Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2020: Results

5. Nicholas Hoult in True History of the Kelly Gang - Hoult gives a terrific villainous turn, finding the right kind of derangement of a man who is quite assured in his abuse of power. 

Best Scene: Threatening a baby.

4. Hugh Laurie in The Personal History of David Copperfield - Laurie gives the year's funniest performance. This in bringing impeccable comic timing that steals every single moment he has on screen.

Best Scene: Lets go fly a kite.

3. Brian Dennehy in Driveways - Dennehy delivers a worthy sendoff to his career, giving a natural depiction of a warm relationship and delivering a knock out final monologue.

 

Best Scene: Final Speech. 

2. Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago Seven - Rylance delivers a great performance that rises above the rest of the cast, making the least of Sorkin digestible, and making the best of it sing.

 

Best Scene: The Tape. 

1. Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth - I have to admit while lead actor was sewn up relatively quickly this year, I had absolutely no idea who my supporting winner would be going into the Oscar nominations or even going into this alternate lineup. I knew my favorites, my current top five, but there wasn't the one that made me say "that's it", until re-watching Babyteeth. Mendelsohn's work simply devastated me all the more the second time. I saw all the more nuance and a true poignancy in his heartbreaking portrayal of a father doing his best to contain his pain, to try to alleviate his daughter's own.

 

Best Scene: The beach. 

Overall Ranking:

1. Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth
2. Paul Raci in Sound of Metal
3. Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
4. Brian Dennehy in Driveways 
5. Hugh Laurie in The Personal History of David Copperfield - 5
6. Nicholas Hoult in True History of the Kelly Gang
7. Bo Burnham in Promising Young Woman 
8. Russell Crowe in True History of the Kelly Gang
9. Mick Jagger in The Burnt Orange Heresy 
10. Aldis Hodge in One Night in Miami 
11. Alebrecht Schuch in Berlin Alexanderplatz- 4.5
12. Thomas Bo Larsen in Another Round
13. Lars Ranthe in Another Round
14. Magnus Millang in Another Round
15. Barry Keoghan in Calm With Horses
    
16. Malachi Kirby in Mangrove
    
17. Ben Whishaw in The Personal History of David Copperfield
    
18. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
    
19. Frank Langella in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
20. Will Patton in Minari 
21. Sergei Erlish in Dear Comrades!
    
22. Glynn Turman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
23. Mark Gatiss in The Father
    
24. Alfred Molina in Promising Young Woman 
25. John Carroll Lynch in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
26. Eddie Redmayne in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
27. Robin de Jesus in Boys in the Band 
28. Colman Domingo in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
    
29. Chadwick Boseman in Da 5 Bloods
    
30. Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
    
31. Peter Capaldi in The Personal History of David Copperfield
32. David Strathairn in Nomadland
33. Guy Boyd in I'm Thinking of Ending Things 
34. Kwak Do-won in The Man Standing Next
    
35. Jack Lowden in Mangrove
    
36. Bill Burr in The King of Staten Island - 4
37. Ned Dennehy in Calm With Horses
    
38. Rufus Sewell in The Father
    
39. Michael Keaton in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
40. Colin Farrell in The Gentlemen 
41. Johnny Flynn in Emma
42. Michael Rooker in Love and Monsters
    
43. David Wilmot in Calm With Horses
44. Matthew Macfadyen in The Assistant
    
45. Donald Sutherland in The Burnt Orange Heresy
46. Sean Bean in Wolfwalkers
    
47. Max Greenfield in Promising Young Woman 
48. Hugh Grant in The Gentlemen
    
49. Jeremy Strong in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
50. Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt in Another Round
    
51. Bill Nighy in Emma
52. J.K. Simmons in Palm Springs
    
53. Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Promising Young Woman 
54. Aneurin Barnard in The Personal History of David Copperfield
55. Steve Toussaint in Red, White and Blue
56. Denis Lavant in Night of the Kings
    
57. Clancy Brown in Promising Young Woman 
58. Chris Lowell in Promising Young Woman
    
59. Eli Goree in One Night in Miami 
60. Charles Dance in Mank
    
61. Jonathan Majors in Da 5 Bloods 
62. Vladislav Komarov in Dear Comrades!
    
63. Ray Romano in Bad Education  
64. Simon McBurney in Wolfwalkers
    
65. David Thewlis in I'm Thinking of Ending Things
66. Robert Pattinson in Tenet
67. Johnny Depp in Waiting for the Barbarians 
68. Alex Jennings in Mangrove
    
69. Kevin Pugh in Wendy
70. Henry Cavill in Enola Holmes
71. Jason Clarke in The Devil All The Time 
72. Arliss Howard in Mank
73. Lee Sung-min in The Man Standing Next
    
74. Tommy Chong in Color Out of Space'
    
75. Zachary Quinto in The Boys in the Band
76. Tom Burke in Mank
77. Robbie Gee in Alex Wheatle
78. Kyle MacLachlan in Tesla
79. Robert Pattinson in Waiting for the Barbarians 
80. D’angelou Osei Kissiedu in Rocks
    
81. Charlie Hunnam in True History of the Kelly Gang
82. Tuc Watkins in The Boys in the Band 
83. Tom Pelphrey in Mank
    
84. Brendan Meyer in Color out of Space 
85. Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984
    
86. Robert Pattinson in Then Devil All the Time 
87. David Thewlis in Eternal Beauty 
88. Peter MacNeill in The Kid Detective
    
89. Graham Norton in Soul 
90. Chris Pine in Wonder Woman 1984 
91. Peter Kim in The 40-Year Old Version - 3.5 
92. Karl Markovics in Resistance
    
93. William Sadler in Bill and Ted Face the Music 
94. Tzi Ma in Mulan 
95. Ian Hart in Escape From Pretoria
    
96. Michael Stuhlbarg in Shirley
    
97. Benedict Wong in The Personal History of David Copperfield 
98. Charlie Hunnam in The Gentlemen
    
99. Matt Dillon in Capone 
100. Richard Ayoade in Soul
     
101. Anthony Carrigan in Bill and Ted Face the Music
102. Harry Melling in The Devil All the Time
     
103. Jerry Adler in Driveways
     
104. Kelvin Harrison Jr. in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
     
105. Mathieu Amalric in Sound of Metal
     
106. Adam Brody in Promising Young Woman 
107. Rafael Casal in Bad Education 
108. Forest Whitaker in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
     
109. Andrew Rannells in The Boys in the Band
     
110. Kyle MacLachlan in Capone
111. Ben Shenkman in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
112. Isiah Whitlock Jr. in Da 5 Bloods
     
113. Darren Boyd in The Personal History of David Copperfield 
114. Michael Potts in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
     
115. Jack Lowden in Capone 
116. Chris Cooper in Irresistible
117. Norm Lewis in Da 5 Bloods
118. Bill Skarsgard in The Devil All the Time
     
119. Joe Pantoliano in Bad Boys For Life
     
120. Charlie Shotwell in The Nest
121. Marlon Wayans in On the Rocks
     
122. Rupert Graves in Emma
     
123. Sam Riley in Rebecca
124. Steve Buscemi in The King of Staten Island
125. Christopher Plummer in The Last Full Measure
     
126. Alex Wolff in Bad Education  
127. Toby Jones in First Cow
     
128. Paul Walter Hauser in Da 5 Bloods 
129. Harry Melling in Waiting for the Barbarians 
130. Michael Benjamin Washington in The Boys in the Band
     
131. Josh O'Connor in Emma 
132. Conleth Hill in Herself 
133. William Hurt in The Last Full Measure
     
134. Jim Carrey in Sonic The Hedgehog 
135. Kyle Chandler in The Midnight Sky 
     
136. George Wendt in The Climb
137. Samuel L. Jackson in The Last Full Measure
     
138. Glenn Howerton in The Hunt 
139. Lance Reddick in Sylvie's Love
140. Ed Harris in The Last Full Measure
     
141. Rati Oneli in Beginning 
142. Matthias Schweighöfer in Resistance - 3
143. Bradley Whitford in The Last Full Measure 
144. Keegan-Michael Key in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
     
145. Donnie Yen in Mulan
     
146. Aldis Hodge in The Invisible Man
147. Macon Blair in The Hunt
     
148. Elliott Knight in Color Out of Space
149. Jonny Coyne in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
     
150. Yashua Mack in Wendy
     
151. Peter Macdissi in Uncle Frank  
152. Demian Bichir in The Midnight Sky
     
153. Al Madrigal in The Way Back
     
154. Johnny Tri Nguyen in Da 5 Bloods 
155. Will Sasso in Irresistible
     
156. Alex Sharp in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
157. Rudhraksh Jaiswal in Extraction
158. David Oyelowo in The Midnight Sky
     
159. Eddie Marsan in The Gentlemen
160. Sebastian Stan in The Devil All the Time
     
161. Michael Dorman in The Invisible Man
162. Théodore Pellerin in Never Rarely Sometimes Always
163. Ewan McGregor in Birds of Prey
     
164. Bo Hopkins in Hillbilly Elegy  
165. Andrew Rannells in The Prom
166. Ed Harris in Resistance
     
167. Callum Turner in Emma 
168. Jeremy Shamos in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - 2.5
169. Steve Zahn in Uncle Frank 
170. Keegan-Michael Key in The Prom
     
171. Jeffrey Donovan in Let Him Go
     
172. Logan Lerman in Shirley
     
173. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
174. Kenneth Branagh in Tenet
     
175. Stephen Root in Uncle Frank 
176. Jasper Pääkkönen in Da 5 Bloods
     
177. Topher Grace in Irresistible 
178. Dan Ewing in Love and Monsters
     
179. Fred Hechinger in News of the World 
180. Ian Lloyd Anderson in Herself
     
181. Sam Claflin in Enola Holmes - 2 
182. Oliver Jackson-Cohen in The Invisible Man
183. Terry Chen in Falling
     
184. Henry Golding in The Gentlemen - 1.5
     
185. Nguyễn Ngọc Lâm in Da 5 Bloods
     
186. Will Brittain in Let Him Go
     
187. Jean Reno in Da 5 Bloods 
     
188. Michael Covino in News of the World
     
189. Jeremy Strong in The Gentlemen - 1
     

Next: 1980 Lead, though I will not be starting this until after the Oscars.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2020: Brian Dennehy in Driveways

Brian Dennehy did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Del in Driveways.

Driveways is a sweet simple, although I'd say simple slightly to a fault (largely in the scenes without Dennehy), film about a single mother and her son moving into a new neighborhood.

What the film does do is give one last opportunity to the reliable character Brian Dennehy to shine. Denney known best probably for his run in the eighties as mostly a series of gruff often tough guys particularly that of the prejudiced Sheriff in First Blood, plays a rather quiet role here as an older man living in a kind of solitude, who is neighbor to the new arrivals in Kathy (Hong Chau) and her son Cody (Lucas Jaye). We initially see him just living his life alone which Dennehy projects not quite a somberness, though certainly not a happiness, of the man just existing within this space with a kind of basic acceptance of his current existence. His first interaction delivered with truly just a neighborly suggestion for the young son on how to use a hose, before a less friendly one with Kathy for talking to strangers. Dennehy nicely puts little onto the interaction actually, almost transactional in trying to deal with hostility with understanding but also just as a kind of simple fact that Del has no real issue with. Eventually though we see Del waiting and there is a a slightly more overt sadness in Dennehy's work as the man does seem left alone. The family gives him a ride and all three actors are good in really not suddenly showing some connection. Rather there is a kind of awkwardness as each speak kind of speaks separately, showing that each are strangers still, though just kind of minor hint of friendliness as they perform this favor. 

 

The film then really is of this kind of general bonding that occurs over time, as the two neighbors begin to help one another. This is often with little dialogue, particularly in so many of Dennehy's scenes as he spends some time with Cody. Dennehy though brings an honest warmth to these interactions. Dennehy brings a real grandfatherly manner in these interactions, however what I really like is how Dennehy begins this with a certain timid quality. This as he slowly builds towards a more genuine friendship he shows that warmth with also a personal sense of comfort from their time together. There's a strict honesty about every moment we have with Dennehy here, and it is impressive by how understated these moments are. When asked about his dead wife for example, all Del does is indicate that his wife is dead with a "yeah". Dennehy though, without breaking down, shows the loss within the man's minor expression, as he so tangibly realizes Del's state. So much of the film really is just showing the people existing in a fairly seemingly simple existence, and Dennehy excels with this. This as there isn't a moment where you don't believe this guy, but more importantly you also garner the sense of who this guy is, the life he lived, and the friendship he has developed through Dennehy's performance. Every one of the scenes between Del and Jacob works because Dennehy makes the relationship absolutely work even in the most basic of interactions. You get the sense in Dennehy's heartfelt reactions just the joy of the interaction and the greater sense of life Del is getting from the situation. There's nothing forced or cloying about it, it simply just is a truth as Dennehy's work articulates it so beautifully by crafting it with such ease. 

 

Now this would be a very good performance as is, but what wholly makes it worthy sendoff for the actor is in Dennehy's final speech. This as Del is moving away to live with his daughter and has one final talk with Cody. Dennehy's work in this scene is true greatness. This as he first just speaks about how it is unlikely Cody will be able to visit him, with his calm but also direct delivery of "that's a pretty big road trip pal", of Del not wanting to create any delusions for the boy and this is really goodbye between them. He then though begins talking about a hitchhiking trip of his youth. There is just this palatable sense of nostalgia exuding from his expression and pouring from his lips. There is such a powerful sense of memory in every word. Dennehy accentuating the story with a loving memory of his old experience, presented so vividly for this boy to experience just as he seems to relieving it with the sheer joy on his face. This before articulating his time with his wife and ending the story as something short but vibrant. Dennehy's whole work you sense the whole relationship in every word he speaks, and every passing remembrance of her. It is both sad but also wholly loving. His little moment of speaking to the regrets of what might've been unsaid to his wife, is absolutely devastating, as he unearths the mistakes of the man. Dennehy's delivery of this monologue is astonishing, as he grants you in only so many words, everything that went on between Del and his wife. This done so with such eloquence but wholly sincere in its earthy truth. His final reflection, which knowing it would be one of the last lines spoken by Dennehy on screen, is heartbreaking. This as Dennehy speaks of Del's wish to do it all again, you get in his expression the somber losses of life, but also the joys of those losses he would just cherish to live through again. Although not officially his swansong, you couldn't ask for a better performance to be remembered by than the one delivered by Brian Dennehy here. It is a poignant portrait of old age that captures both so potently the bitter and the sweet of life through one more relationship built out of love.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2020

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth

 

Brian Dennehy in Driveways

 

Hugh Laurie in The Personal History of David Copperfield

 

Nicholas Hoult in True History of the Kelly Gang

 

Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago Seven