Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: Results

5. Raul Julia in The Morning After- Julia is going against a terrible film, but he does rise enough above it to give some depth to a role.

Best Scene: The Revelation.

4. Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors- Martin may peak with his song, but that is one entertaining peak to reach.

Best Scene: "Dentist!"

3. Brian Cox in Manhunter- Cox gives us his own Hannibal that emphasizing the intelligence once again, but with with a very effective more down to earth style.

Best Scene: Hannibal's introduction.

2. Daniel Day-Lewis in A Room With A View- Day-Lewis gives a brilliant portrayal of the ultimate Edwardian man which he makes amusing in the extremity yet completely natural to his character.

Best Scene: Lucy breaks off the engagement with Cecil.

1. Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet- Good Predictions Psifonian, Lezlie, Maciej, RatedRStar,  and Michael McCarthy. Despite this year having several strong strong supporting performances I have no hesitations in rewarding Hopper the win here. He is absolutely amazing with his searing and completely unforgettable depiction of the twisted Frank Booth.

Best Scene: "In Dreams" 

Overall Rank

1. Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet
2. Daniel Day-Lewis in A Room With A View
3. Tom Berenger in Platoon
4. Willem Dafoe in Platoon
5. Dean Stockwell in Blue Velvet
6. Michael Caine in Hannah and Her Sisters
7. Brian Cox in Manhunter
8. Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors
9. Ray Liotta in Something Wild
10. Michael Caine in Mona Lisa
11. Tom Noonan in Manhunter
12. John C. McGinley in Platoon 
13. Raul Julia in The Morning After
14. Lance Henriksen in Aliens
15. Dennis Hopper in Hoosiers
16. Vincent Price in The Great Mouse Detective
17. Michael Biehn in Aliens
18. Bill Murray in Little Shop of Horrors
19. Corey Feldman in Stand By Me
20. Levi Stubbs in Little Shop of Horrors
21. Robbie Coltrane in Mona Lisa
22. Paul Reiser in Aliens
23. Clancy Brown in Highlander
24. Bill Paxton in Aliens
25. James Hong in Big Trouble in Little China 
26. Alan Ruck in Ferris Bueller's Day Off 
27. Helmut Qualtinger in The Name of the Rose 
28. Woody Allen in Hannah and Her Sisters 
29. Jeffrey Jones in Ferries Bueller's Day Off
30. Jerry O'Connell in Stand By Me
31. Vincent Gardenia in Little Shop of Horrors
32. George Dickerson in Blue Velvet
33. Forest Whitaker in Platoon
34. Dennis Dun in Big Trouble in Little China
35. Max von Sydow in Hannah and Her Sisters
36. Keith David in Platoon
37. William Hope in Aliens
38. Forest Whitaker in The Color of Money 
39. Conrad Roberts in The Mosquito Coast
40. Ray McNally in The Mission
41. Victory Wong in Big Trouble in Little China
42. Kevin Dillon in Platoon
43. F. Murray Abraham in The Name of the Rose
44. Francesco Quinn in Platoon
45. Val Bettin in The Great Mouse Detective
46. Liam Neeson in The Mission
47. Val Kilmer in Top Gun 
48. Sean Connery in Highlander
49. Anthony Edwards in Top Gun
50. Denholm Elliot in A Room With A View
51. Ron Perlman in The Name of the Rose
52. Charles Dance in The Golden Child
53. Simon Callow in A Room With A View
54. Philip Bosco in Children of a Lesser God
55. Brad Dourif in Blue Velvet
56. Tom Skerritt in Top Gun
57. Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
58. Michael Lonsdale in The Name of the Rose
59. DeForest Kelley in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
60. Victor Wong in The Golden Child
61. Dennis Farina in Manhunter
62. Rupert Graves in A Room With A View
63. John Turturro in The Color of Money
64. Michael Ironside in Top Gun
65. Reni Santoni in Cobra
66. Jim Belushi in Salvador
67. Yuj Okumoto in The Karate Kid Part II
68. Martin Scorsese in 'Round Midnight
69. Alan Young in The Great Mouse Detective
70. James Hong in The Golden Child 
71. Danny Kamekona in The Karate Kid Part II
72. John Savage in Salvador
73. Stephen Lang in Manhunter
74. Alfonso Arau in The Three Amigos
75. John Getz in The Fly
76. David Kagen in Friday the 13th Part VI
77. Andre Gregory in The Mosquito Coast
78. Andrew Schofield in Sid and Nancy
79. Austin Pendleton in Short Circuit
80. Fisher Stevens in Short Circuit
81. Tom Fridley in Friday the 13th Part VI
82. Brian Thompson in Cobra

Next Year: 2009 lead

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: Raul Julia in The Morning After

Raul Julia did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Joaquin "Jackie" Manero in The Morning After.

The Morning After is an awful is about an alcoholic actress Alex (Jane Fonda) who finds a murdered man in her bed one morning. Sidney Lumet does a terrible job directing it keeping it tonally inconsistent and making some of the oddest music choices ever seen in a mainstream film. It does not help that the two main characters are not interesting, and I have to admit I found Fonda's drunk scenes to be pretty awful. As for the quality of the central mystery well I might as start the review....

This is not really one of Julia's greatest performances and in fact  I'd even say he was in a better film when he was in Street Fighter, but I can't help myself when a Julia performance is recommended just to recognize the man who was taken from this life far too soon. Anyway the mystery of The Morning After does not seem much like a mystery at all as the killing obviously has something to do with Raul Julia who is the only other character in the film besides the male lead played by Jeff Bridges who is a hillbilly? ex-detective. It was obviously not going to be Jeff Bridges as Jagged Edge was only a year before so it had to be Julia, well did it not? Well actually it isn't really because it's this character you don't see until the revelation, which I guess can work, but not if it's written this poorly. Anyway Julia's Jackie still has something to do with it.

For most of the film though Julia comes in and out of the film as Alex's hairdresser and husband although they are apparently amiable in a separation. Julia even in a bad part still has plenty of energy to go around like an early scene where he tries to replay what it was that Alex had done the night before the murder. Julia does not have all that much screen time for him to build a character but he is effective in showing the undercurrent of deceit in Jackie, and the fact that he obviously knows far more about the murder than he let's on. What Julia does though is suggest what is later explained and that is that Jackie is contemplating far more than if he was merely the murdering. There is going on in Julia's portrayal and it would have been interesting to have explored his character more but the film is terrible so it has to focus on Fonda's disjointed performance and Bridges's inconsistent accent.

The revelation at the end of the film is that Jackie is actually trying to cover for his new fiancee who apparently was the one who committed the murder. He does handle the revelation scene well particularly when Jackie is trying to kill Alex. Although the camera angle Lumet chooses is hideous, Julia is effective in showing that Jackie is almost breaking his own heart well trying to do this. In that moment he actually brings far greater depth to the piece than can be found any where else. He is even quite moving when Jackie's fiancee tries to pin the murder on him as he shows Jackie to be so honestly distraught that the woman he tried so hard to save has just betrayed him in the end. This is a more than solid performance by Julia as I do think he rises above his terrible surroundings despite the extreme limitations of the role. I have to say I would have much rather have seen the film be completely about Julia's character moral contemplation over his actions to save his love. Unfortunately though there just is not enough Raul to go around in this case.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet

Dennis Hopper did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Frank Booth in Blue Velvet.

Blue Velvet is a brilliant film about a young man Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) who tries to find out the mystery behind a severed human and in doing so undercover the dark underbelly of his seemingly idyllic hometown. 

Dennis Hopper actually was Oscar nominated for 1986 in this category, but not for his turn in this film. Instead he was recognized for his good but certainly in comparison simpler portrayal as a sympathetic drunkard in Hoosiers. There probably was not much of a competition between the performances in terms of votes either since in Hoosiers Hopper played a likable man and in Blue Velvet he plays a villain. Yes the academy likes villains well enough but not really so much when they are like Frank.Well there really aren't many villains like Frank Booth to be sure when one of his most savory qualities is the fact that he runs a small criminal organization in what seems to be a pleasant town otherwise. In fact Hopper's portrayal of Frank's very first scene probably guaranteed that he would be recognized for Hoosiers and not this film.

Frank makes his most unusual entrance once Jeffrey tries to become a sleuth by investigating a night club singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) who is said to have some sort involvement with the missing ear. He is caught by her in her apartment and she beings to play a sexual game with that is quickly silenced when Frank comes over to have his own sexual game with Dorothy with the hidden Jeffrey forced to watch. Hopper is truly something to watch in this scene as he let's the whole prevision fly in his all too convincing portrayal of Frank particularly method to game sexual satisfaction. The way Hopper plays the whole scene is absolutely amazing yet an especially disturbing sight to be seen. It is a jumble of emotions in Frank's method and he seems all over the place mentally yet Hopper successfully brings it into one' man's madness.

It would have been easy enough to just be the vicious rapist he is, and Hopper certainly does not hold back in that regard. Every time he tells Dorothy to not look at him, or to shut up Hopper is so brutally cruel in his delivery and such an unpleasant degree. That is not all there is to even Frank anger though. During the "sex" scene there is such a bizarre intensity that Hopper brings to Frank lust that is honestly completely frightening to see. The reason being that within the anger there is that sexual desire and satisfaction that he depicts in the same moment in a truly twisted dance of emotions. That would be enough it seems to leave an impression but Hopper does not stop there. Underlying all of it Hopper expresses moments of almost an emotional breakdown in Frank as the sexual experience also seems to cause him to reflect on some very odd psychological issues stemming from his past.

Well that is only Hopper's first scene and he already pretty much insured you would never really forget his performance. Anyway Hopper appears once again after Jeffrey makes a very ill timed exit from Dorothy's apartment as it just happens to be the same time Frank and some of his henchmen arrive. Again what is so incredible about Hopper's performance is just how much he does in every scene with Frank Booth, to be sure there is not one even slightly dull moment when he is onscreen. In the basic villain mold of things Hopper certainly fits that part particularly well. His menace is a truly palatable one here as he makes Frank presence resonate throughout the film so there is some dread in the mere implication of his appearance. Hopper's portrayal isn't even that of a cunning villain necessarily, but the ferocity he brings in Frank's violent demeanor makes him a man to be feared.

Again merely being the villain just does not seem enough in Hopper's performance as there is even a very darkly comic element that Hopper brings with his portrayal Frank. In his scenes with Jeffrey Frank addresses him as neighbor and Hopper is rather hilariously friendly in the way he says it even while he is constantly physically abusive toward him. Any of these moments could come off poorly or odd considering the rest of what Frank does but Hopper handles them so naturally that his deliveries seem exactly how Frank would say them. My favorite of these pitch black comedic moments has to be right when Frank is intent on murdering Jeffrey and just before believing he's going to do it says "You've got about one second to live buddy!". Hopper delivers so amusingly like Jeffrey is his buddy, yet the killing intent in Frank still is never lost even for a second. 

Of course Frank is not just a thug  even though is unquestionably a thug. This is best shown when Frank forces Jeffrey and Dorothy along with his gang to the home of a very strange man called Ben (Dean Stockwell) who lip syncs Roy Orbinson's "In Dreams" to Frank. Hopper is fascinating in this scene as he shows such a vulnerability in Frank as the song brings him almost to tears. What is so compelling about his performance is that he makes this moment of reflection a completely believable transition for Frank. Even more than that Hopper is absurdly magnetic and even oddly poignant as he portrays the profound affect on Frank and alludes to the psyche of the man. Hopper expresses what the song means to Frank, and suggests that the emotions it brings are overwhelming to the point that he must fight them with anger. It is a completely flawlessly acted scene by Hopper. 

Frank is a role that could have easily been filled with pitfalls not only the whole idea of the character but as well just merely behavior perhaps could have seemed overly repetitive. This is never the case for Hopper as you never know what Frank is going to do in a given scene except that it is going to be very disturbing yet so strangely entrancing to witness. This is especially true in the scene where he first threatens then proceeds to beat Jeffrey for interfering with his abuse of Dorothy. Hopper certainly makes you believe the threat as he is brutally imposing but again the twist in his Frank is how well he suggests just how damaged of a man the psychotic Frank is. Frank again almost cries as he's beating Jeffrey and Hopper only ever brings these emotions into Frank as Frank. Hopper makes all these seeming inconsistencies all what is this one deranged man and that is something astonishing to behold. 

I really cannot praise this Hopper enough in this film. It is such a tremendous work by him as he turns Frank into one of the most unforgettable villains of course. I don't see him just as a villain though as Hopper goes so much further than that with his work, he creates this remarkable character that he does make so unrepentantly repulsive yet you can't look away. Frank isn't even necessarily necessarily that much of Blue Velvet's running time yet it is impossible to think of the film without thinking of his performance. Hopper is captivating in every single frame of his performance as he never wastes a second in realizing every facet of Frank Booth. This is easily the greatest performance by Dennis Hopper that I have seen, and I hold no hesitations to call it one of the greatest supporting performances of all time.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors

Steve Martin did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Orin Scrivello, DDS, in Little Shop of Horrors.

Little Shop of Horrors is a very enjoyable musical comedy about a sad sack Seymour (Ric Moranis) who discovers a most unusual plant that offers him fame and fortune but it wants human blood in return. I should note I actually prefer the good ending found in the theatrical cut. This is for several reasons. Firstly stage and screen are not the same and tonally things do not always transfer perfectly so changes need to be. Secondly having the lead be Moranis makes it so the happy end is the best because he is just so darn likable, even when he is making Faustian deals you can help but feel for him. Thirdly the whole "Don't Feed the Plants" scene may be impressive to look at, but it just goes on for way too long.

Steve Martin plays the abusive boyfriend of Seymour's love interest Audrey (Ellen Greene), that's not the important part of his character. The important part is that being a sadistic dentist which is portrayed in a hilarious song number as he describes his reasons for his profession which is simply because of his love of causing things pain. Martin is usually best known for his dead pan comedic performances but this one is a broadly comic portrayal which was probably unavoidable considering it involves a song sequence. Anyway Martin plays the role as basically a twisted Elvis impersonator as he tries to inflict as much pain as possible to other around which is best shown in his first and best scene his song.

Martin's performance is completely hilarious in the song as he delivers with the song particularly brilliantly. He changes from one moment to the next with whether it is emphasizing the impersonation, or at times kind of the big singing known in the fancier type of romantic musicals, and other times with a psychotically intense voice. Each switch is perfectly place to accentuate the hilarity of the sequence. To only add on top of that his physical performance is also comedic gold as he wields his arms almost as weapons of death constantly threatening all humans who may be nearby him. Martin pulls out every single possible ounce of humor in the scene and he successfully makes the whole dentist song scene one of the strongest in the film. 

Martin other great scene is when he has a patient played by Bill Murray who unfortunately for him is a masochist. The two comedians play off each perfectly with with Martin going as intense as possible in his the pleasure he gets out of his vicious attempts to cause the man discomfort, and Murray playing off it by showing the man to love every single moment of it to well an orgasmic extent. The best moment of the scene though easily comes when Martin's character throws him out and it is ridiculously funny just how much disgust Martin displays in the dentist, as it is quite obvious that the dentist only likes it when he is the one having fun. That also is a great scene, and Martin is only in about four scenes to begin with.

Well the other two are a little less funny, but then again that is a bit hard to match considering the quality of the other two. Don't get me wrong he is still quite enjoyable in these two other scenes particularly his expression when he realizes he's going to die from his laughing gas machine. They are not nearly as entertaining as the other two but that is far less Martin and much more caused by the limitations presented to him. Nevertheless Martin proves himself quite capable in the broader style of comedy and is still one of the best parts of the film. Although he's merely good in two of his scenes opposed to being great like he is in his other two scenes, but I suppose that's good enough.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: Daniel Day-Lewis in A Room With A View

Daniel Day-Lewis did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Cecil Vyse in A Room With A View.

A Room With A View did find itself a supporting actor nomination from the academy for Denholm Elliot who was fine but not especially noteworthy, but the man ignored from the film was Daniel Day-Lewis who made a notable breakout in 85 and 86 for starring in this film and My Beautiful Laundrette where he played characters who could not be more different. A fitting way for him to start his time as a noted actor since he went on to never pigeon hole himself as a type other than the roles always tended to be particularly daring nature. Day-Lewis here plays a role that actually might not seem particularly daring right off the page in fact he might seem a rather boring character especially since the role of Cecil really is suppose to be a boring man. These types of roles are usually the ones most forgotten with performances that are just as forgettable, that is not the case here as Day-Lewis shows exactly how one should approach such a role.

Day-Lewis may in fact give the ultimate Edwardian portrayal as the genius of this performance is quite extraordinary. Day-Lewis becomes the man of the time with every facet of his performance. His physical manners all are that of a man of perfect refinement who has tries to have the best tastes in all things. The way he turns pages in a book the way he walks they are all in that of a man who has learned to be as proper as one could possibly be. His voice only follows suit with his prissy high pitched voice that is perfect for his endless recitation of the books that he reads. The whole demeanor and every manner reinforces the idea of the repressed nature of the man's upbringing and life. It is to such an extreme in Day-Lewis that there is a strong comedic value actually in his work in that is rather quite funny because Cecil just is just so very proper. Although Day-Lewis slyly makes this a comic performance that does not mean he seems out of place in the film.

One of the amazing aspects of his work is that even though he allows some of what he does to be amusing that does not mean he does not realize Cecil as a real man. All he does still feels completely natural to the setting and he comes off enough as a realistic man of the period still. All of the mannerisms are used by Day-Lewis to create a cohesive whole that is Cecil Vyse. This is not just a great performance in terms of character creation though, Day-Lewis goes beyond that with his performance. Although he definitely plays Cecil Vyse as a repressed man and even technically speaking a boring one, he does not portray him as a simple man particularly in regards to Cecil relationship with the Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter). Although the story of picture suggests that Cecil is the wrong suitor and the "free-spirited" George Emerson (Julian Sands) is the right one, Day-Lewis's performance kind of rejects this notion.

Where Julian Sands plays his role so one note that he makes George rather uninteresting, Day-Lewis never makes that the case for Cecil. Cecil is a man who suffers from everyone else apparently telling him who he has in fact Lucy does a little too often. Day-Lewis though portrays an honest frustration in Cecil over her dismissive attitude, but he effectively shows it as something that he still needs to repress by his nature. Another strong example of the subtlety he brings is also when George is fairly obviously trying to woo Lucy while she is suppose to betrothed to Cecil. Day-Lewis again in these scenes suggests an underlying unease and that Cecil actually is aware of the situation but can break his mold to do anything about it. Day-Lewis's best scene though is when Lucy breaks off the engagement with Cecil. Day-Lewis makes it a surprisingly moving scene because he shows that Cecil is heartbroken over it, but Day-Lewis only allows it to be seen in a internalized fashion which properly fits Cecil's manner toward life. This is a perfect portrayal by Day-Lewis as he makes the boring character entertaining, and realizes his character fully as his own man rather than just a hurdle between the main romance.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986: Brian Cox in Manhunter

Brian Cox did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Hannibal Lecktor in Manhunter.

Manhunter is an effective thriller, even though just like Michael Mann's earlier film made in the eighties, Thief, the soundtrack is extremely out of place for the most part.

Brian Cox was the first actor to play the role of one of the most famous onscreen serial killers Hannibal Lecter. Right from the outset there are some differences though not only because his last name is spelled Lecktor for some reason, but as well the film does not really make much of a mention in regard to his cannibalism even if he has the same first name. The character though does serve the same purpose of being the man an investigator goes to try to find out about something about another serial killer currently at large. This time the investigator is Will Graham (William Peterson) who successfully caught Lecktor and is seeking his help to try to understand a new killer nicknamed the Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan).

Cox honestly goes for less the larger than life villain, although that probably contributed greatly to Hopkins turning the role into an iconic one, and more bluntly as a down to earth serial killer. Cox also plays him as a maniacal genius but in a far different way. In his first scene when he talking to Will in prison Cox plays his Lecktor as much more aggressive in his attack. He is less sneaky about it rather putting up his psychological games right to the forefront first thing. Cox delivers the game as much more a fast talking constant array of harassment toward Will. Cox method is particularly effective in making his Lecktor as man who is just constantly pestering and prodding for some sort of weakness, and rather interestingly does so with out the suave qualities Hopkins utilizes.

Both of them use there eyes very specifically in their performances and it is rather interesting to see the differences in their approaches. Hopkins keeps a constant stare as if Lecter is looking at their soul and that is his natural state. Cox rather shows it to be a put on just for will and it is quite chilling though. It adds to the blunt force intensity he brings in his Lecktor as it only adds to what he is trying to do Will. Both Hannibals want to be play a game, but Cox plays it like Lecktor honestly more like a real man who just wants to get as much pain out of a man he hates as possible. The intelligence of Hannibal is there too with Cox, but in oddly a less likable way as he is really more realistic suggesting a completely smug man who also is a psychopath to boot.

The only problem with Cox's performance is there is not much of it. He's only in three scenes and two of them are relatively brief. He's great in all in his own personal creation of Lecktor that manages a strong presence in the film despite the limited nature of the part that makes Hopkins in Lambs seem far more substantial in comparison. I really would have liked to have seen his Lecktor in the Silence of the Lambs storyline, as Cox definitely leaves his Lecktor with more areas to explore than what is seen in Manhunter. As it was though Cox in his brief time gives a disturbing depiction of the killer, and it is fascinating to see this rather different, but certainly a very effective take on the character.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1986

And the Nominees Were Not:

Daniel Day-Lewis in A Room With A View

Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet

Brian Cox in Manhunter

Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors

Raul Julia in The Morning After

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