Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Fred Ward in Miami Blues

Fred Ward did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sgt. Hoke Moseley in Miami Blues.

Miami Blues is a strong sorta comedic movie about a criminal who pretends to be a cop while romancing a prostitute. Although I can appreciate a unique effort, I didn't really enjoy it. 

Character Fred Ward plays the cop who is kind of after Alec Baldwin’s Frederick J. Frenger Jr. despite being a less than reliable sort himself. I have enjoyed some of Ward’s character actor bits in the past however his rare leading turn from 1990 in Henry & June wasn’t particularly impressive. He probably is more at home here in coming occasionally into the film as the man sort of on Junior’s trail rather than leading the whole film. Ward, in his early scenes, though has the same challenge that Baldwin struggles with here and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Junior’s prostitute eventual girlfriend does more than decently with, which is the film’s off-beat tone. It wants to be funny despite dealing with crime and violence. The problem is it isn’t I didn't find it terribly funny just more of weird and not in a way that I found all that engaging or endearing. Ward’s performance within the film I think is largely fine when we just need him to say a gruff line or two and be generally sloppy as the cop who is far from a professional himself. It’s supposed to be a bit funny I think, Ward’s not overly but he’s not actively unfunny either I guess. Ward comes in and he’s fine as very much being the general ramshackle cop type. I don’t think he makes a memorable impression in truly fashioning something unexpected that makes the tone sing by any means. He becomes slightly more interesting when he directly interacts with Leigh as the Sergeant is trying to learn more. Ward fashions a phony charm as he tries to get more info from her, and he is entirely alright is finding a bit of smarmy charm. I found noting exceptional in Ward’s performance, but he delivers on the basic requirements. Eventually there is a showdown between the cop and the criminal where the Sergeant bests junior. Ward brings a dogged intensity in the scene that is fine in selling that moment even if it doesn’t add up to too much. Then he has a button moment where suddenly the sloppy Sergeant is beaming with confidence after having vanquished his foe particularly compared to the tired over the hill guy we saw before. Ward again presents the switch to the stronger posture and a big smile effectively enough, but still not overly memorable. Ward gives a performance in this film that I thought certainly existed. It isn’t bad, I didn't find it especially remarkable, it’s fine. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Jon Polito in Miller's Crossing

Jon Polito did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Giovanni “Johnny Caspar” Gasparo in Miller’s Crossing.

A funny thing that can occur with a character actor is that you sometimes mistakenly believe them just to be that character they are most famous for or the style of performance. Polito falls into such a strange situation, though probably helped by the fact I’m guessing a lot of later directors might’ve asked him to “do Johnny Caspar” because of how distinctive his delivery and manner is here, that isn’t at all how Polito actually speaks or even moves around. Polito constructs such a unique character for the character of Johnny Caspar, the Italian gangster who gives the opening speech of the film. What Polito’s performance essentially is doing is creating the contrast between what Caspar wants to be taken as to what he is, which is more than a weight deficit between those elements. Polito very much does not choose to emphasize a tough guy gangster type nor the cold businessman, but rather portrays the falsehood that Caspar is trying to create. Polito’s screeching voice, his beetle like movements, they both are revealing of an innately pathetic man, yet behind all of that is the passion of someone who demands to be treated seriously as an honest threat. 

In the opening speech we get the whiplash of Caspar’s perspective of himself as he first delivers a long speech about how he thinks things should go in the underworld where he states his need that everyone follows certain ethics, albeit criminal ethics, and someone who cheats those ethics, bookie Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro) be killed for violating that code by not abiding by how fight fixes should go. I love the rhythm of Polito’s speech where at first he does get into a somewhat believable directness of a proper gangster albeit still somewhat of a put on, however as a man who can help himself, he starts festering with rage over Bernie giving his hand away completely as the man who desperately wants to be taken seriously as a force to be reckoned with yet can’t quite fit the part. When head Irish gangster Leo (Albert Finney) disregards his desire to abide by “ethics”, Polito loses it more though with this very specific way of trying to adhere to this certain command yet just letting the rage seep out again and again. I especially adore his delivery of “I’m sick of getting the high hat”, as a man trying to be in some kind of control it yet seething with a uncontrolled desperation for what he wants to achieve yet is denied. 

Polito presents Caspar as a man, an Italian, who basically wants to be in charge of the world, as he sees it, presents himself as capable of it through his approach to the criminal world, yet just like his American name versus Italian name, it is very much a facade. That isn’t to say Caspar isn’t powerful or dangerous, he is, but in a way his power and danger comes from that degree of instability created by the facade that Polito reveals so effectively in every choice he makes throughout his performance. A performance which needs to be said is also very much in creating the strange nature of the man, a strange nature that feels consistent within Polito’s performance. You take any moment with Leo’s right hand Tom (Gabriel Byrne), who Caspar wants to switch sides, where everything is about glad-handing the man he respects. Polito’s wonderful though in the way his glad-handing is so phony in how over the top it is, and correctly so because if need be Caspar has no scruples of having Tom either beaten or even killed at times. All of those are merely un-pleasantries however which Polito again plays as a hand wave as though it isn’t something major to Caspar in his warped perception. A common element, and one random aside I love is Caspar’s advice to get a cold shave where Polito delivers such certainty, such stupid certainty, that it is the best kind of shave as though he is this genius man about town, rather than just a fool pretending he is one. 

The strength of this performance is fitting to the Coen Brothers which is the success of idiosyncrasy. There are no gangster performances quite like Polito in this film, it is entirely its own beast yet works in his own particular way. Where we have actually a pretty fascinating juxtaposition where the “heroes” of the film are the ones who are scheming and making choices just based on personal wants, everything Caspar does show that he does genuinely believe in his ethics, which quick aside Polito’s way of delivering that alone deserves special mention as a gold bit of performance gold, despite his ethics being that of a criminal. His “honesty” makes him a prime target for Tom’s manipulations by making Caspar think his right-hand man Eddie Dane (J.E. Freeman) is betraying him. That prodding results in some excellent reactions by Polito where you see his mind trying to comprehend the idea, first with a quick disbelief then the nagging frustration and eventually that rage against a betrayal of ethics. The rage scene is a terrific moment from Polito because you see again that limited facade break as Polito looks like a bursting pressure cooker as he goes about killing his most loyal man and even loudly proclaims the importance of putting “one in the brain” as a grandiose gesture. Polito makes it this great explosion of that rage of being given the high hat that very much defines him where his attempted “wisdom” of killing this time is delivered as the ravings of a violent madman that Caspar fundamentally is deep down. Jon Polito delivers a truly great performance as he creates a wholly new take on essentially a well worn “genre” of a character. Polito creating a dynamic portrait of a man who knows all the required notes to play the part of boss but maybe doesn't know how to play them. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990

And the Nominees Were Not:

Brad Dourif in The Exorcist III

 

Fred Ward in Miami Blues

Bob Hoskins in Mermaids

 

Jon Polito in Miller's Crossing

 

Thomas F. Wilson in Back to the Future Part III 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Results

5. Armand Assante in Q & A - Assante gives a decent enough performance as a confident mob boss, but the film gives him very little room to explore his character.

Best Scene: The final Q & A.

4. Albert Finney in Miller's Crossing - A brilliantly stylized performance as he plays the role as a classic 30's gangster although he carefully finds depth in the role never becoming merely a caricature.

Best Scene: "Danny Boy"

3. Robert De Niro in Goodfellas - De Niro gives one of his best performance finding charisma of a suave gangster while never holding back in depicting the true violent nature of the man.

Best Scene: The phone booth.

2. Gary Oldman in State of Grace  - Gary Oldman rises well above his material with his energetic as well as somewhat psychotic yet oh so sympathetic depiction of a gangster who fights for the neighborhood he grew up in.

Best Scene: Waiting for the phone call.

1. Harry Dean Stanton in Wild At Heart - The great character actor Harry Dean Stanton gives an outstanding performance that is both hilarious and heartbreaking while being just so unassuming. I have to admit this was a great year and really I could scramble my top five any which way and I'd be fine with it.

Best Scene: His final scene.

Overall Rank:

1. Joe Pesci in Goodfellas
2. Harry Dean Stanton in Wild At Heart
3. Gary Oldman in State of Grace
4. Robert De Niro in Goodfellas
5. Albert Finney in Miller's Crossing
6. Richard Farnsworth in Misery
7. Willem Dafoe in Wild At Heart
8. Jon Polito in Miller's Crossing
9. Raul Julia in Presumed Innocent
10. John Goodman in Arachnophobia
11. Thomas F. Wilson in Back to the Future III
12. Raul Julia in The Rookie
13. Paul Sorvino in Goodfellas 
14. Tom Towles in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
15. Bruce Davison in Longtime Companion
16. Ralph Foody in Home Alone
17. Ian Holm in Hamlet
18. Roberts Blossom in Home Alone
19. J.E. Freeman in Wild At Heart 
20. Elias Koteas in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
21. Joseph Mazzello in Presumed Innocent
22. Ed Harris in State of Grace 
23. Michael Keaton in Pacific Heights
24. Frank Vincent in Goodfellas 
25. John Hurt in The Field
26. Crispin Glover in Wild At Heart
27. Hector Elizondo in Pretty Woman
28. John Candy in Home Alone
29. Michael Ironside in Total Recall
30. Joe Pesci in Home Alone
31. Daniel Stern in Home Alone 
32. John Glover in Gremlins 2 
33. Steve Bisley in The Big Steal
34. Vincent Schiavelli in Ghost
35. Joe Viterelli in State of Grace
36. Vincent Price in Edward Scissorhands
37. Paul Winfield in Presumed Innocent
38. Alan Bates in Hamlet
39. Burgess Meredith in Rocky V
40. George C. Scott in The Rescuers Down Under
41. Scott Glenn in The Hunt For Red October
42. Brian Dennehey in Presumed Innocent
43. Dustin Hoffman in Dick Tracy
44. Andy Garcia in The Godfather Part III
45. Marshall Napier in The Big Steal
46. Pat Hingle in The Grifters
47. Eli Wallach in The Godfather Part III
48. Michael Gross in Tremors
49. Armand Assante in Q & A
50. Michael Imperioli in Goodfellas
51. Al Pacino in Dick Tracy
52. Burgess Meredith in State of Grace 
53. Max von Sydow in Awakenings
54. J.T. Walsh in The Grifters
55. James Earl Jones in The Hunt for Red October
56. Joe Mantegna in The Godfather Part III
57. John Amos in Die Hard 2 
58. Stephen Dillane in Hamlet
59. Frank DiLeo in Goodfellas
60. Sam Neil in The Hunt for Red October
61. Sean Bean in The Field
62. William Sadler in Die Hard 2
63. Timothy Spall in White Hunter Black Heart
64. David Strathairn in Memphis Belle
65. Frank Sivero in Goodfellas
66. Stephen Tobolowsky in Bird on a Wire 
67. Tom Skerritt in The Rookie
68. Alun Armstrong in White Hunter Black Heart
69. Fred Ward in Tremors
70. Ronny Cox in Total Recall
71. William Atherton in Die Hard 2
72. Sam Rockwell in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
73. Ralph Bellamy in Pretty Woman
74. John C. Reilly in State of Grace
75. Sab Shimono in Presumed Innocent
76. George Dzundza in White Hunter Black Heart
77. John Heard in Home Alone
78. Robert Prosky in Gremlins 2 
79. Christopher Lloyd in Ducktales The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
80. Kevin Clash in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
81. John Spencer in Presumed Innocent
82. Mark Lamos in Longtime Companion
83. Tim Curry in The Hunt For Red October
84. John Turturro in State of Grace
85. Richard Gant in Rocky V
86. John Lithgow in Memphis Belle 
87. Paul Sorvino in Dick Tracy
88. William Hickey in My Blue Heaven
89. Mako in Pacific Heights
90. Bill Duke in Bird on a Wire
91. Alan Arkin in Edward Scissorhands 
92. Robert Picardo in Gremlins 2
93. David Carradine in Bird on a Wire
94. Gary Busey in Predator 2
95. Devin Ratray in Home Alone
96. Nathaniel Parker in Hamlet
97. Luis Guzman in Q & A
98. Graham Greene in Dances With Wolves
99. Charles S. Dutton in Q & A
100. Ned Beatty in Captain America
101. Anthony Michael Hall in Edward Scissorhands 
102. Charlie Korsmo in Dick Tracy
103. John Turturro in Miller's Crossing
104. Campbell Scott in Longtime Companion 
105. Gailard Sartain in Ernest Goes to Jail
106. Darren McGavin in Captain America 
107. Robert Sean Leonard in Mr. And Mrs. Bridge
108. Gilbert Gottfried in Look Who's Talking Too
109. Tom Berenger in The Field  
110. Julian Sands in Arachnophobia
111. Vincent Perez in Cyrano de Bergerac
112. Charles Napier in Ernest Goes to Jail
113. Dennis Franz in Die Hard 2
114. Ronny Cox in Captain America
115. Ian Bannen in Ghost Dad
116. J.E. Freeman in Miller's Crossing
117. Charles Rocket in Dances With Wolves
118. Patrick Cassidy in Longtime Companion 
119. Burt Young in Rocky V
120. Gerry Bamman in Home Alone
121. Jason Alexander in Pretty Woman 
122. Richard Tyson in Kindergarten Cop
123. Ray Baker in Heart Condition
124. Tony Goldwyn in Ghost
125. Sage Stallone in Rocky V
126. Pepe Serna in The Rookie
127. Rip Taylor in Ducktales The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
128. Patrick O'Neal in Q & A
129. Scott Paulin in Captain America
130. Tommy Morrison in Rocky V

Next Year: 1936 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Armand Assante in Q & A

Armand Assante did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Roberto 'Bobby Tex' Texador.

When Q & A began I thought I was potentially watching a hidden gem, after all it's directed by Sidney Lumet, as it appeared it was going to be a well written story about a young assistant district attorney Al Reilly (Timothy Hutton) trying to uncover the truth behind an extremely corrupt police officer Lt. Mike Brennan (Nick Nolte). Well I suppose it is about that, but after all it is directed by Sidney Lumet who could make a terrible film just as readily as a masterpiece. After about the half hour mark it became obvious it was going to be closer to a Morning After than the Verdict. Just like the Morning After it has a terribly out of place score, and ends having the subtlety of a jack hammer. After all it throws in stuff about racial discrimination, which could be fine, but the problem is it feels thrown in. I think everything became clear, what type of movie it was going to be, when suddenly Hutton's character was accused of being racist by his old girlfriend in such a terribly written way that I knew where the film was headed. Well actually it was even before that where Assante's character accuses Al of bringing him in for questioning only because that ex-girlfriend is his current girlfriend. 

Well anyways Armand Assante plays another criminal, back to the theme of the year. A rather poorly defined drug dealer who we meet in that interrogation scene. He does not say much other than try to look like the calm and cool sort of gangster type. Well Assante walks in then runs back out and we see essentially the way Assante will play the part. All that I've seen from Assante it is kinda similar style where he's a bit flamboyant to say the least. He's always kinda moving a bit even when he's standing still and he seems to purposefully accentuate every line he gets. Well this sort of approach might not always work but it does work well enough here since it is a natural fit for Texador who just kinda does things his own way. Assante brings enough of a charismatic incisiveness to the role as he verbally beats down Al's early on, and it sets up the toughness of the character well enough. Well that means we're going to get more of Texador's character and find out what really makes him unique.

Well we don't really get that all we get is watching him attempt to avoid being murdered by the out of control Mike Brennan by first pooling other people on his hit list then going to Al to take him down. I suppose Assante has the most consistent writing behind him in that Texador always seems to be the same person we met in his first scene, but then again the film actually does strangely little with him. He kinda goes from scene to scene just saying "Mike Brennan has to be stopped and here's how". It is a doubled edged sword in that he gets avoid some of the ludicrous, or terrible moments that the other performs must endure, but that's only because he's used so little. It's very repetitive until he gets blown up on a yacht which came off as unintentionally funny to me and really should have ended with Nick Nolte saying "Ain't I a Stinker". Assante does just fine with what he has to work with. He brings the right confidence and calm in creating the cool gangster, the film just does not given him anywhere to go with it. I liked his performance but I'm not sure if it was even possible to love it.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Harry Dean Stanton in Wild At Heart

Harry Dean Stanton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Johnnie Farragut in Wild At Heart.

Wild At Heart is another neurotic erotic thriller from David Lynch about young lovers Lula (Laura Dern) and Sailor (Nicolas Cage) on the run from the wrath of Lula's mother Marietta (Diane Ladd) who wants Sailor dead. It never maintains the heights found in Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, as it never feels as cohesive. Nevertheless it certainly has some brilliant scenes and it has to at least be described as interesting.

The lead of Lynch's films of this style often is a straight man of sorts to play off the oddity of everything else particularly in the cases of Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet and Bill Pullman in Lost Highway. That's not the case here with Nicolas Cage giving a bizarre turn himself through his Elvis Presley inspired work. The closest we seem to get in this film is from the character actor of character actors Harry Dean Stanton. Of course he's still fairly far in terms of how the role is written, but Stanton take on the part does seem to make him fulfill the role a bit. Stanton plays a police detective who is recruited by Marietta to track down Sailor and Lula. Of course the reason he is able to be recruited by her is that Johnnie is in love Mariette, which keeps his character a bit absurd as well since he can't see through, not to mention he too has a few Lynchian moments in there. Nevertheless Stanton gives a pretty unassuming performance though as he presents Johnnie as kinda a classic sort of gumshoe. Stanton's manner reflects this so well with that perfect harried look of the hardworking detective.

Now Stanton's approach could not work better as he acts as a very much needed buffer against Ladd's extremely over the top performance. Stanton is hilarious as he stays so downplay against her while not necessarily portraying his own reactions as wholly realistic. That's fine though as Stanton in that is so good at showing the way Johnnie tries to deal with the crazy woman that he loves for some reason. Stanton's great because he plays it as though Johnnie sees her as basically a sane woman who has to be corrected on a few things. He's especially funny when trying to explain to her that Sailor is not a murderer because the man was going to attack him with a knife, an assassin sent by Mariette. Stanton's terrific because he so gently tries to correct her on this point as though she's genuinely messed about it's just marvelous. Stanton really brings this wonderful sweetness to his performance because he portrays Johnnie as so honest in his affections for Mariette. Stanton's earnestness about it plays particularly well off of Ladd who does not make a secret that Mariette is clearly playing Johnnie every step of the way.

Every scene that Stanton shows up, well until his last one, is a hoot because of his characterization of Johnnie as such a sweetheart towards Mariette. One of my favorite moments is early on as Johnnie tells Mariette not to call about her criminal connections to deal with Sailor, as Stanton is so moving as Johnnie by portraying just how hurt he is even thinking that Mariette does not return his love. Stanton is so brilliantly tragic in the role because he manages to be so amusing portraying Johnnie method of dealing with her, but with a real heart behind it. The concern, when Mariette alludes to something being seriously wrong only over the phone, is so pure in Stanton's performance, as is the enthusiasm in their last scene together when Mariette seems to finally want to be with him. Of course this love story is not the love story of the film since Mariette does not love poor Johnny going so far as to sell him out leaving him at the hands of the darkest elements of the film. This takes Johnny to be beaten down in a hotel room and unfortunately for Johnnie that is not the end of it leading Stanton's final scene which may be the very best scene in the film.

The scene is pure horror from its strange setting, to the ominous music playing throughout, to a horrifying performance by Grace Zabriskie, and of course there is poor Johnnie in the middle of it being tied to a chair forced to watch it all. Stanton's silent work here shows exactly how incredible of an actor he really is. He first begins as the straight man of sorts as he watches in almost complete disbelief at what it is that he is seeing, and there is some humor still left from this dead pan act. This does not last for long though as Stanton only brings out the terror of the scene all the more by reflecting it so fully through his expression. Then to end it all Stanton is absolutely heartbreaking as Stanton portrays the final sad realization in Johnnie about his fate. Stanton, for me anyways, was the most consistent thing in the film as his scenes always have something worthwhile that being him. Stanton's performance works so well within the film as he plays into the style so effortlessly while still keeping honest emotions in his character. Of course I love Stanton here though, I mean it's Harry Dean Stanton with an actual part, the man who can make something special out of almost nothing.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Albert Finney in Miller's Crossing

Albert Finney did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Leo in Miller's Crossing.

Miller's Crossing on re-watch did improve for me. It's still far from my favorite Coen brother's film, and a major villain, the Dane, is a bit weak (which probably would not have been a problem if Peter Stormare, the original choice, had played the part), but on a whole it's pretty good gangster film.

Like many of the Coen brother's films the film takes a risk in having an overt style that spreads to all facets of the film including the acting. Now this did not work all to well for them a few years later in the Hudsucker Proxy where the best performance was given by Paul Newman simply because he did not try to play the part in the style of a 40's screwball comedy. Well here the take is that of a 30's gangster picture and perhaps this is most noticeable in the performance I'm focusing on here by Albert Finney as the crime boss of the town, yep focusing on yet another mobster which I believe is the theme for the supporting actors of 1990. This performance is quite a bit different from Gary Oldman in State of Grace and Robert De Niro in Goodfellas though because Finney chooses to play the part with this very specific style. Finney uses a particularly booming voice, really not at all unlike Ralph Foody's gangster voice from Angels with Filth Souls in Home Alone, that seems to come right from that old style of picture. In addition just the way he sits and leans on his desk in that opening scene seems to come right out from the past once more.

Now all of this could add up to nothing or become grating, as some of the acting can be with this sort of approach when done wrong. Finney though is just brilliant in the realization of this style. In terms of the simple points of it Finney amplifies the whole atmosphere of the film with his work which seems to fits so well into the setting that the Coen's have constructed. I suppose most importantly though Finney is incredibly entertaining and it is fun to watch him as Leo. It's enjoyable to simply watch him perform as the character. I especially love the whole "Danny Boy" shoot out where Finney aptly fulfills the job of a 1930's gangster badass. Every movement in the way Finney conducts himself is perfection in terms of creating Leo as the character he should be for this sort of story. Of course all of this this plays into the key of Finney's work here which is though this is a performance that's fun to watch but this is not a comic performance by Finney. Finney does plays the part with a lot of style but he does not go too far with the style. He does not let the style overwhelm to the point that is all there is, and Finney never uses the style to override the need to give depth to the character.

In this regards Finney is also terrific since he essentially leaves enough room to develop Leo beyond just his gangster style. Finney is interesting in that on the surface he brings the needed commanding presence to go along with his gangster style. Within in that though Finney is excellent in bringing a though strong vein of vulnerability to Leo. It is not anything that Finney plays on as overt that would completely compromise Leo's position. Instead Finney keeps it an understated yet so very effective compromise in Leo, that is needed to explain why Leo makes the decision that technically creates the conflict in the film. That decision being refusing to let the head of the rival mob Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito) kill a despicable bookie Bernie (John Turturro) because Leo is in love with Bernie's sister Verna (Marcia Gay Harden). Of course really Leo is being manipulated by Verna completely, but Fineny gives a why to this as he expresses just how infatuated with her he really is. Finney's particularly fantastic in the scene where his right hand man Tom (Gabriel Byrne) reveals he's been having an affair with Verna. Although Leo beats down Tom with a tough guy manner Finney portrays a devastation in Leo, showing just how meaningful the relationship is to him even though it is not to her.

Finney is outstanding here as he finds just the right tone exactly in which to play Leo, and I'd say he matches the style the film seems to be going for better than anyone else in the supporting cast. It's an incredible display of giving a pronounced style to his character, while never seeming to merely become a caricature. Really one of my problems with the film is that Leo exits the film not even quite half way through before reappearing for one last final scene. This is not even necessarily much of a criticism at what is there instead of Leo, but rather it's shame there is not more of Finney's great performance. Now to Finney's credit he certainly keeps Leo alive in the proceedings thanks to the considerable impact he makes in the first third where the majority of his screen time takes place. It is not until the very last scene of the film that he returns, but thanks once again to his earlier work it is an especially welcome one as Finney always manages to make the victory a satisfying one as he makes Leo such an oddly endearing gangster. Finney does not lose anything by his somewhat limited screen time though as he maintains his presence throughout. He makes Leo one of the most memorable aspects of the film as Finney works so eloquently with the material here. This is a performance I just love to watch and is the very best that I've seen from Finney.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Gary Oldman in State of Grace

Gary Oldman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jackie Flannery in State of Grace.

State of Grace is an effective though flawed film, since it never seems to be quite sure what type of film it wants to be, about a young man Terry (Sean Penn) returning to his old neighborhood to be part of the local mobster scene, although his motivations are not quite what they appear to be.

Well from one mobster to another. This time an Irish American mobster played by Gary Oldman, who really is the movie. Always the chameleon Gary Oldman once again proves these skills once again with his accent and manner he brings to Jackie. Oldman fits right in with the actually American actors, but in addition to that some how he actually seems more authentic in creating a criminal from Hell's Kitchen than some of the other actors do. Oldman just is absolutely alive here in his performance from the first scene where Penn's Terry goes to reconnect with Jackie at a bar. Oldman is brilliant in creating this sort of mobster as he brings such a constant energy portraying the lively manner in which Jackie handles his life. Oldman portrays him effectively as a technically a single minded sort of man who views his life, which involves plenty of criminal activity, simply as the way he lives. Oldman brings such a compelling manic quality that expresses so well the way in which Jackie lives his life which is essentially take actions first and never really even bother to think about it.

The tone Oldman strikes up for the character really is quite remarkable. On one side Oldman does makes Jackie perhaps somewhat psychopathic as he really does not bat his eye at violence performed by himself or anyone else. Oldman in addition very much carries that propensity for violence as he carries always an intensity within himself. There is always a bit of spark in Oldman's performance and he makes it a constant that Jackie is a bit of a wild card even within his brother (Ed Harris)'s criminal organization. This is not a villainous performance though by any means, although this somewhat plays into the film's lack of defining what exactly it's going for Oldman in no way falters with his performance. Oldman happens in really the same situations to make Jackie a surprisingly likable character. Part of the reason for this perhaps is that Oldman plays Jackie as perhaps the most honest character in the film, in that he technically has no secrets. An early twist in the film is a reveal that Penn's Terry is an undercover cop, which is one weaker aspects of the film. A conflict does come from this really because how well Oldman realizes Jackie as a character.

One element of the character that may not have worked in lesser hands is that Jackie is seen through a slightly heroic lens, even though he's a guy who plays around with severed hands and does not hesitate to brutally murder people. Oldman though creates this pivotal facet of the character brilliantly though. In the scenes where Jackie talks about the importance of the neighborhood staying the way it is there is this strong passion that Oldman brings and it only ever feels like a genuine desire. What is so unique about it is that Oldman manages to not make this a selfish desire in the man as there is such an oddly honorable quality that Oldman brings to it when Jackie speaks about seeing the way the neighborhood is being changed by developments and the Italian mob. Oldman only adds to this in the scenes where Jackie reacts to a murder of his friend. Oldman is very moving as he portrays the real loss in Jackie and that he no way will forget what happened to his friend. In a later scene when Jackie decides to brutally dispense his justice on some Italian mobsters, Oldman brings forward a palatable anger, making the killings not for himself, rather for the death of his friend.

This is an outstanding performance by Gary Oldman as he consistently covers for weaknesses within the film. One being Terry's dilemma about being an undercover cop which would meaningless if it were not for how sympathetic Oldman manages to make Jackie despite the character's many personal shortcomings. The amazing thing though is Oldman is the one who ramps up the tension of the film especially in one sequence where a hit is dependent on a phone call. Oldman portrayal of Jackie's refusal to stay idle ratchets up the pressure of the moment incredibly well, once again making up for the film that easily could have faltered without him. Now the only problem here is that Jackie is the supporting character and the film weakens whenever he is off screen. This is particularly problematic in the very last act of the film where it really runs out of steam because Oldman has made his exit. Of course neither of those in any relate to a problem with his performance, instead they just show how good his work in this film is. This is simply one of those great supporting performances that makes the film to the point that you really wish it had simply been about that character.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990: Robert De Niro in Goodfellas

Robert De Niro did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Bafta, for portraying Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas.

Goodfellas marks Robert De Niro's sixth collaboration with director Martin Scorsese and it is notable that it is the first time since their first collaboration, Mean Streets, where he does not have the leading role. Although a few critics groups and the Baftas placed him lead, I would most likely because he's Robert De Niro, since obviously the lead of the film is Ray Liotta as Henry Hill. Like in Mean Streets though De Niro perhaps has the most influential character in terms of the progression of the story. The first time Jimmy appears in the film in chronological order it is essentially as a big shot among gangsters at a party. De Niro being no stranger to playing the mob type fits into the role with the sort of ease you'd expect. As Jimmy in this scene though he brings that overt charisma to the man and creates Jimmy's presence in the moments which is much stronger than pretty much any other mobster of the group. De Niro establishes Jimmy as a man who does things his way and realizes him as the sort of guy the young Henry would aspire to be.

De Niro carries himself particularly well in the scenes where he takes the young Henry as well as the young Tommy DeVito under his wing. De Niro carries himself with almost a fatherly grace as he shows the boys the ropes even more as he runs his various criminal operations. De Niro shows Jimmy to seem like such a generous man at first as he has people doing exactly what he wants them to do for him, but we seen soon enough that it is hardly all there is to Jimmy. The first scene that perhaps makes the abundantly clear is when someone who owns Jimmy money keeps dodging the questions and even openly acts defiantly towards Jimmy. De Niro is great in the scene as he pretty much breaks down to exactly what Jimmy is behind his nice suits and his genial demeanor to those who serve his interests, which is a thug. De Niro plays it in a particularly uncompromising fashion as he shows Jimmy to bluntly brutal in the way he roughs up the man for paying up. There's no warmth, not even any reserve, its a direct violent outburst from a man who's simply not getting what he wants out of him. 

De Niro, Liotta, and Pesci as Tommy are particularly good together in just portraying the camaraderie between the three. They are terrific together in bringing such an authentic feeling ease they have together as the three enjoy all their life has to offer. They are good in their moments of enjoyment, even when ribbing one another over slight things, and what so remarkable is how they show essentially the little things in the life of the wiseguy. De Niro and Pesci are very interesting together in that as Pesci realizes the overt psychopathy of Tommy while De Niro is quite good as he shows that Jimmy really not far from Tommy in terms of nature he just happens to be better at utilizing his violent tendencies in a "useful" fashion. De Niro brings that same sort intense violent glee along Pesci when Jimmy goes about helping Tommy kill a mobster who insulted Tommy. De Niro and Pesci together are brilliant in the way they realize the very dark nature of the mobster as a man by doing it in such a convincing and casual fashion. They really are quite evil, they just happen to be able to get along in a normal way simply because of their position in the mob.

One of his best scenes is when it appears as though Tommy is about to be a made man, something Henry and Jimmy can't become because they are not pure Italian. De Niro is outstanding in the scene as he manages to create some sympathy for the psychopathic Tommy through first bringing such genuine enthusiasm as he waits for the news only to bring such honest grief when things don't go as planned. That's what so good about De Niro here as he so eloquently is able to believably show all these different facets of Jimmy while keeping him as one man. In addition De Niro actually creates some of the most chilling moments because of his creation of Jimmy's nature like this. The section that of the film that follows most closely on De Niro is after a gigantic heist masterminded by Jimmy, but for some reason every man on the job wants to try to screw up afterwards. There is one amazing moment from De Niro, as it's a silent reaction shot, but in his face you can see his mind planning the death of everyone who is trying to screw up his idea for the money from the heist. De Niro makes Jimmy especially dangerous through the way he specifically conveys his maliciousness which only makes itself known when completely necessary. The scene where he asks Henry's wife to look a dress, although clearly planning something else for her, is particularly unnerving because again De Niro keeps up a generous spirit with Jimmy while in those eyes there's that glint again of his true nature. This perhaps De Niro's best collaboration Scorsese as he knows exactly how to work within the film. He allows other actors to shine when they have their moments, amplifying their work with his own assured performance, giving so much more texture in certain scenes just by sometimes being in the background. When it is his time though De Niro delivers every moment and creates a fascinating portrait of Jimmy Conway.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1990

And the Nominees Were Not:

Albert Finney in Miller's Crossing

Armand Assante in Q & A

Robert De Niro in Goodfellas

Harry Dean Stanton in Wild At Heart

Gary Oldman in State of Grace