Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1981: Results

5. John Lithgow in Blow Out- Lithgow gives an interesting turn as a hired killer who accomplishes his dirty job by pretending to be a murderous psychopath.

Best Scene: Burke explains his actions to his superior.

4. Paul Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark- Freeman gives an effective performance that makes Belloc the shadow to Indiana Jones.

Best Scene: "This, this is history"

3. Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice- Brimley steals his whole film through his assured performance that basically wraps up the plot for his film.

Best Scene: His scene.

2. Bill Hunter in Gallipoli- Hunter gives a strong performance giving humanity to a man who continues with a futile and fatal charge because it is his order to do so.

Best Scene: Major Barton proceeds with the final charge.

1. Robert Prosky in Thief- Prosky gives my favorite supporting performance of 1981, apologies once again to my seemingly perpetual number 2 Jack Nicholson, by delivering a fantastic performance as a warm genial older man which hides the vicious gangster beneath.  

Best Scene: Leo threatens Frank.

Overall Rank:

1. Nicol Williamson in Excalibur
2. Robert Prosky in Thief
3. Jack Nicholson in Reds
4. John Gielgud in Arthur
5. Ian Holm in Chariots of Fire
6. Howard Rollins in Ragtime
7. Bill Hunter in Gallipoli 
8. Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice
9. Griffin Dunne in An American Werewolf in London
10. Dennis Hopper in Out of the Blue
11. David Warner in Time Bandits
12. Paul Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark 
13. Lee Van Cleef in Escape From New York
14. Mickey Rourke in Body Heat 
15. Sean Connery in Time Bandits 
16. Willie Nelson in Thief
17. John Gielgud in Chariots of Fire 
18. John Lithgow in Blow Out
19. Gianfrancesco Guarnieri in They Don't Wear Black Tie
20. Rutger Hauer in Nighthawks
21. James Woods in Eyewitness
22. Jerry Orbach in Prince of the City
23. Michael Ironside in Scanners
24. Brad Dourif in Ragtime
25. Michael Palin in Time Bandits 
26. Nigel Havers in Chariots of Fire
27. Kjell Nilsson in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 
28. Harry Dean Stanton in Escape From New York  
29. Bruce Spence in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
30. Christopher Walken in Pennies From Heaven
31. Burgess Meredith in Clash of the Titans 
32. Herbert Grönemeyer in Das Boot
33. Patrick McGoohan in Scanners
34. Bill Kerr in Gallipoli
35. Donald Pleasence in Escape From New York
36. Kenny Baker in Time Bandits 
37. Nicholas Farrell in Chariots of Fire 
38. Robert Grubb in Gallipoli
39. Lindsay Anderson in Chariots of Fire
40. John Cleese in Time Bandits
41. Warren Oates in Stripes
42. Nigel Davenport in Chariots of Fire
43. Bob Balaban in Absence of Malice 
44. Ralph Richardson in Time Bandits
45. Sean Penn in Taps
46. James Coco in Only When I Laugh
47. Michael Lerner in The Postman Always Rings Twice
48. Max von Sydow in Victory
49. John Rhys Davies in Raiders of the Lost Ark
50. Tom Cruise in Taps
51. Brion James in Southern Comfort
52. Patrick Magee in Chariots of Fire
53. Vernel Bagneris in Pennies From Heaven
54. Paul Geoffrey in Excalibur
55. Christopher Plummer in Eyewitness
56. Topol in For Your Eyes Only
57. John Woodvine in An American Werewolf in London
58. Michael Preston in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
59. Fred Ward in Southern Comfort
60. Ralph Richardson in Dragonslayer
61. Ernest Borgnine in Escape From New York 
62. David Rappaport in Time Bandits
63. Kenneth McMillan in Whose Life Is It Anyways?
64. James Cagney in Ragtime
65. Alan Bates in Quartet
66. Burgess Meredith in True Confessions
67. Struan Rodger in Chariots of Fire 
68. Pierce Brosnan in The Long Good Friday
69. Ian Holm in Time Bandits
70. John Colicos in The Postman Always Rings Twice
71. Kenneth McMillan in True Confessions
72. Ronald Lacey in Raiders of the Lost Ark
73. David Argue in Gallipoli 
74. Peter Egan in Chariots of Fire 
75. Don Gordon in Out of the Blue
76. Isaac Hayes in Escape From New York
77. Barney Martin in Arthur
78. David Yelland in Chariots of Fire
79. Gene Hackman in Reds 
80. Milton Gonçalves in They Don't Wear Black Tie
81. Alfred Molina in Raiders of the Lost Ark
82. Charles Durning in True Confessions
83. James Olson in Ragtime
84. Julian Glover in For Your Eyes Only
    
85. Bob Balaban in Whose Life Is It Anyways?
86. Dabney Coleman in On Golden Pond
87. Ted Danson in Body Heat
88. Everett McGill in Quest for Fire
89. Ron Pearlman in Quest for Fire
90. James Belushi in Thief
91. John Cassavetes in Whose Life Is It Anyways?
92. John Candy in Stripes
93. Nicholas Clay in Excalibur
94. Dennis Farina in Thief
95. Denholm Elliot in Raiders of the Lost Ark 
96. Cyril Cusack in True Confessions
97. J.A. Preston in Body Heat
98. Paul Sorvino in Reds
99. Gregory Hines in History of the World Part I
100. Robert Addie in Excalibur
101. Dennis Franz in Blow Out 
102. Brad Davis in Chariots of Fire
103. Laurence Olivier in Clash of the Titans
104. Vernon Wells in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
105. Dennis Christopher in Chariots of Fire
106. Liam Neeson in Excalibur
107. Stephen Elliot in Arthur
108. Tom Signorelli in Thief
109. Michael Caine in Victory
110. Kenneth McMillian in Heartbeeps
111. Randy Quaid in Heartbeeps
112. John Larroquette in Stripes
113. Gabriel Byrne in Excalibur
114. Patrick Stewart in Excalibur
115. Doug McKeon in On Golden Pond 
116. Pele in Victory
117. Edward Hermann in Reds
118. Don Hood in Absence of Malice
119. Orson Welles in Butterfly
120. Harry Goz in Mommie Dearest
121. Michael Edwards in Mommie Dearest

Next Year: 1964 lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1981: Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice, Mickey Rourke in Body Heat, and Christopher Walken in Pennies From Heaven

Wilford Brimley did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Assistant U.S. Attorney General James A. Wells in Absence of Malice.

Wilford Brimley shows up late in this film for about fifteen minutes basically to clear up all the plot for everyone and complete the film. After watching Absence of Malice for the first time I remembered very little of it other than Wilford Brimley's one scene in the film where the plot finally seems to move forward. Brimley's character appears to get to the bottom of the various problematic acts the other characters performed by deriving the information, and then punish those who have done wrong. The whole character could seem a bit of a contrivance just to get things over with, but it does not feel that way because of Wilford Brimley's performance.

Brimley is completely on for his fifteen minutes of the film and completely steals the scene from everyone including the two leads. Brimley got a most unique style when it comes to be imposing, and boy does it work well here. Brimley rather then yelling or even getting what would seem vicious in the traditional fashion but rather has this down home calm about himself. Brimely is in absolute command of the room so to speak as he does not only make it obvious that his character of Wells would and could get right down to the truth, but Brimley also makes it obvious that he will completely own the scene.

Brimley flawlessly creates the method in which Wells takes to get to the bottom of what exactly happened. Brimley is able to be right out confrontational in that so purely Wilford Brimley way where he intimidates while never raising his voice past a certain point. Brimley does even more than that though as Wells also acts as the moral center of the film, and Brimley is rather poignant in the unpretentious way he expresses his disappointment with the actions of others. Brimley switches method perfectly in the scene particularly when he chews out to of his associates. The first one who Wells respects more Brimley quietly but firmly dismisses, the second though Brimley leaves no hesitations as Wells bluntly and coldly fires him.

Brimley does not simply steal that one scene, but steals the entire film with it. Absence of Malice is a film that I felt for the most part just lied there proceedings without any real spark, other than that one scene where Paul Newman remembers he's Paul Newman, that is until Brimley shows up who breaths life into the story with his astute performance. The part of Wells is just there to clear up the plot, but Brimley does more than just fulfill his role. Brimley makes Wells into a character that lives past that one scene though through his honest portrayal of an intelligent man who wants to do the right thing and to make sure that he confronts everyone else what they have done wrong. Brimley never makes Wells overly prideful or egotistical, but rather a man who knows he is in the right and does not mind saying so.

Mickey Rourke did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Teddy Lewis in Body Heat.

Body Heat is essentially a remake of Double Indemnity with one of its few major additions being the minor character of Teddy Lewis. Double Indemnity contained a great supporting performance by Edward G. Robinson, but the equivalent character in this film is severely weakened partly because Robinson's role Keyes's is broken into two characters. The strongest supporting performance in the film instead belongs to Mickey Rourke as one of Ned Racine(William Hurt)'s former clients who has a criminal past, which comes useful to Racine when he himself wants to break the law by murdering the rich husband of the lusty woman he is having an affair with.

Rourke's only in the movie for about four minutes but is able to make the strongest impression out of the entire cast. Teddy is arsonist who makes an explosive device for Racine, but also tries to add a few words of wisdom at the same time. Rourke is superb in finding his character of Teddy as he very coolly puts everything to Racine. Rourke in just his few minutes gives the whole history of his character in his attitude which shows that Teddy knows quite a few ways around the park by now. Teddy knows that getting involved in any crime is a pretty stupid thing to do, but he basically recognizes that he really is not quite smart enough himself not to be criminal.

Mickey Rourke shows exactly what made him a thing in the 80's. Rourke just owns his scenes with William Hurt, and does brings a weight to the proposed murder the way that Edward G. Robinson did in the original film. Rourke's second scene is equally strong as Teddy tries to warn Ned of a double cross, as Rourke delivers an emotionally intense performance that gets to the really heart of the matter of the film and strangely makes Teddy, probably was not meant to be, but Rourke is able to make him the moral center of the film, and pretty much, in just his few minutes of screen time, subverts the role Ted Danson and J.A. Preston were suppose to fill in terms of the scheme of the film.

Rourke, just like Wilford Brimely, pretty much steals the film although Rourke does it in even less time with even less to work with. Rourke just like Brimely doesn't reside to fulfilling just the limited plot device that Teddy is, and instead makes Teddy a man who there is clearly more to than what we allowed to see. I wish the film had been reworked with Rourke in mind to give the character of Teddy a greater presence in the film, past just the two short scenes he has because Rourke builds so much potential with the part that technically speaking could have been just a simple character that made no lasting impression on the film whatsoever.

Christopher Walken did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Tom in Pennies From Heaven. 

Pennies From Heaven is an entertaining and rather stunning musical about the downward spiral that comes from a sheet music salesman's affair with an innocent schoolteacher, although I completely understand why Fred Astaire hated it.

If you were to cast the part of an unsavory pimp who can dance would you really say anyone besides Christopher Walken? Christopher Walken is yet another one scene wonder who shows up one scene of Pennies of Heaven to be a well dressed but bluntly cruel man. If there is someone who can make a strong impression with one scene Christopher Walken definitely works. There is just something so oddly fascinating about his screen presence, and this only becomes all the more fascinating when he starts breaking out into a most extraordinary dance number where he tap dances and strips his way while bouncing across a bar.

There really is not much to the "real" part of the performance as there frankly is not much of the character of Tom, but Walken knows how to be both charismatic and callous in basically the same breath Even more importantly though I suppose is that he also know how to be Christopher Walken and that is all that is really required here. I could only see Christopher Walken go from encouraging someone to try new things enthusiastically to threatening to cut their face as smoothly as Walken does it here. Frankly the fact that the pimp starts dancing seems like the natural progression actually because he is played by Christopher Walken.

This performance is all about the dance number though of course, and Walken most definitely delivers in this respect. The whole concept of the dancing pimp is bizarre enough but it becomes gloriously so with Walken at the helm of it. Walken embraces it all in his wonderful number that is just fantastic. Walken delivers the dance but only adds to its greatness through his premium Christopher Walken expressions and noises throughout. I do wish that Tom was in more than one scene actually because I could have easily seen more of an off the wall Walken. All that needs to be said really is that no one could have done this part as well or as memorable as Walken and that is all there is to it.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1981

And the Nominees Were Not:

Robert Prosky in Thief

Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice

Bill Hunter in Gallipoli

John Lithgow in Blow Out

Paul Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: Results

5. Danny Glover in The Color Purple- Glover is properly intense in his brutality in his role as an abusive husband, but he is unable to get past the restrictions of the part.

Best Scene: Mister is ridiculed by his father. 

4. Wilford Brimley in Cocoon- Brimley gives the best performance of the cast being the quietly commanding presence of the group, as well as creating the greatest emotional impact of the various stories.

Best Scene: Ben tells his grandson he's going away. 

3. M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple- Walsh creates a deliriously evil and memorable villain by beautifully playing up the sleaze and menace of his slimy private detective.

Best Scene: Visser double crosses Marty. 

2. Crispin Glover in Back to The Future- Glover gives my second favorite supporting turn of the year in his absolutely hilarious, but when it needs to be moving turn as the spineless George McFly.

Best Scene: George stands up to Biff. 

1. Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future-Well Good predictions to Paoloduncan, and Lezlie please throw out a year and a performance. Lloyd wins this year as it came to the two Back to the Future performances which I love both. I have to choose one so I will choose Lloyd manic and funny turn creating Doc Brown into a truly memorable character.

Best Scene: Doc reveals he did read the letter after all. 

Overall Rank:

1. Christopher Lloyd in Back To The Future
2. Treat Williams in Smooth Talk
3. Daniel Day-Lewis in My Beautiful Laundrette
4. Ian Holm in Dreamchild
5. Crispin Glover in Back To The Future
6. Michael Mckean in Clue
7. Martin Mull in Clue
8. Christopher Lloyd in Clue
9. M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple
10. John Lone in Year of the Dragon
11. Roddy McDowall in Fright Night
12. Dan Hedaya in Blood Simple  
13. Michael Palin in Brazil
14. Chris Sarandon in Fright Night
15. Tim Curry in Legend
16. Robert De Niro in Brazil
17. Wilford Brimley in Cocoon
18. Willem Dafoe in To Live and Die in LA
19. Klaus Maria Brandauer in Out of Africa
20. John Gielgud in The Shooting Party
21. Thomas F. Wilson in Back to the Future  
22. Roshan Seth in My Beautiful Laundrette
23. Stephen Geoffreys in Fright Night 
24. Jan Rubes in Witness
25. Peter Vaughan in Brazil 
26. David Gale in Re-Animator
27. Lucas Haas in Witness
28. Brian Dennehy in Cocoon  
29. John Heard in Trip to the Bountiful 
30. Saeed Jaffrey in My Beautiful Laundrette
31. Bob Hoskins in Brazil   
32. Mark Holton in Pee Wee's Big Adventure
33. Ian Holm in Brazil
34. John Pankow in To Live and Die in LA
35. Danny Glover in The Color Purple
36. Josef Summer in Witness 
37. Ian Holm in Wetherby
38. Paul Gleason in The Breakfast Club 
39. Hume Cronyn in Cocoon 
40. Nicol Williamson in Return to Oz
    
41. John Turturro in To Live and Die in LA   
42. Jim Broadbent in Brazil 
43. Ken Wantanabe in Tampopo 
44. Shinnosuke Ikehata in Ran
45. Dean Stockwell in To Live and Die in LA 
46. Gary Marshall in Lost in America 
47. Tom Wilkinson in Wetherby
48. Curtis Armstrong in Better Off Dead
49. Masayuki Yui in Ran
50. John Heard in After Hours 
51. Hisashi Igawa in Ran
52. Jack Gilford in Cocoon 
53. Leo McKern in Ladyhawke 
54. Jonathan Stark in Fright Night 
55. Hector Alterio in The Official Story
56. Sam Elliott in Mask 
57. Daisuke Ryu in Ran 
58. David Ogden Stiers in Better Off Dead
59. Christopher Walken in A View To Kill
60. Adolph Caesar in The Color Purple 
61. John Hurt in The Black Cauldron
    
62. John Kapelos in The Breakfast Club
63. Charles Napier in Rambo First Blood Part II 
64. Gordon Jackson in The Shooting Party
65. Richard Crenna in Rambo First Blood Part II 
66. Freddie Jones in Young Sherlock Holmes
67. Derrick Branche in My Beautiful Laundrette 
    
68. Armin Mueller-Stahl in Colonel Redl
69. Brian Dennehy in Twice in a Lifetime 
70. Sean Barrett in Return to Oz
    
71. Nigle Hawthorne in The Black Cauldron 
72. Brian Henson in Return to Oz
    
73. Roger Ashton-Griffiths in Young Sherlock Holmes
74. John Russell in Pale Rider
75. Jinpachi Nezu in Ran
76. Akira Terao in Ran 
    
77. Robert Loggia in Jagged Edge
78. Freddie Jones in The Black Cauldron
    
79. Will Patton in After Hours 
80. Edward Fox in The Shooting Party
81. Robert Sampson in Re-Animator
82. Michael Moriarty in Pale Rider 
83. James Cromwell in Explorers
84. Tommy Chong in After Hours
85. Cheech Marin in After Hours
86. Danny Glover in Witness
87. Dennis Dun in Year of the Dragon
88. Chris Penn in Pale Rider 
89. Robert Picardo in Explorers
90. Robert Hardy in The Shooting Party  
91. Richard Dysart in Pale Rider
92. Peter Coyote in Jagged Edge 
93. Raymond J. Barry in Year of the Dragon
94. Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV 
95. Pat Hingle in The Falcon and the Snowman 
96. Peter Gallagher in Dreamchild 
97. Stephen Lang in Twice in A Lifetime
98. Anthony  Higgins in Young Sherlock Holmes
99. Richard Dysart in Mask  
100. William Hickey in Prizzi's Honor
101. Don Ameche in Cocoon
102. Burt Young in Rocky IV
103. John Wood in Ladyhawke
104. John Lithgow in Santa Clause
105. Steve Guttenberg in Cocoon 
106. John Byner in The Black Cauldron
     
107. Eric Roberts in Runaway Train

Next Year: 1960 Supporting

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: Wilford Brimley in Cocoon

Wilford Brimley did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Ben Luckett in Cocoon.

Wilford Brimley portrays one of the retirees in Florida Community who finds new life through a pool used by Extraterrestrials that caused it to have a rejuvenating power. Interestingly about Brimley is that he is actually by far the youngest of the group, as Brimley wasn't that old when the film was made, which is quite something since Brimley actually creates the most moving story out of the four stories of the elderly men that inter cut through the film about how the pool is effecting them.

There is of course Don Ameche's Oscar winning but not particularly interesting story about getting married that really does not go anywhere special. Hume Cronyn somewhat interesting story about his character going back into old bad habits after regaining his youth. There is the rather short, but moving in the pivotal moment story involving Jack Gilford whose character refuses to use the pool even for his dying wife believing that that it is entirely unnatural. Then there is Brimley's story involving leaving his grandson to go with the aliens to live forever.

Brimley actually only has a few scenes where Ben spends time with his grandson, and really the importance of the scenes does not come until one near the end of the film as they fish together. There scenes before this one are nice as they show warmth together, but the power really comes in the fishing scenes where Brimley shows Ben trying to tell his grandson that he is going away. Brimley is very moving in this scene but really because he does not push the emotion. Brimley allows to come naturally in the scene as he calmly explains why he has to go even well still showing some regret since he must leave his grandson.

Aside from that scene though Brimley does an excellent job of standing out the most out of everyone within the cast as Ben, who although enjoys the rejuvenation stays calm and collected about the whole affair. Brimley as usually to his roles has a certain command even in this role as the elderly Ben, and he quietly carries on as really the moral center well. Even as the others fight Ben stands firm in his place caring about what is the important, and Brimley conveys the conviction within Ben as a strong quietly demanding internal strength. 

This is a good performance by Wilford Brimley and he stands as the best part of the film, as he not only has the greatest emotional impact with his performance, but as well usually has the greatest presence in the group scenes. I do have to say though watching Cocoon again is that Cocoon is not the greatest of films, and all of the stories seem at least a little undercut in some way. Brimley though does his best to make the most of his parts of the film, giving the strongest performance in the film.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985

And the Nominees Were Not:

Crispin Glover in Back to the Future

Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future

M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple 

Wilford Brimley in Cocoon

Danny Glover in The Color Purple