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: Hugh Laurie & Ben Whishaw in The Personal History of David Copperfield

Hugh Laurie did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning BIFA, for portraying Mr. Dick in The Personal History of David Copperfield. 

This adaptation of David Copperfield stands out as adaptations of the stories go with its color blind casting, vibrant costumes and production design and its general tone which skews far more comic and whimsical than most adaptations. This seems to allow for a bit more focus upon a character who is most frequently ignored, or at least reduced, that being Mr. Dick, David Copperfield(Dev Patel)'s Aunt(Tilda Swinton)'s cousin, which must be some kind of Dark Helmet like relation to David, but I digress. Mr. Dick is a classic Dickens eccentric, which this adaptation does the opposite of temper, giving the chance for Hugh Laurie, who came up as a comic actor, to return to his roots. To say Dick is eccentric though seems a little of an understatement as a man perpetually obsessed with the long dead King Charles I. The success of this character, though the scenario itself is enjoyable, is almost entirely within Laurie's impeccable comic ability. This is as he represents a kind of daffy that is most impressive, and more importantly most hilarious. This in Laurie's asking about Charles is always with this sort of pent up frustration but most importantly lack of hesitation. For him it is the most sane possible thing to ask. When asked about this obsession, Laurie is hilarious in speaking with such actual kind of seriousness about how Charles bothers him while he cannot focus on any actual work. Laurie being extremely funny by speaking about this Charles situation with a strict kind of conviction about it. Laurie speaking as man suffering a most horrible affliction, made funny by how bizarre it is, but also just the way Laurie does it. 

 

When David attempts to offer some understanding, Laurie is actually funny in presenting that even to Mr. Dick that someone believing in his condition as normal is a little strange to him. Laurie's whole manner here is impressive just in how his reactions within a given scene have this wonderfully atypical quality, that are gems in themselves. The moment where David helps Mr. Dick by having him fly a kite of King Charles to get the thoughts away from him, Laurie is amazing in the moment in showing the alleviation of the thoughts. His voice raises to a man no longer weighed as he suddenly speaks with such fluency and even greater excitement. His physical manner showing a man who seems to finally be able to fully be himself and rid of his most peculiar demons. Laurie's performance in this moment a kind of perfection this as he captures the comic nature of such an absurd treatment, but he also makes it genuinely inspiring in its own way by showing so clearly the man's relief and abilities from the treatment. Now as short as his arc seemingly is, as he gets this treatment very quickly, Laurie is hardly done, not even close, and it is the greatest choice of this adaptation to keep Mr. Dick around, thanks to Laurie. This as he becomes kind of this one liner king and every bit of his is pure joy. A moment where he comes in and so earnestly asks if his head is still attached is hilarious as Laurie says it so straight, without a sense that it would seem strange to anyone. Every appearance by Dick is an unquestioned joy thanks to Hugh Laurie, who simply just is on point to deliver whatever comedy he can. Even at a party where Mr. Dick is looking around for a good kite flying spot, his eyes darting around every where steal the moment without trying seemingly. Later stealing the whole sequence in his impeccable daffy delivery of "I don't who that is" about David's new interest, that is just perfection. 

 

Laurie simply brightens every moment by his mere presence as every line he says is hilarious every reaction of his matching the same. Every bit he gets, he does not fail, in fact he never can be tripped up. I love for example his adrift yet comically still troubled delivery when contemplating financial ruin, amplified by his curious, yet natural to his performance as Dick, way of putting food in his pockets as some immediate reaction for the notion of survival. Now I won't go over every bit of Laurie's, though tempted, because every one is the same story. This being comic genius. This as Laurie knows exactly two to accentuate the character's eccentricities, and uses every facet of himself to do so. Take it when Mr. Dick pays David's now destitute Aunt in worthless things from his pocket. Laurie maximizing the comedy here by seriously speaking the moment with a sincere expression, of Mr. Dick doing some complete nonsense. I do have to mention as well, the classic Dickens confrontation scene, which Laurie is highlight of. This is where Mr. Dick is cut as to the expert to note some forgery, and his overly simple delivery of seemingly random "swans" couldn't be better, however articulated all the greater by his blink then switching gears when prompted to explain the swans denote a forged signature. Really even this could theoretical be some bit of exposition, made great comedy by Laurie's always pitch perfect delivery. I simply can't praise this performance enough, because every second of it is worthy so. Every instance of screentime Laurie offers something to, in his work that isn't showboating, so much as tide rising, as his mere presence makes every moment of the film more joyous. 

Ben Whishaw did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Uriah Heap in The Personal History of David Copperfield. 

The character of Uriah Heap I'll actually say probably is the most ideal for this version, this as this character is ALWAYS portrayed in a broad fashion. Ben Whishaw's performance, just in a general sense, is much more aligned with the tone of this film than his predecessors in the part were with their versions which in general were more low key and largely serious. I for one thoroughly enjoy Whishaw's take which goes into that broad approach, though here by playing the part almost as a literal vulture. This from his mopped hair, to his dark clothing, and his walk where he is always hunched over with his head sticking out. I love the way Whishaw just interacts with every other cast member as this basic invasion of personal space. This as he's always leaning far too close towards every that he speaks as though he is ready to peck them, not on the lips, rather trying to take out an eye or something. I particularly enjoy this from Whishaw, that terrific actor who is typically better known for his more dramatic roles as generally rather meek men. As Heap, Whishaw gets to go big for once just really letting loose, and I for one am all for it. Whishaw creeps around everyone of his scenes with his accent and his smile. Whishaw being entertaining by playing up just how creepy Heap is, and how obvious in his sycophancy. Whishaw though does project an act, a meager one, of Heap attempting some minor courtesy of the vulture as he speaks with a more stilted delivery and this kind of phony smile, in that Whishaw makes it as though Heap struggles to even maintain it for the duration of his so called ruse. This against when Heap is more obviously making his attempts at strides, usually through the most underhanded of means, it is with a someone even more off-putting delivery and smile that isn't trying to be amiable, but rather is wholly sinister. The difference only being as he doesn't hid his reprehensible nature under the smallest bit of a phony facade. As is the case always for Heap, he is supposed to be an obvious villain who skids by only through obvious exploitation. Whishaw plays into this by being this vulture in each of his scenes as he basically is sniffing corpses of opportunity, by only taking the most negative methods towards advancement, while enjoying it with just a devious sneer. This is a comic performance, as Whishaw plays even more into just how obvious Heap is as this parasite, and finds an entertaining path that is fitting within this film's tone. Although again, Heap is always an obvious parasite, Whishaw just makes him a more enjoyable one than usual.

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