Alternate Best Actor 1991: Results

5. Christopher Eccleston in Let Him Have It - Eccleston gives a good portrayal of his mentally stunted "criminal" however the film fails to utilize the potential of his performance due to the material given to him.

Best Scene: Seeing his family the last time.

4. Wesley Snipes in New Jack City - Snipes gives a charismatic yet vicious portrayal of his drug dealer with even a touch of a pathos though his film fails to realize its value to the film.

Best Scene: Killing his partner.

3. Joe Mantegna in Homicide - Mantegna manages to make his material work by giving a properly confident portrayal of a professional detective while also effectively undercutting it in his subtle realization of a man without roots.

Best Scene: Confrontation.

2. Alan Rickman in Truly, Madly, Deeply - Rickman gives an absolutely charming yet also moving portrayal of a ghost who represents both the comfort of the past, but also what is lost in time.

Best Scene: Witnessing her moving on.

1. River Phoenix in Dogfight - Good Prediction Emi Grant. Phoenix manages to make some rather tricky material work through his charismatic and complex portrayal of a marine torn between the expectations of his peers, and his more genuine good nature.

Best Scene: Eddie's apology.

Updated Overall

Next Year: 1991 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1991

And the Nominees Were Not:

Alan Rickman in Truly Madly Deeply

River Phoenix in Dogfight

Wesley Snipes in New Jack City

Joe Mantegna in Homicide

Christopher Eccleston in Let Him Have It

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1992: Results

5. Tony Todd in Candyman - Todd begins his performance in creating a unique approach to a cinematic boogeyman unfortunately the film finds its way into making it a standard one.

Best Scene: The Candyman appears.

4. Graham Greene in Thunderheart - Greene manages to find the right humor while still making an emotional impact as his cop who acts as more than one type of guide.

Best Scene: Finding the murder victims.

3. David Bowie in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me -  Bowie in literally a couple of minutes creates a fascinating enigma that leaves quite the impression.

Best Scene: "We're not gonna talk about Judy"

2. Wesley Snipes in The Waterdance -  Snipes gives a terrific performance here creating the right charismatic bluster that hides the sad man beneath it all.

Best Scene: Raymond wins the bet.

1. Ray Wise in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me - Wise gives an outstanding reprise of his all-time great television turn, this time effectively realizing the extremes of the man and granting insight into Leland Palmer's mind.

Best Scene: Leland apologizes. 

Updated Overall

Next Year: 1935, Won't necessarily do a lineup. 

Alternate Best Actor 1992: Wesley Snipes in The Waterdance

Wesley Snipes did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Raymond Hill in The Waterdance.

Wesley Snipes before embarking on his somewhat ill-fated time as a leading man began as a character actor. This role could almost seem as a bit of bridge, as it allows him to deliver what he became known for while giving perhaps more substantial character to work with. Here Snipes technically plays the secondary story to Eric Stoltz's Joel, yet even with the secondary focus perhaps Snipes's story as Raymond is a bit more potent in some ways. We first meet Snipes as forces his introduction to Joel and his married girlfriend Anna (Helen Hunt). Snipes though is quite charismatic actually in presenting really Raymond as someone who perhaps lays it on a bit thick yet does so rather effectively. Snipes uses this to allude to more than just being a charming sort in these moments those. Snipes puts a bit more emphasis on it than that in creating certain bluster with an real charm though that suggests more about Raymond using this as his own way to overcome his own difficulty accepting his condition. Snipes lays it on thick in these moments, and as he should as he shows Raymond as a guy forcing himself to try to basically be something he's not which is someone completely comfortable with his situation.

In the early scenes Snipes is terrific actually in setting up Raymond particularly in regard to when the conversation turns to his wife early on. When speaking on the matter Snipes brings such a false confidence in every word portraying an desperation in Raymond that he's doing all that he can to cover it up. This is in contrast to when we actually meet Raymond's wife who only shows up, despite his earlier claims of her great affection for him, to try to force him to sign divorce papers. Snipes's quite good in the scene though as he plays it a bit as Raymond still trying to put on his charm as he avoids facing her directly. He's rather moving actually though as Snipes reveals this facade buckling in the moment, as he depicts the attempt to maintain the charm in the man yet he quietly reveals the overwhelming sadness within the man as he still tries to connect to his family even as they are disregarding him. As they basically abandon him Snipes is terrific as he reveals the collapse of any solace in faking any happiness, revealing just the angry anguish underneath the man as he finally fully faces his own situation.

Although Joel has a form of support, the only support ends up  being the other guys in the hospital in particular the injured biker Bloss (William Forsythe) despite their original antagonism due to Raymond's boisterous nature. This relationship could seem contrived but Forsythe and Snipes make it wholly believable through the unique chemistry they strike up. Past that initial antagonism the two of them are effective in the way each show that the men connect on their mutual misery by supporting each other as they essentially say "screw the world" together. The two of them find a certain warmth actually within the anger just through the way they share it together, and this friendship that develops ends up being the most poignant element within the film. The difficult connection is earned by both actors. I love their final scene together where they come together after Raymond has gone through a particularly rough patch. Snipes is wonderful by finding Raymond completely without his bravado showing just the modest man searching for happiness beneath it all. Bloss offers a bit of comfort by reaffirming an old, perhaps minor, success with a woman. Snipes brings just the right bit of confidence back in the man in the moment, and suggests that he hasn't given back to the delusion but rather almost fakes it a bit in an earnest appreciation for what his friend has done for him. Snipes and Forsythe, despite given secondary focus and less importance, quietly steal their film in their convincing and heartfelt depiction of two unlikely friends finding solace in one another.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1992

And the Nominees Were Not:

Tony Todd in Candyman

Wesley Snipes in The Waterdance

Graham Greene in Thunderheart 

David Bowie in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me 

Harry Dean Stanton in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Ray Wise in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me 

Frank Silva in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me 

For Prediction Purposes:

Bowie (For the fascinating couple of minutes duo)

Wise (Let the host represent)