Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Results

5. Tim Roth in The Hit - Roth gives a properly entertaining performance in creating the superficiality of his young wannabe hitman.

Best Scene: The Hit.

4. John Candy in Splash - Candy steals his film with ease with his funny take as a pseudo lothario that makes his scenes the only scenes worthwhile in the film.

Best Scene: Listening in.

3. Denholm Elliott in A Private Function - Elliott is the funniest part of his film by taking the role overly seriously, playing his hoity toit doctor as a menacing pseudo-gangster.

Best Scene: Threat to the couple.

2. Kenneth McMillan in The Pope of Greenwich Village - McMillan proves himself a great character actor with not only his wildly entertaining portrayal of a intergalactic madman in Dune, but also this down to earth heartfelt honest portrayal of a small time criminal.

Best Scene: Saying goodbye to his wife.

1. Harry Dean Stanton in Repo Man - Good Predictions Michael McCarthy, and Luke. Well for me it came down to two great characters actors giving two remarkable performances within years were they gave kind of the opposite style in the same year. Stanton with his great lead performance in the low key Paris, Texas, and here in his extremely enjoyable absurdist tone as a veteran repo man. Honestly I could switch between the two down the road, but at this moment I'm going for Stanton's hilarious turn.

Best Scene: "You calling me an asshole?"

Updated Overall

Next Year: 2012 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Denholm Elliott in A Private Function

Denholm Elliott did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning BAFTA, for portraying Dr. Charles Swaby in A Private Function.

A Private Function is yet another off-beat film from 84 this time about a husband Gilbert (Michael Palin) and wife Joyce (Maggie Smith) getting into the complicated black market during food rationing in post-war England.

Denholm Eliott, in the second of his three consecutive BAFTA winning performances, plays the ringleader of the "nefarious" group secretly procuring food outside of the food rationing policies set by the government. Denholm Elliott is the funniest part of this comedy of manners because he plays the part the role less as a stuck up high class doctor and more as a crime boss not entirely unlike Michael Caine's Mortwell in Mona Lisa. Elliott's approach is to take everything so seriously that it ends up becoming more than a little hilarious, I won't say he quite plays it straight though because he doesn't exactly. There is a build up to this though as we see glimpses of his character as he is working with his "gang" of other well to dos who plan on getting their pork for a pivotal private function no matter what it takes, well maybe not no matter what. These guys though are pretty severe though it seems evidenced by Elliott's mere body language in these scenes as he sits with his darkened expression among the others, clearly the man of power, of course we're talking about the leader of a hoity toit dinner.

Unfortunately for doctor Swaby and his "villains" the new doctor in town, foot doctor that is, Gilbert accidentally comes wind of their hidden pigs who, egged on by his wife, decide to steal it in order to social climb. This leads to the doctor to be short of one pivotal main course for his dinner party leading to a break down among his gang. Elliott is hilarious in this scene, particularly the pained distress in his reaction at being suggested that they replace the main course with salmon. Elliott's great as he takes this atypical swing around as he plays it more mobster than snob in the viciousness he exudes in his speech against the changing mores of England. It is not entirely unlike Bob Hoskins's final speech in The Long Good Friday though of course Elliott's anger stems from having to share a little rather than due to losing everything. What I actually loved is that Elliott does not wink at any point in this playing the whole thing straight yet skewed still as a most ridiculous society man.

Elliott's best scenes come in the climax in the film where the men find their stolen pigs and must deal with Joyce and Gilbert in order to proceed with their proper meal on time. Elliott again stays with his oh so amusing approach as he brings so much intensity to the role. I with all sincerity hope Elliott played a legitimate gangster once since Elliott would be genuinely menacing in the role if his threats were more than just rather vague insults. Of course that is what makes Elliott so funny as he delivers his lines with the same type of determined hate you'd expect from a man who will kill to get what he wants, although of course the doctor really won't go that far. Elliott's subversion is quite something with the highlight being perhaps his version of Robert Prosky's speech in Thief since Elliott does not hold back directing his brutal words so effectively yet his brutal words basically amount to "hey nobody likes you, leave town". Elliott gives a very entertaining performance as he stays so true and consistent in his initial setup of portraying Dr. Charles Swaby as the most "merciless" of all dinner party hosts.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984

And the Nominees Were Not:

Kenneth McMillan in Dune

Kenneth McMillan in The Pope of Greenwich Village

Sting in Dune

Harry Dean Stanton in Repo Man

Denholm Elliott in A Private Function

Tim Roth in The Hit

John Candy in Splash

For prediction purposes the Sting/McMillan/McMillan slot goes to whichever McMillan performance I prefer. 

Best Supporting Actor 1986: Results

5. Denholm Elliot in A Room With a View- Elliot is fine in his few scenes but he never makes much of an impact with his performance.

4. Dennis Hopper in Hoosiers- Hopper gives a moving and effective performance that might not be on the level of his work listed below, but it is still a good performance.

3. Michael Caine in Hannah and Her Sisters- It it almost a scatter shot of emotions which Caine is able draw upon to realize his character while even finding some humor in the role as well.

2. Willem Dafoe in Platoon- Dafoe realizes his good sergeant character by never overplaying the part and turning his character into a believable descent man that is more than just a moral.

1. Tom Berenger in Platoon- I give the slight edge between the two Platoon men because he has the even greater challenge to avoid becoming just simple villain. He realizes the intensity and interestingly enough when he can the humanity of his character.

Best Supporting Actor 1986: Denholm Elliot in A Room With A View

Denholm Elliot received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Mr. Emerson in A Room With A View.

A Room With A View describes the troubles a young woman faces (Helena Bonham Carter) due the repression involved with Edwardian society.

After winning three Baftas in a role for a supporting actor Elliot finally received an Oscar nomination for his role in this film. I imagine this possibly helped give Elliot the edge with voters over Daniel Day-Lewis from the same film for portraying the stiffest of all Edwardians. Elliot portrays quite a different character in Mr. Emerson who does not abide by many of the Edwardian requirements for proper living and of course behavior. He is a bit more emotional and flamboyant that the ideal Edwardian person, as is his free spirited son George (Julian Sands).

The part is actually rather limited and simplistic though. All Mr. Emerson does is act a little flamboyant, as well as shows his caring for his son who he wants the best for. He is only in a few scenes actually and his impact on the film is not all that great. Denholm Elliot though does his best to infuse life into his part in small ways in his short scenes. He most certainly has an energy in his scenes showing how he is not at all repressed like many of the other people who bend to the rules of society. As well as showing a quiet passion and love for his son showing that Mr. Emerson wants what is best for his son.

Denholm Elliot certainly does fulfill his role. I would in fact say he fulfills it as about any other actor could have. He is a nice enough presence in the film really, but he really is not a particularly memorable one either. I won't say this is his fault in the least he just is not given enough to do. It is never a bad performance in any shape or form. It is an entirely suitable performance for the film, and he does not waste his screen time as he very well could have. In the end though it just is not a remarkable performance, and his nomination for this film was not needed.

Best Supporting Actor 1986

And the Nominees Were:

Tom Berenger in Platoon

Willem Dafoe in Platoon

Michael Caine in Hannah and Her Sisters

Denholm Elliott in A Room With A View

Dennis Hopper in Hoosiers