Best Supporting Actor 1998: Results

5. Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love- Rush is not bad, but besides a few somewhat comedic moment there just is not much to his performance.

4. Ed Harris in The Truman Show- Harris gives a consistently stoic performance that actually is an interesting but not amazing depiction of a pretentious artist who has delusions of grandeur.

3. Robert Duvall in A Civil Action- Robert Duvall is a strong performance as the legal adversary for this film. He creates an effective and unique opponent in just how calm he is throughout the film.

2. James Coburn in Affliction- James Coburn gives an effective performance that brings to life the cruelty, as well as the weakness of his character extremely well.

1. Billy Bob Thornton in A Simple Plan- Thornton easily wins this year for me in his heartbreaking portrait of a simple man who is always trying to do the right thing, but has a very hard time figuring out what the right thing ever is.

Best Supporting Actor 1998: Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love

Geoffrey Rush received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Philip Henslowe in Shakespeare in Love.

Shakespeare in Love is about well Shakespeare falling in love while writing, and putting on Romeo and Juliet.

Geoffrey Rush portrays Philip Henslowe the owner of the Theater where Shakespeare writes for. Henslowe is deep in debt, and desperately wants Shakespeare to write him a successful comedy to payoff his debtors. I should say right off that Rush really has a very limited role as Philip Henslowe. Like Ed Harris in The Truman Show I suppose most of the performance is in his character creation. Rush makes Henslowe a usually whimpering confused fellow constantly begging for things to be going his way, and he is a rather meek fellow in Rush's portrayal.

I would say really the whole point of Henslowe is just to be comic relief in the film. After all after just a couple of early scenes where he talks to his debtors, and tries to convince Shakespeare to write him his play, Rush mostly just has small reactions that are always suppose to comedic. I would say he overplay's the part with his sloppy way of speaking, and almost always surprised look, but really that is the point of Henslowe. Henslowe is just suppose to be a wacky character just for a couple of laughs nothing more. There is not any sort of drive to his character, or purpose besides that.

I guess one could argue he does a little more when he calls on the tavern crowd to be his actors, but even then Rush portrays in very much the same way. I would say his performance is repetitive but really but really there is always enough of a space between his short reactions that it is not. Rush is actually entirely fine in the role, he is sort of humorous, but not all that funny. I don't have problem with his performance, it's energetic, Rush certainly isn't boring, but there just is not anything special or notable in the role. Frankly if a supporting actor needed to be nominated here I think Tom Wilkinson probably would have been the better choice.

Best Supporting Actor 1998

And The Nominees Were:

Robert Duvall in A Civil Action

Billy Bob Thornton in A Simple Plan

James Coburn in Affliction

Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love

Ed Harris in The Truman Show

Best Actor 2000: Results

5. Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls- A good reaction or two do not make up for his paper thin characterization.

4. Geoffrey Rush in Quills - Rush goes overboard with his performance focused to much on the extreme actions of his character to be bothered to really bring any depth to the man.

3. Ed Harris in Pollock- Harris mostly gives a surprisingly dull performance, but overacts whenever he is not dull. Also he is completely overshadowed by Marcia Gay Harden.

2. Russell Crowe in Gladiator- Crowe brings an old school cinematic presence which effortlessly carries his film. 

1. Tom Hanks in Cast Away- Well Hanks in my opinion should have been the only one actually nominated therefore he definitely is my choice. Hanks though gives a very good performance as an average guy in a dire situation. His whole change is carefully and effectively portrayed, and simply gives a strong compelling performance in a film that is almost a one man show.  

Best Actor 2000: Geoffrey Rush in Quills

Geoffrey Rush received his third Oscar nomination for portraying The Marquis de Sade in Quills.

Quills is a rather predictable film about the late days of Marquis de Sade as he struggles against his censorship in a mad house.

Rush makes no attempts for a real historical characterization of Marquis de Sade, and instead just gives one his standard theatrical performances for the Marquis instead. He is always in the picture acting wildly and outrageously. He keeps with his wild man writer characterization throughout the film, sometimes crying out when being censored or attempting to act darkly seductive at other times.

Rush puts his usual gusto into the role, and although I like that some of the time, I felt that it in this performance became quite tiresome rather quickly. I knew exactly what his performance was going to be, and exactly what Rush was going to do with his performance from his first scene. I'll give him credit for trying, and I won't say he fails at the precise type of performance he was going for, but for me it seemed rather unremarkable.

Sure his theatricality does technically work for the style of the film, which is wildly over the top, and rather obvious, but for me all his theatricality did technically nothing. It felt like a chore for me to get through this performance because I knew exactly what his performance had in store. His performance always stays a very external performance, that failed to ever become particularly interesting, or even effective for me.

Best Actor 2000

And the Nominees Were:

Ed Harris in Pollock

Geoffrey Rush in Quills

Russell Crowe in Gladiator

Tom Hanks in Cast Away

Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls

Best Supporting Actor 2010: Results

5. Mark Ruffalo in the Kids are All Right- Ruffalo's performance is somewhat charming I suppose, but very limited in what he does with the role. When the role requires more of him, he does not handle it very well.

4. Jeremy Renner in The Town- Renner stays intense and suggests the psychotic nature of his character well and in an effective fashion. It is not that complex of a character, but Renner does the most he can with it.

3. Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech- Rush showboats all the way throughout his performance as the unorthodox speech therapist. His showboating does work though I feel for this role, and is properly entertaining, and effective.

2. Christian Bale in The Fighter- Bale gives a strong performance managing to realistically portray the character drug induced problems, along with adding some humor as well.

1. John Hawkes in Winter's Bone- (Good Prediction Dinasztie) Hawkes realizes his character incredibly well, and manages to give both a chilling performance, and a warm one. He manages to mix both aspect of his character incredibly well, and in an effective performance.

Best Supporting Actor 2010: Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech

Geoffrey Rush received his fourth Oscar nomination for portraying Lionel Logue in The King's Speech.

Lionel Logue the Australian speech therapist for King George VI (Colin Firth) as written in the King's Speech, is the sort of role that does seem to demand a certain style and form of acting. This particular style being show boating acting. The type of acting where the actor pretty much says look at me, I am doing all that I can to show of my acting skills. This type of role therefore fits Geoffrey Rush well he has his distinct style, voice, does fit well for this type of acting.

One could argue that Logue could have been portrayed in a less showier fashion, and yes perhaps he could have been, but really in the way he is written in this film it seems unlikely. He is character who is always making sly remarks, and purposely acting a bit theatrical. After all there automatically is the scene where he is entertaining his sons through his acting, it would be very difficult to act that scene without doing it in a theatrical way.

Rush takes the theatrical style, and he does do it with gusto. Rush most certainly does know what he is doing here, and he does do it well. His whole point is to purposely provoke the King, and in a way manipulate the King to help him speak more properly. Rush handles this well, being quite flamboyant in his way of mocking the position, and institutions of the royals, allowing for entertaining performance when he does this. His reactions to Firth's actions are always well timed, and well done even though they are not exactly subtle, but entertaining which is what he was going for. Rush knows how to use his manner, and his voice just right in a performance like this to this effect.

Rush does have more quiet scenes when Logue tries to find the psychological problems behind the King's stammer or more specifically when he is giving the ques to the King when he makes his climatic speech. Rush somehow remains still always very controlling, even in this quieter scenes. Again what he does are reactions to Firth, which again he does well, and I did believe his ability to manipulate the King, because of Rush's special manner of delivery. A showy role for a showy performance, I could easily see someone really disliking this self-aware performance, but I thought it did work out for the character.

Best Supporting Actor 2010

And the Nominees Are:

Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech

Mark Ruffalo in The Kids are All Right

Christian Bale in The Fighter

John Hawkes in Winter's Bone

Jeremy Renner in The Town

Best Actor 1996: Results

5. Woody Harrelson in The People vs Larry Flynt- Harrelson is absolutely nothing special, and very standard for the first half of his performance but then the second half when he starts trying to imitate Flynt he is terrible.

4. Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade- I understand the point and the use of the character but this type of performance does not usually equal great acting to me. Also I never fully believed his character either which does not help a performance like this.

3. Geoffrey Rush in Shine- Rush I think does his mannerisms just fine and are close enough to the real deal, but still his performance never can really be amazing. He does succeed a little when he has the chance to show more but he also fails in his last scene.

2. Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient- I think there is something lacking in his character that holds him back, and I feel he was possibly trying too much at the beginning. Still though he succeeds well with the various aspects of the character. He shows the Count's romance, his struggles, and his end very well.

1. Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire- I was tempted to go with Fiennes but I felt Cruise's performance was technically a little better despite his lighter material. First he uses his star quality and charisma perfectly well in his performance here, but at the same time he still develops his character along with his usual charm. The changes of the character which are abrupt are handled well, and the notable scene of the film I feel are really notable because Cruise handles them as well as he does.

Best Actor 1996: Geoffrey Rush in Shine

Geoffrey Rush won an Oscar from his first Oscar nomination for portraying Schizophrenic Pianist David Helfgott.

Shine is a problematic Biography picture. It has some good moments, but it also has some serious problems. Also I must say to see the actual story of Helfgott filmed would be rather different.

Rush actually is not in the film all that much a very good portion of it focuses on the two actors playing the youngest, and younger Helfgott. It only shows briefly at the beginning, but eventually catches up with him again at the very end. This is an "acting" performance most certainly. It is all about mannerisms, and voice to show Helfgott's schizophrenia. Rush does a fine job showing the schizophrenia it is fairly realistic. I compared him to the real Helfgott, and I must say that he was pretty close to the real thing. He was not exact, but he was pretty close.

He does a good job since he is realistic without being over the top. The only problem I have with performance like these, is the actor just finds the right mannerisms, and tone but then call it a day. Which makes sense since most people with mental conditions do not really change in normal situations. Rush most of the time just keep doing the same mannerisms over and over again which are correct and he does it well. It is completely correct for the character, and for the film too, therefore I do not have a problem that he does this. Also when he does have a few chances to show a little more like his scene where he meets his father, or his reaction at the end of his comeback concert. Both scenes are very well handled and are made effective by Rush. But on the other coin his final scene he makes his mannerism sort of go away kind of oddly briefly, which is feels very false and the worst moment in his performance. Still overall he gives a good performance in a limited type of performance and tries to add more when he has the chance.

Best Actor 1996

And The Nominees Were:

Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient

Geoffrey Rush in Shine

Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire

Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade

Woody Harrelson  in The People VS Larry Flynt

Who do you pick? Who do you predict?