Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Results

5. Tim Roth in The Hit - Roth gives a properly entertaining performance in creating the superficiality of his young wannabe hitman.

Best Scene: The Hit.

4. John Candy in Splash - Candy steals his film with ease with his funny take as a pseudo lothario that makes his scenes the only scenes worthwhile in the film.

Best Scene: Listening in.

3. Denholm Elliott in A Private Function - Elliott is the funniest part of his film by taking the role overly seriously, playing his hoity toit doctor as a menacing pseudo-gangster.

Best Scene: Threat to the couple.

2. Kenneth McMillan in The Pope of Greenwich Village - McMillan proves himself a great character actor with not only his wildly entertaining portrayal of a intergalactic madman in Dune, but also this down to earth heartfelt honest portrayal of a small time criminal.

Best Scene: Saying goodbye to his wife.

1. Harry Dean Stanton in Repo Man - Good Predictions Michael McCarthy, and Luke. Well for me it came down to two great characters actors giving two remarkable performances within years were they gave kind of the opposite style in the same year. Stanton with his great lead performance in the low key Paris, Texas, and here in his extremely enjoyable absurdist tone as a veteran repo man. Honestly I could switch between the two down the road, but at this moment I'm going for Stanton's hilarious turn.

Best Scene: "You calling me an asshole?"

Updated Overall

Next Year: 2012 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Tim Roth in The Hit

Tim Roth did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Myron in The Hit.

Tim Roth plays junior hitman Myron to John Hurt's Braddock tasked with taking mob informant Willie (Terence Stamp) from Spain to meet his end in Paris. Tim Roth, fitting to a screen debut, gives a very eager performance that is also rather fitting to his role as first time on the job hitman Myron. Unlike the calm and collected Braddock, Roth portrays the right irrationality from the outset portraying Myron getting far too much of a kick at capturing poor Willie. Roth's performance works by sort of his lack of tacking things seriously, or more accurately professionally in any way. Roth plays it mostly as Myron treating the whole thing like a thrill seeking experience more than anything else. In the early scenes there is a severe lack of understanding towards Willie as even Roth's grin seems to scream "Yeah let's kill this guy", but with no real depth to this sentiment whatsoever.

Roth brings the right sort of bluster to his performance which is all show in the right way. In the way he walks and talks he's a great contrast to the consummate professional Braddock who is very low key. Roth brings the right lack of maturing in all that he does as he brandishes the gun like a kid playing an outlaw, not a real outlaw, the way he walks around with such a strut, and shows off all his weaponry is all that of kid playing show and tell. Roth, even in the scenes where Myron talks big against Willie, is properly not menacing since he plays it as all a put on by the young Myron. One of my favorite moments of his early on, reminiscent of Colin Farrell in In Bruges another first timer hitman, is when Braddock has to adjust the plan and go to Madrid in attempt to lose the authorities. Roth's terrific since his reaction is that of a spoiled brat annoyed that he's going have to wait for his "treat".

Roth's performance properly makes Myron a surface level guy since even when we are allowed a different side of Myron through another captive of a beautiful local Maggie (Laura del Sol), Roth doesn't truly show any depth in Myron. Myron does tend to the woman attempting to help her, but again even this Roth makes fairly juvenile. In that Roth focuses on that he is obviously just very much smitten by Maggie's beauty, and that even his more tender notions come from a very simple mindset. Roth after awhile is quite good in showing just how lacking Myron is in every quality by showing how quickly he forgets his facade of either the tough hitman or the caring one. Roth's work rightfully has the awkwardness of a young man who has no idea what he is doing at any time. I feel this is best summed up in his final scene where he refuses to kill, but again just as a sad sack loser with no real convictions. He's actually darkly hilarious in the stupid look that Roth wears as he fails to comprehend that he's made a dire mistake. This is an entertaining portrayal by Tim Roth as he adds a nice bit of character to the film. He technically is a bit overshadowed by Stamp and Hurt but not in bad way. Braddock and Willie are functioning really on different level, and Roth gives enjoyable turn as someone wholly out of his element even if he thinks otherwise.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984

And the Nominees Were Not:

Kenneth McMillan in Dune

Kenneth McMillan in The Pope of Greenwich Village

Sting in Dune

Harry Dean Stanton in Repo Man

Denholm Elliott in A Private Function

Tim Roth in The Hit

John Candy in Splash

For prediction purposes the Sting/McMillan/McMillan slot goes to whichever McMillan performance I prefer. 

Best Supporting Actor 1995: Results

5. Ed Harris in Apollo 13- Ed Harris gives a very standard performance that never turns into anything special.

4. Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys- Pitt's performance is somewhat interesting in his first few scenes even if over the top in his craziness, but as he continues to appear his performance just become repetitive.

3. Tim Roth in Rob Roy- Tim Roth gives an appropriately flashy villainous performance with a certain slimy charm.

2. James Cromwell in Babe- James Cromwell gives a wonderful performance that is genuinely moving and heart warming. It is a unique performance that finds just the right tone, and creates the right presence throughout the film.

1. Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects- Good prediction Dinasztie. Kevin Spacey gives a great performance that perfectly conveys the right sort of mystery with his character without ever giving away too much or too little through the course of the film.

Best Supporting Actor 1995: Tim Roth in Rob Roy

Tim Roth received his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Archibald Cunningham in Rob Roy.

Rob Roy depicts the troubles and eventual revenge of Scotsman Robert Roy McGregor (Liam Neeson).

Tim Roth portrays Archibald Cunningham the man who causes most of the troubles for old Rob Roy. Roth makes no excuses about it from his opening scene that Archibald is the villain of the film. A cockney and overly prim villain with his gloating smile, and fancy boy manner. Roth aside from one very brief moment does not show Archibald to have any sympathy for his completely amoral actions. He is the bad guy plain and simple who does not mind for a second his murdering of Rob Roy's friend, stealing his money, burning his house, and even raping his wife.

Roth certainly has basically the same style throughout as he goes from scene to scene being evil, and acting like a pompous pretty boy well he does it. Roth is most certainly consistent and has the right sort of slimy charm in the role. He is fairly imposing as a villain, and he becomes most certainly worthy of hate so when he and Rob Roy clash swords you certainly want him to meet the business end of Roy's weapon. Roth is as he should be as Cunningham conniving and cruel, and is an effective enough villain.

The only problem I have with the performance though is he is just not that memorable of a villain in the end. He is a good enough villain as the film runs its course but soon after watching it I do not remember his performance that well. Villains commonly are the type of characters that can become unforgettable, but although I would not say Roth's Cunningham is forgettable he just is not one I would ever be quick to say he is an antagonist for the ages, rather just a suitable enough antagonistic.

Roth just stays consistently villainous throughout the only moment where he shows a different side of Cunningham is an extremely short one where he indicates he actually has some regret over one of his immoral acts. It is a small silent reaction but it is actually very well handled by Roth suggesting that maybe deep in Cunningham's pompous exterior there is not such a horrible man there somewhere. The scene is short but well done, but it really is not brought up past this short moment. In the end this is just a fine villain performance not ever amazing but never bad either.

Best Supporting Actor 1995

And the Nominees Were:

Ed Harris in Apollo 13

James Cromwell in Babe

Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects

Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys

Tim Roth in Rob Roy