Best Supporting Actor 1980: Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People

Timothy Hutton won his Oscar from his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Conrad Jarret in Ordinary People.

Ordinary People depicts the troubled lives of an upper middle class family after one of their sons has died and another son attempted suicide.

Timothy Hutton is not supporting to anyone in the film, and really is the lead in the film. Yes there is also Donald Sutherland, but he is merely also lead. His misplacement is especially clear if you compare his screen time to that of his co-nominee Judge Hirsch. This is an example of category misplacement that I do not mind all that much though, because of performance itself is one that is very much deserving.

Hutton has a unique character to play as he is a teenager who is given the focus of the film without it being some kids film, or some dumb comedy. Conrad Jarret is a unique character who Hutton brings fully to life with his performance. What really is so good about Hutton's performance is not only how raw emotionally his performance is, since he really does not hold anything bad really, but also how natural he is as well.

There never is a hint of Hutton acting throughout his entire performance which is incredible. Conrad is a character who goes all over the emotional scale from highs to lows, and everywhere in between. There is not a single emotion that Hutton fails to achieve in an entirely natural fashion. There is not a single calculated line, or feeling in this performance. Every emotion that Hutton conveys in this performance is absolutely honest.

Hutton never falls on the urge to play the part on one note of pain, or sadness. In fact in the dimensions of pain and sadness Hutton conveys a multitude of facets in his pain and sadness. But anyways Hutton also shows in many scenes his attempts to be able to attempt at least to return to his life before his suicide attempts, and his brother's death. Hutton never overplays this part, instead just showing him act like a normal young man in the circumstances, not overly special but still unique in his own way.

Many key moments showing his struggles though are with his psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch). These are difficult scenes, but Hutton never slips once. Hutton is utterly convincing in showing how deeply Conrad's troubles has wounded him, and made him desperately in need of help. Hutton never fails for a moment not to make Conrad's struggle exceedingly moving to watch, without ever seeming trying purposefully to make them so. His final meeting with Hirsch is especially moving it is a scene where Hutton covers a multitude of emotions and Hutton brings everyone to life, making this scene especially heartbreaking.

Pivotal moments in Hutton's performance come in his reactions with his parents with his cold mother Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) and his warm father Calvin (Donald Sutherland). In his scenes with his mother there is a distinct lack of chemistry the two have that is perfect for them. Their scenes together are frankly hard to watch, because of how cold and awkward they are to watch, both actors a brilliant though in bringing out this lack of connection, despite Hutton's showing an earnestness to try to make one.

On the opposite hand are his moments with his father. For most of the film they actually only share short moments together. Much of their time together is only a struggle, as Conrad attempts to convince his father of his mother's coldness. There is always a better understanding the two actors again achieve, even if more underlying until the very end of the film. Sutherland's and Hutton's final scene together though is just about perfect where the two finally come together showing how much they mean to each other.

Hutton performance is great here. He realizes the various aspects of his performance very effectively. There is not single false emotion that Hutton portrays in any scene in the entire film, despite the incredible challenge of the role. Every emotion, and every complex aspect of Conrad Hutton absolutely brings together into a fully realized character. Hutton never acts alone in his performance either, and always manages to find the right dynamic with his co-stars as well.

Best Supporting Actor 1980

And the Nominees Were:

Jason Robards in Melvin and Howard

Judd Hirsch in Ordinary People

Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People

Michael O'Keefe in The Great Santini

Joe Pesci in Raging Bull

Best Supporting Actor 1965: Results

5. Ian Bannen in Flight of the Phoenix- Bannen is barely noticeable, but when you do see him he just mugs to the camera.

4. Michael Dunn in Ship of Fools- Michael Dunn performance never amount to more than the plot device he is in the film.

3. Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns- Balsam is in an awful film, and many time through the film submits to the same awfulness in his performance, but on occasion he rises slightly above it.

2. Frank Finlay in Othello- Finlay is basically just fine in the role Iago. He does seem to fulfill the requirement of the role, but only at minimum. He stays in his place throughout the film, never even for a moment displacing Olivier as the more interesting or entertaining lead.

1. Tom Courtenay in Doctor Zhivago- Good Prediction RatedRStar. Courtenay is in a different league than the rest of the performances is this category. Courtenay gives just about a perfect supporting performance in Pasha. Giving an amazingly powerful performance as he shows a once warm and earnest man become a chilling hallow shell of his former self.

Deserving Performances:
Rod Steiger in Doctor Zhivago
Oskar Werner in The Spy Who Came in From The Cold
Ian Bannen in The Hill
Harry Andrews in The Hill
Ian Hendry in The Hill

Best Supporting Actor 1965: Frank Finlay in Othello

Frank Finlay received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Iago in Othello.

Frank Finlay portrays Iago who actually has more lines, and more scenes total that Laurence Olivier who portrays Othello. Iago is not a supporting character but leading along with Othello. The whole plot of the story revolves around Iago's plan to turn Othello basically mad with jealously.

Finlay's performance actually is probably the least theatrical in this film version. Basically no one tones down their performances from how they would portray the part in the theater, and the rather fail to utilize the medium of film. The reason Finlay really is the least theatrical probably comes down to the fact that Iago is a less theatrical character than many of the others, since he purposefully hides his emotions and true feelings, always acting collected to more easily influence others to fall into his plan.

Finlay though just is not the schemer I would like him to be. Yes he has that sinister stare, and head twist done, as well as the classic way in which he is always leaning over Othello's shoulder to convince Othello that Desdemona has done wrong, but I always wanted more from Finlay. There just not enough charisma in his performance really to make me fascinated with Iago. Yes Finlay appropriately makes Iago's front of confidant, frankly I wanted much more from his malicious interior though, and I really I still wanted even more from his front as well. 

His interior maliciousness was lacking to me, I found not a great enough emotional drive in his plan. Yes there was a subdued hatred, but in his small moments alone Finlay could have perhaps really broken lose showing the true extent to Iago's feelings of anger and jealousy, but Finlay stays a tad too reserved. Also in his swaying of others Finlay is convincing enough, but never more than that. He never becomes a true unforgettable schemer, just a satisfactory one.

That really is the whole problem with Finlay's performance for me. Although he is consistently fine, despite a few small moments of overacting that are only ever extremely brief, he never is more. For example when he shares a scene with Olivier as Othello, Olivier always steals the scene with his weird but entertaining performance. I do not think it had to be this way, Finlay with charisma, or a greater emotional pull in his performance, could have made the scenes his but, he is never able to do this always making Olivier the most interesting performer.

Finlay is just fine as Iago, but only just fine. He has the language down well enough, but he never brings it to life as well as Olivier. He is a schemer sure, but never one on say the level of again say Laurence Olivier in Richard III. He conveys Iago's emotions technically, but never in a manner that makes his performance more than just suitable. He is able to be convincing enough, but he never is truly compelling in the role. He is never truly bad, but he is never truly great.

Best Supporting Actor 1965: Michael Dunn in Ship of Fools

Michael Dunn received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Carl Glocken in Ship of Fools.

Ship of Fools is a film that lacks subtly and I believe Michael Dunn's Carl Glocken exemplifies this fact. He is a dwarf who breaks the fourth wall at the beginning and the end of the film to you know make the film "deep" by saying everyone is a fool, than saying it does not have anything to do with anything, but you know really it does wink wink, becuase you know it really is a very meaningful film you know.

Dunn's Glocken is one of those meaningful men in the film, he though is special with his ability to see the audience, making very perceptive, and observant of all those fools you know. Well enough you knows, Glocken is not part of the Oskar Werner/Simone Signoret storyline therefore he is stuck in an awful film. Dunn though has even more against him because he is stuck as simply a plot device and barely has a character to begin with.

Dunn mostly observes others while making the occasional "deep" response to them. He never does much more than that, and really his performance never makes more out of his one dimensional  character than there is. It is not that Dunn is bad, but his whole character never amount to more than it is, which is only a plot device used by the director never a real honest person on his own. 

Best Supporting Actor 1965: Tom Courtenay in Doctor Zhivago

Tom Courtenay received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Pasha Antipov/"Strelnikov" in Doctor Zhivago.

Doctor Zhivago depicts the Russian Revolution.

Tom Courtenay plays Pasha who at the beginning of the film is an idealistic revolutionary encouraging it through peaceful demonstration. He is also the sort of fiancee of Lara (Julie Christie). In his first scene Courtenay has the right honest earnestness in showing Pasha's belief in the Revolution, as well as in seeking his relationship with Lara. Courtenay has a great deal of genuine warmness and love he shows in this scene, which he appropriately establishes to rid out of Pasha later.

After his peaceful demonstration is ended by government troops violently Courtenay shows a changed Pasha when he meets Lara afterward injured from the attack. Courtenay is effective because he does not immediately show a completely different man yet. Courtenay shows that his earnestness has mostly been turned to anger, but that there still is a little of it left, and also that this anger is partially an instinctual reaction from the trauma of the attack.

In later scene for example when he runs into Laura who is going to attempts to kill Komarovsky (Rod Steiger). When he first runs into her there is still some of that love and earnestness left in him, so much that she helps her away after her attempt. Courtenay shows Pasha's old love for Lara is reduced greatly though by understanding that she had an affair with Komarovsky. In his silent scenes afterward there is coldness in the way he looks at her, only marrying her because of the love he once felt that has drifted very much away from him.

Except for a brief moment during World War I, he still shows the same earnestness of old when he leads the troops into battle. Afterward though Pasha shows up once more no longer Pasha, but calling himself Strelnikov. Courtenay is amazing in his single final scene where he shows how cold of a man Pasha has turned into. It works well because Courtenay indicated this change all the way through his performance beforehand, and what happened in the war is the appropriate cause for his final change into Strelnikov.

Courtenay is absolutely chilling in this final scene, and it is made especially effective because of the difference from the beginning to this scene. There is no warmness left in Courtenay's performance. There is only a hallow shell of a man, with only his violent mission left for himself. Courtenay is amazing here because he truly becomes a man who has loss any indication of his old self really, he shows there is nothing left in Pasha except for his hatred. His final scene fully realizes his whole portrait of the Pasha's fall, which Courtenay brilliantly worked toward throughout the entire performance.

Best Supporting Actor 1965: Martin Balsam in A Thousand Clowns

Martin Balsam won his Oscar from his only nomination for portraying Arnold Burns in A Thousand Clowns.

I hate A Thousand Clowns which is about an obnoxious man named Murray, and his even more annoying nephew Nick who might be separated because Murray wont get a job.

A Thousand Clowns is a terrible film because it is one of those films that thinks it has a profound message but comes off as just pretentious, as well as because it is one of those comedies that after it tells its "jokes" you don't laugh at them, but oh boy do those characters laugh at them. Martin Balsam plays the brother of the obnoxious Murray, who also acts as his agent as well.

Martin Balsam is a character actor that I sort of like, not one of my favorite but he usually adds to a film rather than take away from a film. Here though Balsam cannot really overcome the material which is at hand. Although Arnold is considerably less annoying that Murray or Nick that does not stop him from begin pretty annoying himself. Although he is not all the time, Arnold has his annoying moments where Balsam overacts a great deal.

These overacting moments come really from the material where he finds Murray's antics funny or is required to bring attention to a joke that he has made as well. Balsam over does his facial reactions in all of these moments that come off as just obnoxious opposed to anything entertaining endearing. Balsam's performance is not entirely overacting though.

Balsam does have a few minorly better moments when he questions Murray's philosophy. There is certain degree of sensibility as well as satisfaction suggested fairly subtly within himself that refreshing in the face of Jason Robards' theatricality as Murray. Balsam though is only refreshing at best though, his performance still amounts to very little in the end, and in many moments fails to overcome the awfulness of the film.