Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1998: Results

5. Bill Murray in Rushmore - Murray hits the right notes, in the first of his second wave of his career style of performances, but his impact always  feels somewhat muted.

Best Scene: "She's My Rushmore Max"

4. Sam Lee in The Longest Summer - Although the film somewhat wastes his potential, Lee gives an a very likable performance that brings a great deal of energy to his film.

Best Scene: Suen after being used for target practice.

3. Dylan Baker in Happiness -Baker gives a particularly disturbing portrait of a pedophile by showing the distinctly human qualities of such a man.

Best: The doctor talks to his son one last time.

2. John Goodman in The Big Lebowski - Goodman gives a hilarious and surprisingly endearing portrait of a bit of a mad man.

Best Scene: Walter disposes of the ashes.

1. Elias Koteas in The Thin Red Line - Good Prediction Psifonian. The underrated Elias Koteas gives the greatest supporting performance not only in a film filled with great ones, but as well as for the year as a whole. Koteas gives such an honest and heartbreaking depiction of a leader whose empathy for his troops supersedes all other authority. 

Best Scene: Captain Staros refuses to send his men to the slaughter. 

Overall Rank:

1. Nick Nolte in The Thin Red Line 
   
2. Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line 
   
3. Elias Koteas in The Thin Red Line
4. Sean Penn in The Thin Red Line 
   
5. Billy Bob Thornton in A Simple Plan
6. John Goodman in The Big Lebowski
7. Giovanni Ribisi in Saving Private Ryan 
8. Donald Sutherland in Without Limits
   
9. James Coburn in Affliction
10. Jeremy Davies in Saving Private Ryan
    
11. Tom Wilkinson in Shakespeare in Love
12. Kiefer Sutherland in Dark City 
    
13. Robert Duvall in A Civil Action
14. Dylan Baker in Happiness
15. Thomas Bo Larsen in Festen 
16. Stephen Rea in The Butcher Boy
    
17. Ben Chaplin in The Thin Red Line
18. Woody Harrelson in The Thin Red Line
19. Geoffrey Rush in Elizabeth  
20. Henning Moritzen in Festen
21. Michael Goorjian in SLC Punk!
    
22. Song Kang-ho in The Quiet Family
23. Dash Mihok in The Thin Red Line 
    
24. Til Schweiger in SLC Punk!
    
25. Mike Myers in 54
    
26. Herbert Knaup in Run Lola Run
27. Richard Attenborough in Elizabeth
    
28. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Happiness 
29. Mark Margolis in Pi
    
30. Ralph Fiennes in The Prince of Egypt 
31. John Cusack in The Thin Red Line  
32. John Savage in The Thin Red Line
33. Noah Emmerich in The Truman Show
    
34. Ben Gazzara in Buffalo '66 
35. Gary Farmer in Smoke Signals
    
36. Choi Min-sik in The Quiet Family
    
37. Michael Parks in Niagara Niagara
38. Park in-hwan in The Quiet Family
    
39. Patrick Tam in Beast Cops
    
40. Ed Harris in The Truman Show
41. Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State
42. Ben Affleck in Shakespeare in Love  
43. Callum Keith Rennie in Last Night
    
44. Sam Lee in The Longest Summer 
45. Chris Cooper in Great Expectations
    
46. Chan Sang in The Longest Summer
47. Bill Murray in Rushmore
48. Edward Norton in Rounders 
    
49. Jason Priestley in Love and Death on Long Island
    
50. Sam Lee in Beast Cops 
51. Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine
52. Robert De Niro in Great Expectations
    
53. Alan Arkin in Slums of Beverly Hills
    
54. Francis Huster in The Dinner Game
    
55. Jerzy Radziwiłowicz in Secret Defense
    
56. Tom Sizemore in Saving Private Ryan
57. Ben Gazzara in Happiness 
58. David Krumholtz in Slums of Beverly Hills
    
59. Jon Voight in The General
60. Jeff Daniels in Pleasantville
61. Don Cheadle in Out of Sight 
62. Willem Dafoe in Affliction
63. Barry Pepper in Saving Private Ryan
64. William Hurt in Dark City 
65. Stan Shaw in Snake Eyes 
    
66. Stellan Skarsgard in Ronin
67. Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Velvet Goldmine
68. Bill Murray in Wild Things
69. Dian Bachar in Baseketball
70. Robert Downey Jr. in U.S. Marshals 
71. J.T. Walsh in The Negotiator
72. Adam Goldberg in Saving Private Ryan
73. Benicio del Toro in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
74. Jon Lovitz in Happiness
75. David Kelly in Waking Ned Devine 
76. Jean Reno in Ronin 
77. Christopher McDonald in SLC Punk!
    
78. Steve Zahn in Out of Sight 
    
79. Seymour Cassel in Rushmore
80. Jared Harris in Happiness  
81. William Hurt in One True Thing
    
82. Sam Elliot in The Big Lebowski
83. David Cronenberg in Last Night
    
84. Jon Voight in Enemy of the State 
85. Robert Ashby in Jinnah
    
86. Stacy Keach in American History X
87. John Turturro in The Big Lebowski
88. J.T. Walsh in Pleasantville
89. Matt Dillon in There's Something About Mary 
90. Ben Gazzara in The Big Lebowski 
    
91. Gary Busey in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
92. Steve Buscemi in The Big Lebowski
93. Brent Briscoe in A Simple Plan
94. Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Big Lebowski
95. Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 4 
96. Brian Cox in Rushmore
97. David Huddleston in The Big Lebowski 
98. Jason Patric in Your Friends and Neighbors 
99. Kevin Corrigan in Buffalo '66
    
100. Roy Cheung in Beast Cops
101. Michael Lonsdale in Ronin
     
102. Chelchie Ross in A Simple Plan 
103. Patrick Godfrey in Ever After 
104. Mickey Rourke in Buffalo '66
     
105. Moritz Bleibtreu in Run Lola Run
     
106. Vin Diesel in Saving Private Ryan
107. Daniel Craig in Elizabeth
108. Jared Leto in The Thin Red Line 
109. Max von Sydow in What Dreams May Come 
110. Steve Martin in The Spanish Prisoner
     
111. David McKay in My Name Is Joe
     
112. Paul Giamatti in The Negotiator
113. Rupert Everett in Shakespeare in Love 
114. Jason Segel in SLC Punk!
     
115. John C. Reilly in The Thin Red Line
116. Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan 
117. George Clooney in The Thin Red Line
     
118. Gary Cole in A Simple Plan 
119. Aaron Eckhart in Your Friends and Neighbors  
120. Sam Neill in The Horse Whisperer
     
121. Elias Koteas in Apt Pupil 
122. Ethan Suplee in American History X 
123. Cuba Gooding Jr. in What Dreams May Come
     
124. Tom Wilkinson in Rush Hour
125. Lou Diamond Phillips in Another Day in Paradise 
126. Gene Hackman in Antz
127. Albert Brooks in Out of Sight 
128. Peter Vaughn in The Legend of 1900
     
129. Daniel Prévost in The Dinner Game
     
130. Kevin Bacon in Wild Things
131. Jon Lovitz in The Wedding Singer
132. Kevin Spacey in A Bug's Life 
133. Steve Buscemi in The Wedding Singer
134. Robert Duvall in Deep Impact 
     
135. Larry Hagman in Primary Colors  
136. John Turturro in Rounders
137. Dennis Farina in Out of Sight 
     
138. Leonardo DiCaprio in Celebrity
     
139. William H. Macy in Psycho 
140. Billy Bob Thornton in Primary Colors
     
141. Ving Rhames in Out of Sight 
142. Christian Bale in Velvet Goldmine
     
143. Edward Furlong in American History X 
     
144. Ben Stiller in Zero Effect
145. Christopher Walken in Antz 
146. Maximilian Schell in Vampires
     
147. Gary Sinise in Snake Eyes
     
148. Jeremy Irons in The Man in The Iron Mask
149. Michael Byrne in Apt Pupil 
     
150. Vincent D'Onofrio in Claire Dolan
     
151. Paul Giamatti in The Truman Show
152. Kevin Corrigan in Slums of Beverly Hills
     
153. Adrien Brody in The Thin Red Line 
     
154. Viggo Mortensen in Psycho 
155. Jet Li in Lethal Weapon 4
156. Tzi Ma in Rush Hour 
     
157. Don Cheadle in Bulworth
158. Billy Bob Thornton in Armageddon
159. Tony Shalhoub in The Siege
160. William H. Macy in Pleasantville
161. Peter Greene in Permanent Midnight
     
162. Sylvester Stallone in Antz
163. Philip Baker Hall in Rush Hour 
164. Tim Guinee in Vampires
165. Chazz Palminteri in Hurlyburly
     
166. Jim Broadbent in Little Voice
     
167. Peter Vaughn in Les Miserables
168. James Fox in Jinnah 
169. Harry Dean Stanton in The Mighty
     
170. Nick Moran in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 
171. Jason Flemyng in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 
172. Dexter Fletcher in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 
173. Steven Mackintosh in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 
174. Vinnie Jones in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 
     
175. Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love 
     
176. Tobey Maguire in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
177. Tony Shalhoub in A Civil Action 
178. Oliver Platt in Bulworth
     
179. Martin Landau in Rounders
180. Ryan O'Neal in Zero Effect 
     
181. Patrick Stewart in The Prince of Egypt 
182. Owen Wilson in Permanent Midnight
     
183. Lee Evans in There's Something About Mary
184. Matthew Glave in The Wedding Singer
185. Jonathan Pryce in Ronin
     
186. Brent Spiner in Star Trek: Insurrection 
187. Kevin Spacey in Hurlyburly
     
188. David Hyde Pearce in A Bug's Life
189. Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact
190. Chris Penn in Rush Hour
191. John Malkovich in The Man in The Iron Mask 
192. Jared Harris in Lost in Space
193. John Lithgow in A Civil Action
194. Maximilian Schell in Deep Impact 
     
195. Will Patton in Armageddon 
196. David Schwimmer in Apt Pupil
197. Robert Englund in Urban Legend
198. Gabriel Byrne in The Man in The Iron Mask
199. Bob Gunton in Patch Adams  
     
200. David Strathairn in Simon Birch
201. Jim Broadbent in The Avengers
202. Stuart Wilson in The Mask of Zorro
203. Ernest Borgnine in Baseketball
204. John Travolta in The Thin Red Line
205. Robert Patrick in The Faculty
206. Andre Braugher in City of Angels
207. William H. May in A Civil Action
208. Michael Lerner in Godzilla
209. Richard Crenna in Wrongfully Accused 
210. Robert Duvall in The Gingerbread Man
     
211. Bruce Norris in A Civil Action
212. Nick Stahl in Disturbing Behavior
213. Lloyd Bridges in Jane Austen's Mafia
214. Richard Kind in A Bug's Life 
215. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Patch Adams
216. Robert Vaughn in Baseketball
217. Peter Stormare in Armageddon
218. Tony Shalhoub in Paulie 
219. Oliver Platt in Simon Birch 
     
220. Simon Callow in Shakespeare in Love 
221. Mark Addy in Jack Frost 
222. Dennis Franz in City of Angels
223. William Sadler in Disturbing Behavior
224. Bruce Willis in The Siege
225. Mickey Rooney in Babe: Pig in the City
     
226. Phil Hartman in Small Soldiers
227. Steve Buscemi in Armageddon
228. Jeff Goldblum in Holy Man 
229. Tom Berenger in The Gingerbread Man
     
230. James Nesbitt in Waking Ned Devine
231. Robert Forster in Psycho
232. Joe Pantoliano in U.S. Marshals
233. Christopher Eccleston in Elizabeth
234. Colin Firth in Shakespeare in Love 
235. Jack Warden in Bulworth 
236. Ben Stiller in Your Friends and Neighbors
     
237. Gary Oldman in Lost in Space 
238. Sean Connery in The Avengers
239. Avery Brooks in American History X
240. Colm Meaney in Claire Dolan
     
241. Edward Burns in Saving Private Ryan
242. F. Murray Abraham in Star Trek: Insurrection 
243. John Malkovich in Rounders
244. Michael York in Wrongfully Accused
245. Chris Elliot in There's Something About Mary
246. Bruce Greenwood in Disturbing Behavior
247. Jean Reno in Godzilla 
248. Peter Boyle in Dr. Dolittle
249. Harrison Young in Saving Private Ryan
250. Josh Harnett in The Faculty 
251. Daniel Baldwin in Vampires
     
252. Matt Letsher in The Mask of Zorro
253. Henry Winkler in The Waterboy 
254. Jack Warden in Dirty Work 
255. Oliver Platt in Dr. Dolittle 
256. Corbin Bernsen in Major League: Back to the Minors
257. Rance Howard in Psycho  
258. Robert Loggia in Holy Man
259. Hans Matheson in Les Miserables
260. Gary Oldman in Quest for Camelot
     
261. Thom Barry in Major League: Back to the Minors
262. Harry Shearer in Godzilla 
263. Robert Downey Jr. in The Gingerbread Man
     
264. Christopher McDonald in Dirty Work
265. Jeffrey Tambor in Meet Joe Black
266. Chris Farley in Dirty Work
267. Gerard Depardieu in The Man in the Iron Mask
268. Joseph Cross in Jack Frost 
     
269. Peter Firth in Mighty Joe Young
270. Kevin Dunn in Small Soldiers
271. Michael Clarke Duncan in Armageddon
272. Jay Mohr in Small Soldiers
273. Chris Rock Lethal Weapon 4
274. Sam Dastor in Jinnah
     
275. Jake Weber in Meet Joe Black 
276. James Gandolfini in The Mighty
     
277. Michael Rosenbaum in Urban Legend 
278. Thomas Ian Griffith in Vampires
     
279. Rade Serbedzija in Mighty Joe Young
280. Breckin Meyer in 54
     
281. Matt Leblanc in Lost in Space
282. Hank Azaria in Godzilla
283. David Schwimmer in Six Days Seven Nights
     
284. Jack Plotnick in Gods and Monsters
285. Jerry Reed in The Waterboy
286. Jack Johnson in Lost in Space
287. Rob Schneider in The Waterboy

Next Year: 1930 Lead and Supporting

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1998: Elias Koteas in The Thin Red Line

Elias Koteas did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Captain James 'Bugger' Staros in The Thin Red Line.

The Thin Red Line focuses on the battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. 

Another facet that contributes to the The Thin Red Line's success is Malick's does allow time for the actors to find their characters. It is an amazing ensemble with almost every actor making the most of their brief moment, aside from George Clooney who was a bit distracting. Although there are many great performances from better known actors the strongest of them all belongs to a lesser known actor. Elias Koteas is an actor who is always good even though he often is the victim of truly thankless roles. In fact you can see Koteas in such a role also from 98 in the form of Apt Pupil. An interesting thing to note is perhaps Malick's methods is what allowed Koteas his time in the for once, even if it perhaps caused the apparent original lead, Adrien Brody, to be reduced to basically a glorified extra. Koteas though has one of the most substantial roles in the film as he portrays Captain Staros who is leading his men into the front lines against the Japanese who have fortified themselves in the hills.

Koteas technically speaking has a simple enough role in terms of Captain Staros as we mostly know that he is that he's leading men who has probably been with some time, and we briefly hear that he was a lawyer before the War. There really is not much else, but there really does not need to be anything else for Koteas. In the more let's say technical side of his performance Kotes is quite effective in creating Staros's role as the Captain. Something particularly interesting about Koteas's performance is he does not portray Staros is necessarily a great leader, at least in terms of having an absolute command of his unit. Koteas portrays that there is a definite struggle for Staros merely to fulfill his role as a commander of troops, particularly in one scene where he has to desperately remind his men that he's in charge of them. Koteas does not portray him as inadequate due to not being lazy, or even truly weak willed, the truth is Staros just is not the type of soldier the army wants.

Koteas is fantastic in his final scene before he is about to be sent home by his commanding officer. Staros has one last talk with his men, who don't want him to go, but Staros refuses to even launch a formal complaint in regards to his 'honorable' dismissal. Not only that Staros even tells his men that he wants to go. Koteas does not show Staros as being all that defiant in regards to being sent away from his men. Koteas instead portrays a very honest resignation in Staros as more than anything he understands that there's nothing that he really can do. Koteas never for a moment though makes it appear as though Staros is merely being selfish in accepting his fate in the army. Koteas does certainly express a sadness in Staros, but he takes that resignation even further than not confronting the military brass. Koteas portrays that Staros recognizes his own weaknesses as commander, and he does understand that more than anything the life of war is not fitting to his personality.

Staros though is not incompetent though for his men, who he wants to bring through the mission without seeing all of them die. Koteas brings such a quiet emotional intensity in his performance as there is never a question how much Staros understands the severity of his situation. There is so much heart that Koteas brings to his role and most importantly it never feels forced at all. Koteas is so genuine with his performance and his work never feels too maudlin or over the top. Koteas's best scene comes in when Staros is forced to face how he feels when he is ordered by his superior to send his men to attack even though the current situation means they will be slaughtered. Koteas succeeds in bringing the full power of this moment as he does show the strength in Staros. Although Koteas shows that Staros might not have been born to lead, he does powerfully show the strength of Staros as he stands by his convictions no matter the repercussion.

From 1998 there was a particularly large abundance of performances as soldiers during World War II thanks to large ensembles found in both this film and Saving Private Ryan. The greatest performance found between the two though belongs to Elias Koteas. Koteas technically does not even have that much dialogue and unlike a few of the other soldiers in this film he does not have that much narration either. Something is so striking about every close of Koteas throughout the film as he says so much and brings so much emotion to a single reaction, which allows him to thrive particularly well in Malick's style. Koteas's makes Staros's face the face of a simple earthly humanity while the inhumanity of the battle rages on around him, which also allows Koteas to carefully differentiate himself from Jim Caviezel's soulful, but otherworldly performance. There is such a poignancy in every second of Koteas's performance as he gives an unforgettable portrait of a leader's unwavering empathy for the plight of his men.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1998

And the Nominees Were Not:

Dylan Baker in Happiness

Bill Murray in Rushmore

John Goodman in The Big Lebowski

Elias Koteas in The Thin Red Line

Sam Lee in The Longest Summer