Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1988: Results

5. Tim Robbins in Bull Durham- Robbins gives an entertaining performance finding the endearing qualities within his rather unintelligent character.

Best Scene: Nuke offers his words of "wisdom".

4. Philippe Noiret in Cinema Paradiso- Noiret gives a moving performance that nicely conveys the warmth and wisdom his character has.

Best Scene:  Alfredo says goodbye to Toto.

3. Christopher Lloyd in Who Framed Roger Rabbit- Lloyd gives an effective villainous turn by putting so much conviction in his performance even when saying the most absurd things.

Best Scene: The Freeway speech. 

2. Alan Rickman in Die Hard- Rickman creates a deliciously evil villain and is effectively amusing and imposing sometimes even in the same scene.

Best Scene: Hans pretends to be a hostage. 

1. Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda- Good Prediction Lezlie. My favorite this whole year is Michael Palin, although it was close between his Oscar winning co-star and Alan Rickman. Despite loving all three though Palin's performance, which succeeds in making assassination and dog killing funny, is my favorite.

Best Scene: Fish and Chips.

Overall Rank:

1. Michael Palin & Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda (TIE)
2. Alan Rickman in Die Hard
3. John Lone in The Moderns
4. Christopher Lloyd in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
5. Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice 
6. Philippe Noiret in Cinema Paradiso
7. Martin Landau in Tucker: The Man and his Dream
8. Jacques Perrin in Cinema Paradiso
9. Salvatore Cascio in Cinema Paradiso
10. Dean Stockwell in Tucker: The Man and His Dream
11. Raul Julia in Moon Over Parador
12. M. Emmet Walsh in Clean and Sober
13. Douglas Seale in Ernest Saves Christmas 
14. Giancarlo Esposito in School Daze
    
15. Tim Robbins in Bull Durham 
16. Jacky Cheung in As Tears Go By
17. Reginald VelJohnson in Die Hard  
18. Michael Wincott in Talk Radio
19. Williem Dafoe in Mississippi Burning 
20. Pete Postlethwaite in Distant Voices, Still Lives 
21. Eric Idle in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 
22. Harvey Keitel in The Last Temptation of Christ
23. Raul Julia in Tequila Sunrise
24. Charles Fleischer in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
25. David Strathairn in Eight Men Out
26. John Forsythe in Scrooged
27. John Amos in Coming to America 
28. Harry Dean Stanton in The Last Temptation of Christ 
29. Gene Hackman in Another Woman
30. Christopher Lloyd in Eight Men Out
31. Kevin J. O'Connor in The Moderns 
32. David Suchet in A World Apart
33. Morgan Freeman in Clean and Sober 
34. Ian Holm in Another Woman
35. Tom Georgeson in A Fish Called Wanda
36. John Cusack in Eight Men Out 
37. John Houseman in Another Woman
38. Wallace Shawn in The Moderns
39. John Mahoney in Eight Men Out
40. Yaphet Kotto in Midnight Run  
41. Laurence Fishburne in School Daze
    
42. John Glover in Scrooged
43. Brad Dourif in Mississippi Burning
44. Dean Stockwell in Married to the Mob
45. Robert Mitchum in Scrooged
46. Judd Hirsch in Running on Empty
47. David Johansen in Scrooged 
48. Alex Man in As Tears Go By
49. William Atherton in Die Hard 
50. Robert Loggia in Big 
51. Robert Prosky in Things Change
52. Stephen Tobolowsky in Mississippi Burning
53. Michael Rooker in Eight Men Out 
54. Clancy Brown in Shoot to Kill
55. John Ashton in Midnight Run
56. John Murray in Scrooged 
57. Richard Masur in Shoot to Kill
58. Harrison Ford in Working Girl 
59. Lloyd Bridges in Tucker: A Man and His Dream 
60. Spike in School Daze
    
61. David Strathairn in Dominick and Eugene
62. Alexander Godunov in Die Hard
63. George Kennedy in The Naked Gun
64. Arsenio Hall in Coming to America 
65. Lou Diamond Phillips in Stand and Deliver
66. Charles Durning in Cop 
67. Jeffrey Jones in Beetlejuice 
68. Andre Gregory in The Last Temptation of Christ
69. Bobcat Goldthwait in Scrooged
70. R L. Ermey in Mississippi Burning
71. Jonathan Pryce in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
72. Fernando Guillen in Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
73. Elias Koteas in Tucker: A Man And His Dream
74. Marco Leonardi in Cinema Paradiso 
75. Val Kilmer in Willow 
76. Frederic Forrest in Tucker: A Man And His Dream 
77. Ricky Jay in Things Change 
78. Raymond J. Barry in Cop
79. Alan Tilvern in Who Framed Roger Rabbit  
80. Charles McKeown in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
81. Keith David in They Live  
82. Robin Williams in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
83. Glenn Shadix in Beetlejuice
84. Brian Kerwin in Torch Song Trilogy
85. Jason Robards in Bright Lights Big City
86. Erland Josephson in Hanussen
87. Oliver Reed in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
88. Bryan Brown in Gorillas in the Mist
89. Bill Pullman The Accidental Tourist 
90. Donald Moffat in The Unbearable Lightness of Being 
91. Kiefer Sutherland in Bright Lights Big City 
92. Matthew Broderick in Torch Song Trilogy
93. Antonio Banderas in Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
94. JT Walsh in Tequila Sunrise
95. John Mahoney in Frantic
96. Tray Wilson in Bull Durham
97. Christian Slater in Tucker: A Man And His Dream
98. Robert Wuhl in Bull Durham
99. Paul Gleason in Die Hard
100. Gérard Depardieu in Camille Claudel
101. John Kapelos in The Boost
102. Bernie Coulson in The Accused
103. Liam Neeson in The Dead Pool
104. John Heard in Big 
105. Steven Hill in The Boost
106. Leo Rossi in The Accused
107. Todd Graff in Dominick and  Eugene
108. Joe Pesci in Moonwalker
109. Jim Carrey in The Dead Pool
110. Keanu Reeves in Dangerous Liaisons

Next Year: 1973 Leading

Alternate Best Supporting 1988: Philippe Noiret in Cinema Paradiso

Philipe Noiret did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning a BAFTA, for portraying Alfredo in Cinema Paradiso.

Cinema Paradiso is a wonderful film about the growth of a young boy Salvatore "Toto" Di Vita who is taken under the wing of the projectionist at his local theater.

Now it was actually rather easy for me to put Philippe Noiret in supporting here. The story of the film is firmly about the story of the boy. Yes he is not the lead either because he is played by three different actors who are given more or less the same screen time. I put them all in supporting because they all support each other and not one leads the film on his own. Noiret never leads the film either. Alfredo is always a supporting character in the purest sense of the word. Alfredo is always there supporting Toto. The story is never from his perspective, nor is it his story. When something happens to him is always put in context of how it affects Toto.

Noiret at the beginning of the film portrays Alfredo in a very to the point fashion. He is just the projectionist who is slightly tired by the local priest's constant censorship demands, as well as is bit annoyed by the young boy Toto who keeps asking questions about how he does his job exactly. Noiret handles this well because he portrays Alfredo not as a grumpy grouch in any way just more of how a normal person trying to do their job would react to such an overly inquisitive boy. The focus of the film though soon becomes the relationship between the boy and Alfredo as the boy is determined to try to find out all about Alfredo's job as a film projectionist.

Their growing friendship is very well done by Noiret as he portrays a growing warmth Alfredo takes the boy. He slowly stops telling the boy various things about film projection just to make him stop answering question, instead starts to honestly want to teach him. Noiret eases into the part of the caring part of a father figure who tries his best to help the boy in a natural fashion. He makes the relationship between Alfredo and the boy an endearing one that finds the heart of the situation without ever trying to force the situation. Their relationship grows between the two in a wholly honest way.

The relationship which is the core of the film is never a loud one through Noiret's portrayal. It makes sense for the boy to be more expressive, but Noiret does well in being very quiet as Alfredo creating the right dynamic between the two. After a tragic accident Alfredo is blinded and the Toto takes over as the projectionist in the town although still takes Alfredo's guidance. Noiret does very well in somehow downplaying even more so as the blind Alfredo. Alfredo though no longer guides Toto as a projectionist but instead encourages him to live his life to his fullest.

Noiret reserved portrayal of the wise Alfredo is very effective as he infuses the right poignancy into all of Alfredo's teachings. He always makes him a calm, encouraging presence, that works perfectly in making Alfredo the mentor he should be. He turns him into an endearing memorable character, that he leaves the proper impression that allows the influence of Alfredo in the last scenes, which he is not even in, to be as powerful as they should. I should say that I don't think I love this performance as so many seem to, but this is most certainly a strong performance by Philippe Noiret.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1988

And the Nominees Were Not:

Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda

Tim Robbins in Bull Durham

Philippe Noiret in Cinema Paradiso

Alan Rickman in Die Hard

Christopher Lloyd in Who Framed Roger Rabbit