Best Supporting Actor 1990: Results

5. Andy Garcia in The Godfather Part III- Garcia never reaches the emotional highs of Godfather predecessors and has awkwardly acted moments throughout. 

4. Graham Greene in Dances With Wolves- Greene's  performance is not bad, but never anything really memorable either.

3. Al Pacino in Dick Tracy- Al Pacino goes full force over the top, which fits the role and is somewhat entertaining, but never extremely entertaining though.

2. Bruce Davison in Longtime Companion- Davison gives a very good performance in his few pivotal scenes. He is less impressive in his other scenes, but still it is a strong performance.

1. Joe Pesci in Goodfellas- Pesci's performance is easily my win, since it is an example of a perfect supporting performance that only adds to his film.

Deserving Performances:
Robert De Niro in Goodfellas
Albert Finney in Miller's Crossing

Best Supporting Actor 1990: Graham Greene in Dances With Wolves

Graham Green received his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves.

Graham Green plays the Sioux medicine man who encounters Kevin Costner's John Dunbar rather early on. Watching this film again I really find it a little surprising that the academy recognized him. Costner actually interacts with several Sioux, I suppose he perhaps with Kicking Bird the most, I am not so sure really that he does though, and even he does not really all that much more than the other Siouxs.

A lot of the time he really is just in the crowd of the Sioux people, and he really does not stick out at all unless he is directly speaking with Costner's character. In these scenes though Greene very much underplays the role, speaking little, showing the working of the quiet man though with small reactions like a slight smile at times. Greene is realistic enough in these scenes but he is not amazing  by any means.

Graham Greene's performance is never really that memorable, nor is his character one in the film that is unforgettable either. After watching it the first two times I barely noticed his performance, and what he did quickly faded in my memory. This time I watched it only for him, and still I had a hard to finding myself truly interested by any means, although I will admit not being interested by much in the film to begin with. Nonetheless Greene never really broke this disinterest for me, not a bad performance at all, but also not a performance I really feel needed to really be noted either.

Best Supporting Actor 1990: Al Pacino in Dick Tracy

Al Pacino received his sixth Oscar nomination for portraying Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy.

Dick Tracy depicts the hard boiled detectives attempts to take down crime.

Al Pacino's "Big Boy" is the main crime boss in town who quickly seizes power. There is only one way to describe Al Pacino's performance which is extreme over the topness. I am not usually a huge fan of over the topness in the wrong circumstance, but in this circumstance going over the top certianly fits the role of Big Boy. After all just look at Pacino here, to go for a subtle restrained performance would seem sort of odd when you look like Richard III combined with a raisin.

Pacino basically yells throughout his whole performance, as well as makes big gestures indicating his anger, and his want to GET TRACY!.  Other than that Pacino really does not do a whole lot, he just yells and hams it up. His overacting fits the part of Caprice, and he plays the villain just as the villain should have been played in a film like Dick Tracy.

Pacino's performance is enjoyable enough, and entertaining enough. He has some nice little humorous moments particularly near the end of the film where he starts freaking out. At the same time though I never found this performance really really enjoyable, entertaining or funny either. In fact I would probably say the performance I enjoyed more in this film was Dustin Hoffman's shorter work as Mumbles. In the end to me this is a fine performance, that fulfills the role but it never became an unforgettably entertaining one.

Best Supporting Actor 1990: Joe Pesci in Goodfellas

Joe Pesci won his Oscar from his second nomination for portraying Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas.

Goodfellas tells the story of low level mobsters in New York.

Joe Pesci plays the violent psychopathic mobster Tommy DeVito. Pesci from his earliest of moments in the film manages to dominate the screen with his performance. Pesci from his first scene instantly establishes Tommy completely as exactly who he is, which is really a violent animal. Pesci never denies this, but rather embraces this whole idea behind Tommy which makes his performance so impressive.

There is a constant visceral aspect of his performance that always pierces right through the screen showing the utter brutality of Tommy, as well as the unpredictable manner of him. Each scene where Pesci is the focus, or at least where Pesci forces himself as the focus through his performance it is impossible not to watch him. His scenes have a certain unbearable quality to them created by Pesci becuase how well he manages to realize the cruelty of DeVito, but at the same time he makes every scene utterly fascinating because of his performance. 

It is this dynamic that makes Pesci's performance so powerful, and so effective. He makes this absolute thug someone you can't help but watch. He is cruel psychopath, with basically zero sympathy, yet there is just something utterly fascinating about him. The lack of any sort of sympathy for his victims or remorse for his crimes, in anyway simply paints a chilling portrait of this man. Pesci really is truly chilling because he never overacts with his cruelty he makes the violence in DeVito absolutely real. He never turns him into a movie villain but a real evil man who kills most people just because they insult him.

Pesci stays true to his portrait throughout the film, never letting off for a hint keeping his brutality always in the forefront, until only his last two words. Pesci probably gives the most powerful performance imaginable in the two words showing really what a waste of life Tommy has in his short final moment, it is absolutely outstanding what he does with it really. Pesci's performance is pivotal part of the entire the film and makes the most of it. He absolutely gets everything he can out his performance, this is a true example of a perfect supporting performance. Pesci only every adds to this already great film.

Best Supporting Actor 1990: Bruce Davison in Longtime Companion

Bruce Davison received his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying David in Longtime Companion.

Longtime Companion shows how Aids changes the lives of a group of homosexual men. 

Bruce Davison plays David one of the men of the group. Although usually I write about an actor's performance through their portrayal of how their character progresses, but with this performance I think it is best to start with the part of his performance, and frankly the part of the film that is always mentioned when speaking about the film or this performance, which is the "let go" scene of course.

Davison's performance in that scene is amazing most certainly as he slowly cajoles his partner into finally passing away after a long illness. It is an unforgettable scene really because of how calm, and naturally Davison is in the scene. A very powerful scene, and Davison brings every ounce of the emotion from that scene that makes it no wonder why that scene is the most remembered scene in the film and of Davison's performance. 

After that Davison is also very good in the following scenes where he shows his grief afterward. Davison again does not only show his sadness over the death of his partner but he also shows also how much he meant to him at the same time. It is a very effective portrayal of the honest loss his character feels, and how he combines the positive feelings of happiness, as well as the feeling dread, and loss.

Before these scenes though I feel Davison stands out less for a long while in the film, in the group scenes he mostly is just part of the group, and really does not stick out in any particularly special fashion. The only other moments of real note are his scenes of quiet comfort of the others who are very worried, because Davison quiet reacts to them, and comforts them warmly. Davison performance is most certainly a good performance though, and when he becomes good he is very good, giving a warm, honest and moving performance.

Best Supporting Actor 1990: Andy Garcia in The Godfather Part III

Andy Garcia received his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Vincent Mancini in The Godfather Part III.

The Godfather Part III tells the final chapter of Corleone family.

Vincent Mancini is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone. He is very eager to be part of family business commanded still by Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). Garcia in his performance attempts to create a character that is basically a combination of Sonny, and Micheal. He is Sonny with a inherited temper as well as the eagerness to join the family, but at the same time like Michael in having greater calculation and ambition as his character progresses.

Garcia in his representation of his inherited qualities from Sonny does not quite match up with the great performance given by James Caan in the original film. The simple truth is Garcia just does not have the same intensity that really seared off the screen as Caan did. Garcia just does not have the same visceral energy, but than again maybe he does not have to have it exactly because he is hot headed but not nearly as hot headed as Sonny was. Honestly though when Garcia is trying to be Caan you often feel the effort of the attempt more than the natural realization of the attempt. There is the occasional moment where he kind of has it but just as often, if not more often his performance is just a lot of hot air. 

Besides his growth within the family business an important aspect of his performance is Vincent relationship with his cousin Mary Corleone (Sofia Coppola). The relationship is quite awkward and not so much because they are cousins in the film, but far more so because Coppola is really really bad with her Razzie wins well earned. The relationship does not work because Vincent is suppose to really love her, but Coppola fails to show any reason why he should. Garcia fails to create any why within the relationship, and is just as stiff and awkward as Coppola in certain moments. Regardless he grants no sense to the relationship as a need for either of them. Garcia fails to live up to the idea of the character, but honestly he just has bad moments throughout. He never finds the arc of the character, the tone of him and frequently just awkwardly struggles to even be natural in the role.

Best Supporting Actor 1990

And the Nominees Were:

Al Pacino in Dick Tracy

Andy Garcia in The Godfather Part III

Joe Pesci in Goodfellas

Graham Greene in Dances With Wolves

Bruce Davison in Longtime Companion