the nostalgia in the lie. Emmerich takes an extra second in every beat of the scene that goes beyond Marlon convincing Truman, and you see Louis hating himself. A moment of extra emphasis that alludes to the truth even as he is speaking the lie. When he tells Truman that he'd have to be lying for the reality to be a lie, Emmerich is great because as he tells his sacrificial support to Truman with a caring expression, and speaks "the last thing I'd ever do is lie to you", Emmerich's performance is amazing because in his face you see Louis being genuinely torn up about what he is doing, feeling the raw emotion of lying to his friend, even as he tells the "truth" to him. Emmerich never breaks, it is with subtle throat clear, a glance, a bit of real sorrow, but shows Louis within Marlon in that moment. It is great work that alludes to an even greater performance, even as the rest of the film, despite a deleted scene showing otherwise and the script showing more, we leave Marlon/Louis as just a pawn in the end. Still even within those unfortunate edits, is a credit to Emmerich's work that he was still able to allude to the conflict of his character even if the filmmakers chose not to truly give any time to it.