Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1983: Results

5. Burt Lancaster in Local Hero- Lancaster gives a fairly delightful portrayal of his eccentric millionaire.

Best Scene: Happer arrives on the scene.

4. Don Ameche in Trading Places- Ameche is far less delightful than Lancaster, but instead gives a very funny portrayal of a particularly devious millionaire.

Best Scene: "TURN THOSE MACHINES BACK ON!"

3. Ed Harris in The Right Stuff - Harris rather brilliantly is able to create both the facade and the reality of an All-American Hero.

Best Scene: Glenn talks about his image with his wife.

2. Mickey Rourke in Rumble Fish- Rourke gives a striking stylistic performance that matches the style of his film and the nature of his character incredibly well.

Best Scene: The Motorcycle Boy appears.

1. Darren McGavin in A Christmas Story- Good Predictions GetDonaldSutherlandAnOscar, Michael Patison, and Michael McCarthy. McGavin easily stands as my win for his absolutely hilarious yet still rather heartwarming performance.

Best Scene: The Old Man receives his major award.

Overall Rank:

1. Darren McGavin in A Christmas Story
2. Takeshi Kitano in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
3. Sam Shepard in The Right Stuff
4. Jason Robards in Something Wicked This Way Comes
5. Mickey Rourke in Rumble Fish
6. Ed Harris in The Right Stuff
7. Don Ameche in Trading Places
8. Jonathan Pryce in Something Wicked This Way Comes
9. David Bowie in The Hunger
10. William Hurt in The Big Chill
11. Edward Fox in The Dresser 
12. Ralph Bellamy in Trading Places
13. Ed Harris in Under Fire
14. Jeff Goldblum in The Big Chill
15. Burt Lancaster in Local Hero
16. Ian McDiarmid in The Return of the Jedi 
17. Michael Palin in The Meaning of Life
18. Dennis Quaid in The Right Stuff 
19. Matt Dillon in The Outsiders
20. Rip Torn in Cross Creek
21. Erland Josephson in Nostalgia
22. Brian Dennehy in Gorky Park 
23. Christopher Lee in The Return of Captain Invincible
24. Klaus Maria Brandauer in Never Say Never Again
25. Denholm Elliot in Trading Places
26. Tom Berenger in The Big Chill
27. Gene Hackman in Under Fire
28. Jeff Daniels in Terms of Endearment 
29. Sebastian Shaw in The Return of the Jedi 
30. Patric Chereau in Danton 
31. Lee Marvin in Gorky Park
32. Ralph Macchio in The Outsiders  
33. David Alan Grier in Streamers
34. Herbert Lom in The Dead Zone 
35. Ian Holm in The Return of the Soldier 
36. John Hargreaves in Careful, He Might Hear You
37. Roberts Blossom in Christine 
38. George Dzundza in Streamers
39. Charles Durning in To Be Or Not To Be
40. Christopher Lloyd in To Be Or Not To Be 
41. Christopher Lee in House of Long Shadows
42. Harry Dean Stanton in Chrsitine 
43. Graham Chapman in The Meaning of Life
44. Sadashiv Amrapurkar in Ardh Satya
45. Peter Dvorsky in Videodrome
46. Fred Ward in The Right Stuff
47. Martin Sheen in The Dead Zone 
48. Frank Finlay in The Return of the Soldier 
49. Vincent Price in House of Long Shadows
50. Fulton Mackay in Local Hero
51. George Rose in The Pirates of Penzance
52. Jean Shepherd in A Christmas Story 
53. Reiner Schwarz in Videodrome
54. Jose Ferrer in To Be Or Not To Be
55. Scott Glenn in The Right Stuff
56. Jack Nicholson in Terms of Endearment
57. Cliff Robertson in Star 80  
58. Brian Dennehy in Never Cry Wolf
59. Dennis Hopper in Rumble Fish
60. Jean Louis Trintignant in Under Fire
61. Wilford Brimley in Tender Mercies
62. Steven Bauer in Scarface
63. John Lithgow in Terms of Endearment
64. R.D. Robb in A Christmas Story
65. Michael Caine in Honorary Consul 
66. Joe Pesci in Easy Money
67. Jeff Goldblum in The Right Stuff
68. Harry Shearer in The Right Stuff
69. Ed Asner in Daniel 
70. Peter Cushing in House of Long Shadows
71. Billy Dee Williams in The Return of the Jedi
72. Pat Hingle in Sudden Impact
73. Kurt Russell in Silkwood 
74. Joe Pesci in Eureka
75. Joe Pantoliano in Risky Business
76. Bob Hoskins in Honorary Consul 
77. Giovanni Mauriello in Another Time Another Place
78. Scott Schwartz in A Christmas Story
79. Emilio Estevez in The Outsiders
80. Curtis Armstrong in Risky Business
81. Max von Sydow in Never Say Never Again 
82. Eric Idle in The Meaning of Life
83. George Wyner in To Be Or Not To Be 
84. Paul Gleason in Trading Places  
85. David Warner in The Man With Two Brains 
86. John Carradine in House of Long Shadows
87. Fred Ward in Uncommon Valor 
88. John Cleese in The Meaning of Life
89. Ian McDiarmid in Gorky Park
90. Jack Thompson in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
91. Clancy Brown in Bad Boys 
92. Mickey Rourke in Eureka
93. Harrison Ford in The Return of the Jedi 
94. Amrish Puri in Ardh Satya 
95. Ian Bannen in Gorky Park
96. Robert Prosky in Christine
97. Desmond Llewelyn in Octopussy 
98. Kevin Kline in The Big Chill 
99. F. Murray Abraham in Scarface 
100. Beau Bridges in Heart Like a Wheel
101. Michael Gough in The Dresser 
102. Jeffrey Tambor in Mr. Mom
103. Craig T. Nelson in Silkwood
104. Reni Santoni in Bad Boys 
105. Roberts Blossom in Reuben, Reuben 
106. Tim Curry in The Ploughman's Lunch
107. Martin Mull in Mr. Mom
108. Tim Matheson in To Be Or Not To Be
109. Patrick Swayze in The Outsiders
110. Ron Silver in Silkwood
111. Peter Capaldi in Local Hero
112. Fred Ward in Silkwood 
113. Robert Loggia in Psycho II
114. Rowan Atkinson in Never Say Never Again
115. Patrick Swayze in Uncommon Valor
116. Simon MacCorkindale in Jaws 3-D
117. Laurence Fishburne in Rumble Fish
118. Louis Gossett Jr. in Jaws 3-D
119. Peter Coyote in Cross Creek 
120. William Devane in Testament
121. Randy Quaid in National Lampoon's Vacation
122. Danny DeVito in Terms of Endearment
123. Terry Jones in The Meaning of Life
124. Ryuichi Sakamoto in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
125. Malcolm McDowell in Cross Creek
126. Roger Rees in Star 80
127. Anthony Michael Hall in National Lampoon's Vacation 
128. Terry Gilliam in The Meaning of Life
129. Nicolas Cage in Rumble Fish
130. Reb Brown in Uncommon Valor
131. Robert Loggia in Scarface
132. Edward Fox in Never Say Never Again
133. Paul Drake in Sudden Impact
134. Robert Vaughn in Superman III 
135. Mitchell Lichtenstein in Streamers
136. Louis Jourdan in Octopussy
137. Mandy Patinkin in Daniel
138. Matthew Modine in Streamers
139. Leo Rossi in Heart Like a Wheel

Next Year: 1953 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1983: Darren McGavin in A Christmas Story

Darren McGavin did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Mr. Parker better known as the Old Man in A Christmas Story.

Well where do I begin with a performance like this. Well how about some random trivia that Jack Nicholson was apparently very interested in playing the role of the Old Man. Of course one can't helped but be interested to know exactly how that would have went as the Old Man would have been a very different role for Nicholson. Also knowing that Nicholson began giving some rather indulgent performances in the 80's as well as that director Bob Clark likely would not have been able to restrain him, in addition to how McGavin's performance turned out I think it was an all around good thing that never came to fruition since the studio felt Nicholson would have cost too much. Clark apparently was also glad that did not happen since he felt Darren McGavin was born to play the role, well Clark was absolutely correct with that assessment. McGavin just simply is the Old Man here and there is never a doubt about him being perfectly cast in the role. McGavin though goes a step further than that though by also playing the role perfectly as well.

The role of the Old Man in nature is a pretty flamboyant one since A Christmas Story is a comedy that is fairly broad in a certain way. It never goes fully absurdest though and carefully keeps a certain grounding in reality which makes it the memorable film it is. McGavin has a difficult role in the Old Man who is perhaps the most insane of the characters, and it is not hard to see how the part may have been played. Well McGavin is able to find just the right tone for his performance to make the eccentricities of the Old Man sing fairly loudly well never making him just seem to be too much of a cartoon. The way he strikes up the balance is really the genius of his performance but let's just look at the most obvious thing to talk about which is the more comedic side of McGavin's performance. Well again where does one begin with a comedic performance like this other than to begin at the beginning of it as the Old Man is trying to solve some sort puzzle for a contest. McGavin's whole style he takes is just so natural yet so unique at the same time.

McGavin has this slightly jumbled way of speaking as he goes along in his sentences while slowing down at certain points as well as accentuating others. Possibly weird sounding merely in distribution but McGavin handled it so well, and it only adds to making the Old Man a very particular type of Old Man fitting in his own way with the world the film creates. Now McGavin whole delivery in this film is pure brilliance throughout every situation as he carries quite the amusing style to it while still bringing that sort of a fatherly menace one would expect from the Old Man when it's needed. Of course I need to stop praising the balance though because his delivery is also simply really funny. There is of course his most extreme moments where the Old Man is either yelling at his neighbors dogs or his furnace to work properly where McGavin goes off delivery a slightly legible, surely nonsensical, but altogether glorious tirades of curses of the oddest sorts. McGavin though knows exactly how to approach every scene it seems in order to derive the greatest comic effect whenever it is necessary.

I could almost described every scene McGavin is and the way he goes about portraying the Old Man's reactions to the events of the film. Every one is that good, and McGavin seems absolutely driven to be as ridiculously entertaining as possible. One example is when the Old Man learns he has won major reward. It turns out to be a rather gaudy Leg lamp, but that does not dissuade the Old Man, making sure the whole neighborhood knows of his major reward. McGavin shows such an incredible pride in his eyes and great spirit as if the Old Man had discovered something amazing, or invented something worthwhile. McGavin's makes the pride in the Old Man absolutely fervent and by doing so is absurdly funny. Now McGavin is equally funny when his lamp is destroyed due to his wife hating the lamp. When the discovery is first had McGavin is striking in how intense he is in portraying the Old Man's pent up rage and his glare at his wife for her apparent jealousy, according to him anyway. Perhaps even more perfect, although impossible, is when he discovers his lamp is impossible to repair, and McGavin plays the Old Man's reaction as such a somber acceptance of loss.

McGavin is outstanding because he goes just enough overboard to make a moments incredibly funny yet always keeps it in just the right sort of bounds that it never becomes too much or somehow repetitive. I could go on and on in describing every one of his scenes because that's how good he is here in making the most of it. Of course McGavin does not have to even be the focus of a scene to make an impact though. It could just be one reaction that he makes to be quite memorable. One of my favorites being his face of pure disbelief when he hears his son Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) say the fdashdashdash word, or perhaps his face of pure disgust when he watches his younger son disgustingly plant his face into his food. McGavin's portrayal makes one comedic gem after another through the character of the Old Man. It's exceptional work that particularly thrives in the vignette nature of the film. Of course, I must say once again, A Christmas Story is not just simply some random scenes thrown together. There is the driving force of Ralphie wanting to get the Red Ryder BB gun.

If this was merely about being funny McGavin would already give a great performance, but McGavin manages to go the extra distance with his performance as seen in the scene where Ralphie finally gets his prized gift. It is in this scene where McGavin subtle grounding of the character comes very much in to play as he very much earns this moment in his performance. Despite Mrs. Parkers obvious problems with it the Old Man still decided to get Ralphie his present surprising him after it appears as though he had failed in his mission. McGavin is terrific in this scene by portraying such earnestness and genuine love in his eyes as he watches his son's dream come true. It's a beautifully heartwarming scene and McGavin is wonderful by making it seem completely fitting to the rest of his performance. I really can't praise this performance enough because Darrin McGavin is the Old Man here, and really I left off some moments some of the best moments of his performance. The problem is I would have to describe every second of his performance as this is flawless work.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1983

And the Nominees Were Not:

Darren McGavin in A Christmas Story

Burt Lancaster in Local Hero

Ed Harris in The Right Stuff

Mickey Rourke in Rumble Fish

Don Ameche in Trading Places