Alternate Best Actor 1980: Results

5. Al Pacino in Cruising - Pacino does what he can with a razor thin role.

 

Best Scene: Rejecting his girlfriend.

4. Richard Dreyfuss in the Competition - Dreyfuss gives a fine portrayal of a character that asks very much for a typical Dreyfuss turn.

 

Best Scene: Conducting. 

3. Naseeruddin Shah in Sparsh - Shah gives a compelling portrayal of a man struggling for normalcy as he deals with his disability with others.

Best Scene: Dinner breakdown

2. Anthony Quinn in Lion of the Desert - Quinn gives a powerful portrayal of a quiet dignity and determination. 

Best Scene: Negotiations.

1. John Savage in Inside Moves - Savage gives a moving portrayal of a man moving from a hollow depression to a quiet understanding of life. 

Best Scene: Why he attempted suicide.

Updated Overall

 

Next: 1980 Supporting (though I might just do a couple reviews on a single post). 

Alternate Best Actor 1980: Richard Dreyfuss in The Competition...A Best Actor Mystery

It's a cold, dark night. I bite down on my last candy cigarette knowing there won't be another for some time. I look through my draw, only gummy cigars, I leave them for the psychopaths and murderers. Next to them is the case file that's been the source of a persistent migraine for the last few years. Passed along to be by one Daniel Thornton, a mystery solve I was told. I peel over its dust covered pages. Find a familiar face staring back at me. Richard Dreyfuss...I should've known, especially since it the title of this deposition, but I've seen this man for some time. That high pitched voice, the short stature, and curly hair. I know this man, so what about him this time. I had to dive deeper, even as this nagging pinch on the back of my skull told me there would be no good to come of it, but I had to, I couldn't leave it be. 

First stop was Dirty's John's bar, the floor filthy, the patrons filthier, John himself remarkably well dressed and aromatic. Now most people without a head injury call this place Wikipedia, but I know better. Either way, the only source I got. Billy Q, the oldest of all the patrons and the strangest of names informs me of the strangest thing about this mystery, the plaudits and the condemnation. What was this film, Q told me, nominated for best editing and best song, but Dreyfuss himself nominated for Razzie for worst actor. The best song I could understand, you can depend the quality of a film being nominated for best song about as much as you can leaving Armie Hammer with a pint of human blood. The editing though is usually reserved for films of some note, some kind of note, this film's got a lot of notes I'm told though. The Competition I learned, it's about a piano competition, the plot thickens, almost as much as the drink I ordered.

I try to pass on the drink, and take my exit, but a pair fellows push me in the back alley. One a dead ringer for Mike Mazurki, the other for Jack O'Halloran, I let them know the similarities, they don't seem to get the reference, or perhaps they do. The two tell me to keep out of it, and throw me in a garbage can, jokes on them, if they had read my review of Tommy Wiseau in the Room, they'd know I love garbage. When I get threatened about a review it means one of two things, a fan boy, or I'm onto a dark secret. Those guys didn't look like Zach Snyder fans so it must be latter. I decide to screw the middle man and go right to the source...my local library. They must have the Competition I thought, but no, all the windows were dark. Not a single source of light...strange it was only 2 am. I go undeterred, find the back door logged open with a copy of Confessions of an Actor by Laurence Olivier, I knew someone was messing with me. 

Inside I find the box for The Competition, but no VHS, just a slip of paper that says "better luck next time ha ha ha". Luckily I think looked up on justwatch.com and found it streaming on Amazon, whoever was keeping me from the film obviously hadn't entered into the 21st century. I couldn't think about that though, I had a bigger fish to fry, well actually some tacos to make, as I prep my viewing of the Competition. As soon as the film started I could see why someone wanted to keep from the horrible truth of the film it's it's...kind of middling I guess, not bad, not particularly good. Anyway I think the editing nod must have come from the film's different little vignettes about the different players prepping for a piano competition, Richard Dreyfuss as former wunderkind Paul Dietrich is merely one of them. He is the lead guy, but the film spends a little time with every one of his rivals for his piano playing crown. Not that there is anything inspired in the montages or the sequencing to indicate the need for a best editing nomination. How it was nominated over something like The Empire Strikes Back, is a bit of a head-scratcher. 

 

So what makes Dreyfuss Razzie worthy though...nothing, it's no greater mystery than Stanley Kubrick being nominated for The Shining or Ennio Morricone being nominated for The Thing, the Razzies are dumb. Then who were those men trying to stop me...probably just figments of my imagination in some attempt to stretch out this review for a performance I don't have much to say about. You might think this is a cop out, but sometimes some mysterious are better unanswered, at least that's what I'm told by every bad ambiguous ending ever made. Okay, the guys were from Razzies...sure why not. They wanted to cover up their terrible choices, I had a spectacular gun battle with them, and there was a giant explosion.Whatever, anyway this as this is a pretty typical neurotic Dreyfuss turn. The worst part about it being his chemistry with Amy Irving as a fellow pianist, this is far more so on Irving, who ever the bland actress, makes it difficult for Dreyfuss to find any real spark with her. Dreyfuss is a bit lower key than usual for this period, brings a slight somberness appropriate to a guy who even at a young age is unfulfilled potential. He's entirely more than fine though in portraying the sort of shaken determination of this guy just trying to be a musical genius and failing to be in some ways. His actual musical portrayals are well handled in presenting that kind of reserved intensity for a concert pianist. This while having that romance that amounts to little, but Dreyfuss does his best to make something out of it. Irving is just far too stilted, making their scenes much the same. Really that is the main weakness of this work, which is kind of a less neurotic version of his performance in The Goodbye Girl (A performance I like more and more as time goes by). Dreyfuss though certainly tries and his off-beat energy is somewhat appreciated in the proceedings of this film. He can be earnest and again the spark just isn't with Irving, but you can feel Dreyfuss trying to make it happen. That is really what holds this performance back from a certain point, though far from being deserving of any "worst of" list. Overall you get a little Dreyfuss charm, a little neurosis, a combination here that isn't one of his notable performances, nor one of his bad performances, it's one of his performances no more, no less. 

Alternate Best Actor 1980

And the Nominees Were Not:

Richard Dreyfuss in The Competition

 

Naseeruddin Shah in Sparsh

 

Al Pacino in Cruising

 

John Savage in Inside Moves

 

Anthony Quinn in Lion of the Desert

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1975: Results

5. Ugo Tognazzi in My Friends - Tognazzi gives a wonderful endearing turn that creates the right dynamic with the titular friends while also creating a undercurrent of pathos within the man.

Best Scene: Death bed of a friend.

4. Bruce Dern in Smile - Dern gives a hilarious yet also somehow moving portrayal of a man who has devised his own form of the American dream that he uses to live life by.

Best Scene: Talking to his friend in prison.

3. Alan Bates in In Celebration - Bates, along with all his co-stars, gives a terrific turn portraying so effectively the desperation in his portrait of a son struggling to find a way to reveal his discontent with his life and family at a reunion.

Best Scene: Can't sleep.

2. Nicol Williamson in The Wilby Conspiracy - Williamson steals his film wholesale through his dynamic and domineering portrayal of a cunning villainy fighting passionately for what he believes in.

Best Scene: Revealing the conspiracy.

1. Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws - Dreyfuss, as with his two main co-stars, gives a great performance that compliments them wonderfully through his off-beat energy while also effectively realizing his own place within the dramatic elements of the film.

Best Scene: Indianapolis reaction.

Updated Overall

Next Year: 1987 lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1975: Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws

Richard Dreyfuss did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a BAFTA, for portraying Matt Hooper in Jaws.

As with any masterpiece there is not a single factor that makes Jaws one of the best films ever made. There are several elements working in tandem to realize this achievement. As much as Jaws is a technical and directorial achievement in its creation of the horror of a shark, it goes beyond any average monster film through the characters that ground it into reality. In Jaws we have the three men who eventually become the motley crew of the boat the Orca tasked to kill the titular Jaws. I have previously reviewed Roy Scheider for his understated yet dynamic leading turn as Chief Brody, and Robert Shaw for his turn as the old haunted shark hunter Quint, which I consider the greatest supporting turn ever given. I have been remiss though to forget the third part of this triangle in Dreyfuss's Matt Hooper. The then young hotshot performer makes his presence known as a visitor to the shark terrorized island as an expert in the field from the mainland. Although Hooper has the least personally invested in the hunt for the Shark he is an essential ingredient within story.

Before the three meet up though Hooper is initially introduced as the expert sent over from the mainland to offer some insight on the shark attacks. Although all three of the men are in some form a atypical on the island of Amity  with Brody hating the water as well as not being from the island originally, and Quint being Quint, Hooper is perhaps the most obvious in this regard. This is beautifully represented in his first scene as the not particularly tall man arrives at the port, where groups of amateur shark hunters dangerously make their way out the sea. Dreyfuss is great here by very much playing into being as much of a Richard Dreyfuss as he can be. Dreyfuss in doing so perfectly embodies sort of a proper city folk who just doesn't quite fit in a setting filled with plenty of yocal locals. This is not a problem for Hooper, as evidenced by Dreyfuss's wonderful approach to really just to embrace sort of that affluent upbringing in his sunny yet rather ego driven demeanor. It would be pretty easily to make Hooper quite unlikable quickly, but Dreyfuss takes such a pitch perfect approach from the start. As like Shaw and Scheider, he simply from his first frame is Hooper.

Dreyfuss's performance is primed with this certain insatiable energy which he fashions so well. In that he makes it honest to the man who is there to do a job, and so naturally infused in his general manner as he first arrives. Dreyfuss uses this brilliantly though in the way it creates a certain passion within the character, and a humor in his interactions with others. As immediately when he arrives and asks Brody about seeing the remains of the victim his desire to do so is delivered so well by Dreyfuss's determined delivery as a man who clearly cares. This is less evident as he tries to help the chief by telling a group of men not to overload a boat, Dreyfuss's smile as he murmurs to himself "They're all going to die" with more than little bit of derisive self-satisfaction in the sentiment. Dreyfuss treads this fine line here as he is always nearly insufferable as Hooper quickly combats the townspeople, but never quite goes over it. This is through both again that passion, the humor, but also the humanity he does bring to the character. There is a great moment early on where he is performing his own autopsy on the first victim where Dreyfuss's reaction of reserved horror at the sight of it is exceptionally performed revealing a man who cares rather than just an ego.

Dreyfuss's initial dynamic actually is specifically with Scheider as Brody. The two are wonderful together in creating just this natural warmth in their interactions as each look at each other with a great mutual respect. The way the two play together in a scene though is terrific though with Dreyfuss making Hooper a firebrand of sorts against the mostly reserved Brody. Dreyfuss brings such a great enthusiasm in moments as he discusses the sharks, and his experiences. I love one moment though where he discusses his family's wealth, and Dreyfuss brings just the right touch of nearly a bit of shame on the matter against Brody's genuine curiosity. This balances so well against the moments where the two try to convince the town's mayor (Murray Hamilton) about the dangers of the shark, and that they should close the beach. Where Scheider makes Brody's disagreements passionate yet cordial, Dreyfuss provides excellent contrast, as he delivers every frustration. Dreyfuss takes it a step further than anger though with this annoyed disbelief at the stupidity, with yes a bit of an ego again, but at this point rather earned in his "I'm smarter than you" attitude at this point.

Of course all that Dreyfuss does before the film's third act is just a warm up once he and Shaw finally share the screen. The two evidently did not get along on set, and this perfectly plays into their scenes together with the young upstart against the aging vet, both in terms of the characters and the actors.  Dreyfuss is so good with Shaw, though it is perhaps in a way playing at each other than directly with each other at times in the best of ways. This is from their first great moment where Quint grabs Hooper's arms to comment on his "city hands". Dreyfuss's flustered reaction is perfection setting up the right type of antagonism, as it isn't just annoyance, but also this certain defiant spark that will help to define their relationship. This all the while with Scheider providing the perfect mid-ground as Brody. They are marvelous together in every moment by how vibrant they make every interaction as we just get to know the three men as they try to kill the blasted shark. Dreyfuss is fantastic in his part using every moment to his advantage. This is in the alliance with Quint where Dreyfuss delivers this great petulance early on always showing his bits of defiance, and competition. One moment from this is where he just makes childlike gesture insults, without Quint seeing, after being given an order, which is very funny, yet also comes so naturally within Dreyfuss's performance making just seem like something Hooper would do. One of my favorite moments though is in their competition of sorts where Quint drinks down a beer then crushes a beer, causing Hooper to do the same with his beer, the difference is it is in a paper cup. Dreyfuss's reaction is what makes this so hilarious as he stares with determination presenting Hooper's conviction to match Quint at every point. Again though this is never overdone in irreverence, as their moments of clashing over expertise or how to kill the shark, Dreyfuss again brings such a genuine passion once again. His deliveries and manner create the right color to the character, who he makes humorous yet never a cartoon. This is also found through the process of the hunt which Dreyfuss's work helps to characterize in a way by easing up the humor the more dire the situation becomes. Now one of the best acted scenes of all time is the famed Indianapolis speech by Robert Shaw, that includes what Scheider and Dreyfuss are doing. Dreyfuss is great himself first in the moment pre-speech where he and Shaw capture the right camaraderie finally as the two compare scars with the right glee. Although this is a definite shift the two make this moment of friendship feel earned as the two similair spirits come out so naturally within their interactions. Dreyfuss's best moment in the scene though is where he comments on the scar that was formerly a naval tattoo that signified the Indianapolis. Dreyfuss's shift from laughing, as Hooper makes an innocent joke about what the tattoo might have been, to seriousness is brilliantly performed. He captures so well the understanding in Hooper once he realizes what Quint's experience had been in a seconds notice with barely saying a word. Throughout the scene Dreyfuss's reactions provide all the more weight and impact to the story in his reactions that signify Hooper's own horror at hearing the first hand account as well as the right empathy as he comes to fully understand the man. After that scene the petulance of Hooper is essentially gone in Dreyfuss's performance as he shifts to a more mature presence. He also shows a greater passion in the moments of action doing so well in suggesting the man's own growing need to kill the shark, after treating it more as a curiosity at first. Dreyfuss too is great in portraying the gradual growth in desperation as they run out of options. Dreyfuss is especially powerful in his harried delivery "You got any better suggestions?" before he is going to try to poison the shark as a last resort. I also love those final moments with Shaw, as the two in the end finally exude their own respect just in the way the performers interact. Their arc to this is never spelled out in dialogue yet both Shaw and Dreyfuss wholly earn this change away from antagonism. Although Dreyfuss has perhaps the least emotional role of the three, he too gives a great performance. His chemistry with Shaw and Scheider is perfection, though in very different ways, and as they do with their characters, Dreyfuss helps to make Hooper a compelling and vivid character in his own right that goes far beyond being one of the shark hunters.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1975

And the Nominees Were Not:

Alan Bates in In Celebration

Brian Cox in In Celebration

Bill Owen in In Celebration

Bruce Dern in Smile

Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws

Nicol Williamson in The Wilby Conspiracy

Ugo Tognazzi in My Friends

For Prediction Purposes:

Bates in In Celebration

Alternate Best Actor 1975: Results

4. Charles Bronson in Hard Times - Bronson fulfills the tough guy needs of the role, yet once again reveals his greater talent to exhibit a more powerful emotional side subtly within his portrayal of a man in desperate circumstances. 

Best Scene: Before the first fight.

3. Robert Mitchum in Farewell, My Lovely - Mitchum elevates his entire film, despite being too old for the part, he captures the style of the genre so effectively through his earnest yet intelligent approach towards the material. 

Best Scene: Waking up next to a corpse.

2. Maxim Munzuk in Dersu Uzala - Munzuk gives a wonderfully idiosyncratic turn that captures both the history of hardship as a man of the wilderness, but also an optimistic spirit that defines the man's success within it. 

Best Scene: Death of a tiger.

1. Richard Dreyfuss in Inserts - Richard Dreyfuss gives one of his best performances that uses his unique presence well to create a very particular state of a man completely spent by life at such a young age. 

Best Scene: Boy wonder directs the first time.

Updated Overall

Next Year: 1975 Supporting, Note: I decided to move Ugo Tognazzi's review over to supporting. I have also seen In Celebration and Smile, and consider both to be ensemble films.

Alternate Best Actor 1975: Richard Dreyfuss in Inserts

Richard Dreyfuss did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying The Boy Wonder in Inserts.

Inserts comes off a bit like a play that wasn't adapted all that well, even though it isn't based on a play, but it does hold some interest at the very least as one of those 70's films that would only ever have been made in that decade.

One of the most intriguing facets of the film is the central performance by Richard Dreyfuss during his heyday as a rather young leading man. He fittingly plays a boy wonder here as well though in a different profession in the film industry. Here we find him as a director already left behind by the film industry, due to the transition to sound, leaving him to resort to making pornographic films in his large isolating mansion. Immediately to his credit is Dreyfuss's ability to be convincing in creating the very idea of the character. This being this young man who is already spent and more or less done with life. This weariness is wholly captured in his worn eyes, and whole physical demeanor that feels like that of a man who has stayed up all night for the past 10 years. One can feel tired just looking at Dreyfuss here as he makes this man who has wholly burned out that exudes from his very being at every moments he is onscreen. Although we don't know the exact journey that lead him down this place, though we do get a few details, Dreyfuss immediately creates a vivid sense of a long painful history that brought this boy wonder to a rather dark place.

Dreyfuss is an interesting performer with a natural energetic talent, even if it isn't always used perfectly, but this is just right for the boy wonder here. Dreyfuss is fascinating in that he manages to create both a man at the end of his rope, but still realize this idea of the wunderkind of Hollywood who has wasted away. This is through his very specific sort of exasperation that Dreyfuss realizes in his work that manages to wield that energetic style of his in a rather unique fashion. There is this inherent intensity that Dreyfuss finds in the souse director that are this embers of the brilliant talent. A certain unpleasant frigidity quality he brings even in that exhaustion. There is a burden in this that Dreyfuss is able to play into the part that makes the man seem especially uncomfortable in his state. Dreyfuss doesn't make it wholly natural, but instead rather directly atypical. He is not a man who has settled into his state of life. He is writhing within it that allows Dreyfuss to deliver this viciousness of a personality deep within his eyes that are never only glazed rather still piercing in their own way. He creates the sense of the man who is almost in this state of a madness created by his descent towards nothingness. 

There is more to the boy wonder than a husk, though not too much, which we see particularly through the other supporting characters of the film. Now on one end we have his relationships with the other men including his male "star" Rex (Stephen Davies) or his producer Big Mac (Bob Hoskins). In his relationships with the men there is a more overt derision that Dreyfuss portrays in every venomous delivery towards them. In these moments he accentuates a most powerful callousness that shows so well the boy's disregard for fellow "users" of the same industry where he's now applying his trade. Dreyfuss differs this subtly within his two "starlets" one former in the heroin addict Harlene (Veronica Cartwright) and later the potential newcomer Cathy Cake (Jessica Harper). With the former Dreyfuss and Cartwright are simply excellent together. In just a few minutes we quickly see their rotting relationship through their performances. There is a certain tenderness even sweetness the two brings in their interaction, even as one drinks towards death, and the other shoots up her arm towards the same fate. They create a warmth though even in this that suggests an older friendship even within this certain grotesque state of their current mutual rot as people.

Dreyfuss has one great moment early on with Cartwright where the boy wonder warns her about the drugs she's taking. Dreyfuss's tired delivery on the surface still shows the man beaten down by life, but deep within it is still an earnestness that reflects an honest concern still somewhere in the man. When she rather suddenly exits the picture Dreyfuss is again remarkable in creating the state of the man. Dreyfuss finds a callousness in his delivery as the boy wonder makes an obscene suggestion in regards to the news, yet again he underlays it with a quiet yet still palatable sadness deep within that reveals itself as this piercing anguish internalized in Dreyfuss's beaten down face. Now this a little bit different from his relationship with Cathy who is initially introduced to him as the girlfriend of Mac, and seems to have a strange interest in the concept of inserts. Dreyfuss initially brings the same disdain towards her initially until she begins to challenge him beyond what he expects. When her interest in him grows, and she begins to encourage his inspiration, in more ways than one, Dreyfuss slowly moves to this genuine interest along with almost a hint of hope at times. Of course this is a little separate, though effectively so, from when we see the boy wonder direct his "films". Dreyfuss is brilliant in these scenes where he does show a spark in the man, though specifically related to the act of directing. This is as he essentially embodies that ambition of a great director as Dreyfuss switches it on suggesting the man the boy once was. This too is unpleasant in its own, mostly due to the end result, though he is amazing as he one moment becomes the tender lover and another the vile sadist. In each though Dreyfuss is absolutely convincing in the success of the man, and in revealing the man in his purest state as a director. Dreyfuss though depicts these as only minor relapses though never wholly bringing the man out of his decay, powerfully showing the man is perhaps beyond recovery. Dreyfuss's work is consistently captivating as he makes use of his best qualities as a performer to craft quite the unique character as this man both bursting at the seams and dying inside.

Alternate Best Actor 1975

And the Nominees Were Not:

Maxim Munzuk in Dersu Uzala

Richard Dreyfuss in Inserts

Charles Bronson in Hard Times

Robert Mitchum in Farewell, My Lovely 

Ugo Tognazzi in My Friends

Alternate Best Actor 1977: Results

5. Jack Nance in Eraserhead - Nance gives fine semi-straight man style of performance from the weirdness of the film but his work never stands beyond that weirdness.

Best Scene: Henry sees the "child's" insides

4. Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Dreyfuss was well cast as his average guy manner manages to make his character likable and easy to follow even as he does some questionable things.

Best Scene: Roy sees the mother ship.

3. Harvey Keitel in The Duellists - Keitel completely overcomes his apparent miscasting by giving an effective portrayal of a gentlemanly violent determination.

Best Scene: The final duel.

2. Alberto Sordi in An Average Little Man - Sordi for the first half of the film gives an entertaining comic performance then is extremely effective by subverting that into a disturbing portrait of a man's descent into despair and madness.

Best Scene: Giovanni sees the killer.

1. Art Carney in The Late Show - Good Predictions GM, and RatedRStar. Art Carney gives a great performance as he wonderfully balances the drama and comedy in his portrayal of an aging private detective.

Best Scene:  Ira gets the upper hand on the thug.

Overall Ranking:

1. Alberto Sordi in An Average Little Man
2. John Gielgud in Providence
3. Art Carney in The Late Show
4. Bruno Ganz in The American Friend
5. Boris Plotnikov in The Ascent
6. James Coburn in Cross of Iron
7. Keith Carradine in The Duellists
8. John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever
9. Marcello Mastroianni in A Special Day
10. Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl
11. Vladimir Gostyukhin in The Ascent
12. William Devane in Rolling Thunder
13. Paul Newman in Slap Shot 
14. Robert Shaw in Black Sunday
15. Bruce Dern in Black Sunday
16. Roy Scheider in Sorcerer 
17. Sanjeev Kumar in The Chess Players
18. Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind
19. Richard Burton in Equus
20. Sam Neill in Sleeping Dogs
21. Woody Allen in Annie Hall
22. Kostas Kazakos in Iphigenia
23. Bruno S. in Stroszek
24. Jack Lemmon in Airport '77
25. Gregory Peck in MacArthur
26. Andrey Myagkov in Office Romance
27. Fernando Rey in Elisa, Vida Mía
28. Rutger Hauer in Soldier of Orange
29. Jerzy Radziwiłowicz in Man of Marble
30. Richard Chamberlain in The Last Wave
31. Mark Hamill in Star Wars
32. Robert Shaw in The Deep
33. Vyacheslav Tikhonov in White Bim Black Ear
34. David Carradine in The Serpent's Egg
35. Jack Nance in Eraserhead
36. Saverio Marconi in Padre Padrone
37. Saeed Jaffrey in The Chess Players
38. Samy Ben Youb in Madame Rosa
39. George C. Scott in Island in the Streams
40. Marcel Sabourin in J.A. Martin Photographer
41. Fernando Rey in That Obscure Object of Desire
42. Charles Denner in The Man Who Loved Women
43. Peter Firth in Equus
44. George Burns in Oh God!
45. Bob Newhart in The Rescuers
46. George Segal in Fun With Dick and Jane 
47. Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit
48. Robert De Niro in New York, New York
49. Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me
50. Mel Brooks in High Anxiety
51. Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon
52. Michael Palin in Jabberwocky
53. Nick Nolte in The Deep
54. Al Pacino in Bobby Deerfield
55. Len Cariou in A Little Night Music
56. John Denver in Oh God!
57. Richard Burton in Exorcist II: The Heretic
58. Henry Winkler in Heroes
59. George Lauris in Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot

Next Year: 1977 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1977: Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Richard Dreyfuss did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is about a man whose life is changed after encountering an Unidentified Flying Object.

Roy Neary is rather odd to be our "hero" for the film because many of his character traits are more often looked at problematic. Even before he meets the UFO we see Roy with his family where he is probably a little too short with both his wife and children. I suppose it was very important to have Dreyfuss in the lead, oppose to someone like Jack Nicholson, because in Roy's semi outbursts in this early scene Dreyfuss does not have an overt intensity about himself. Dreyfuss simply has that average guy quality in his performances so even when he lashes out against the various annoyances that his family provides for him Dreyfuss does not make Roy seem like a psychopath but rather just a rather exasperated father. Of course technically speaking Roy only becomes worse though when he is called away to check on a downed power line only to accidentally come into contact with an alien spacecraft.

After coming in contact with the alien Roy becomes obsessed with it which seems to go even further than even a normal obsession from a more normal human intrigue. His mind clearly has been directly changed by the influence of the ship as he never stops thinking of a single physical structure. This is a unhealthy obsession actually as it causes him to lose both his job as well as his family. Dreyfuss's performance is important here because he never makes Roy's seem irresponsible man or a cold man even though Roy is basically closing himself off from his present day reality in this obsession. Dreyfuss is good in portraying this as just kinda an overwhelming pull in Roy that is forcing him to constantly think about structure. Dreyfuss does not even show it to be a problem so to speak, but rather something that has become in Roy's nature. Although the obsession is still self-destructive Dreyfuss does a fine job of making it seem less severe than it is. 

Roy after finding out the physical location that matches the shape in his mind he sets off to reach it despite apparently being evacuated do to an apparent leak of poisonous gas. Dreyfuss's role becomes relatively simple at this point as Roy just continues to try to reach his destination despite there being many obstacles in his path. Dreyfuss though continues to be good in the role as he quietly reflects how each thing affects Roy's demeanor. On one hand he's good in portraying the determination but as well as the frustrations at each obstacle that even includes the U.S. army. Dreyfuss though is probably best in portraying the eventual wonderment as Roy seems closer to his objective showing it to be a truly profound discovery whenever he sees something relating to the aliens. He helps create the grandeur of the final scenes as he basically realizes the event as Roy finally fulfilling this uncontrollable need that motivated since he saw the UFO. Richard Dreyfuss does not given an overly complex performance here. Frankly by not making Roy anything but a normal guy going through these things he manages to make his character's actions less troubling. Dreyfuss gives a good performance by avoiding bringing too much pathos to Roy, and just helping to create the wonderment the aliens are meant to evoke in this film.

Alternate Best Actor 1977

And the Nominees Were:

Alberto Sordi in An Average Little Man

Jack Nance in Eraserhead

Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Art Carney in The Late Show

Harvey Keitel in The Duellists

Best Actor 1995: Results

5. Massimo Troisi in The Postman- This is an odd nomination, becuase this is simply just a terribly uninteresting lightweight performance that never really seems to do anything. 

4. Anthony Hopkins in Nixon- Hopkins is all over the place with his over the top turn as Nixon. He frankly goes to far with his slimy portrayal, making Nixon a rather hard to believe character, which is a problem when the character is a real person.

3. Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland Opus- Although I care not for the film I must admit that Dreyfuss does a fine job in a cliched role. He is properly passionate, and inspiring in his role, I really cannot fault him here.

2.Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking- Penn gives a  powerful performance, that is very hard to forget. Penn finds the right path throughout his performance, to show the facets of the convicted man, and to show him as a honest human being.

1. Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas- Nicolas Cage leaves a memorable impression in his role as a slowly dying alcoholic. Cage is realistic in the technical aspects of his performance, and properly powerful in his more dramatic aspects. 

Deserving Performances:
Morgan Freeman in Seven

Best Actor 1995: Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland's Opus

Richard Dreyfuss received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Glenn Holland in Mr. Holland's Opus.

Mr. Holland Opus is a rather cliched film,  about an inspirational music teacher and the various people he inspires through his life, as well his relationship with his deaf son.

Richard Dreyfuss portrays Glenn Holland which is not exactly a most original character. He is a somewhat reluctant teacher at first, due to his inability to complete what he sees as his life work, a symphony. Dreyfuss is perfectly fine to tell the truth in his whole character's set up, he is believable in his reluctance, as well as his sense of ambition being held back by other circumstances.

Holland soon enough though begins to start liking his job, and begins to start to work hard with his students, no matter what the case. Dreyfuss is again completely believable in the role, he is properly inspirational in his careful dealings with each students, and has the right ease in the part to make the students' admiration for him certainly understandable enough.

There are multiple cases of students that need his help, and Dreyfuss is fine with each of them, since he handles each of the relationships naturally. This includes a semi romantic one with a talented singer in his musical, which could have seemed just wrong but it works well enough because Dreyfuss actually underplays the relationship always staying as a mentor, although still suggesting that Holland was tempted just a little bit.

Holland though still has troubles at home despite his incredible success at his work. He constantly has problems with his son, who is deaf, and Holland believes can never really understand what he does. Dreyfuss is again fine in this relationship. Holland slow growth of understanding with his son, is again honest enough, although I personally felt the overall product was a bit much, Dreyfuss' part of it was appropriately handled.

Dreyfuss' whole performance really is fine, I really can't say anything against. In each scene Dreyfuss is natural, and properly authentic. When he needs to be inspiring he is, when he needs to be passionate he is, when he needs to be anything he is. It is entirely fine performance, but still I never really became all that caught in it, and never really found there to be an amazing moment in the performance. Nonetheless the performance is an adequate effort from Dreyfuss.

Best Actor 1995

And the Nominees Were:

Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking

Anthony Hopkins in Nixon

Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas

Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland's Opus

Massimo Troisi in The Postman

Best Actor 1977: Results

5. Woody Allen in Annie Hall- Woody Allen does his usual routine, but this is certainly one of his better variations, since the character fits his standard character more, and gives a little more depth to his persona that usual.

4. Richard Burton in Equus- Richard Burton does his best as he can without the very bad film he is in. He makes the monologues powerful despite the fact that the writing is so bad.

3. Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl- Richard Dreyfuss wins you over thoroughly with his performance. 

2. Marcello Mastroianni in A Special Day-Mastroianni is very good here creating a fascinating portrait of a very much repressed man who, slowly breaks open. Mastroianni is terrific all the way through.

1. John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever- Travolta really is great in his star making performance. Travolta gives a strong charismatic performance. I will admit this year is incredibly close for me. It was incredibly hard for me to chose between these top two performances, since they are both strong in fairly different ways.