Alternate Best Actor 1999: Results

5. Brad Pitt in Fight Club-Brad Pitt gives a good enough performance that is charismatic enough although not to the level the film suggests his character should be.

Best Scene: "Hit me as hard as you can"

4. Edward Norton in Fight Club- Norton, in the less showy role of the two leads of the film, gives the more consistent performance effectively portraying his character's strange journey through the film.

Best Scene: The Narrator tries to go to the police.

3. Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai- Whitaker performance is all about creating the style of the samurai which he handles wonderfully well. 

Best Scene: Ghost Dog takes down the gangsters.

2. Guy Pearce in Ravenous- Pearce is very effective by being the sane man among the insanity.

Best Scene: Captain Boyd sees his new commanding officer.

1. Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon- Jim Carrey proves himself a master mimic as he becomes Andy Kaufman and every character he played.

Best Scene: Andy's first time doing the foreigner. 

Overall Rank:

1. Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story
2. Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon
3. Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense
4. Guy Pearce in Ravenous
5. Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
6. Edward Norton in Fight Club
7. Russell Crowe in The Insider
8. Tom Hanks in The Green Mile
9. Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense
10. Ron Livingston in Office Space
11. Al Pacino in The Insider
12. Mel Gibson in Payback
13. Brad Pitt in Fight Club
14. Terence Stamp in The Limey
15. Kevin Spacey in America Beauty
16. Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley
17. Keanu Reeves in The Matrix
18. John Cusack in Being John Malkovich
19. Johnny Depp in Sleepy Hollow
20. Eddie Murphy in Life
21. Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You 
22. Matthew Broderick in Election 
23. Jake Gyllenhaal in October Sky
24. Brendan Fraser in The Mummy
25. Ben Stiller in Mystery Men
26. Billy Crystal in Analyze This
27. Robert De Niro in Analyze This
28. Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest
29. Tom Hanks in Toy Story 2
30. Tim Allen in Toy Story 2
31. Denzel Washington in The Hurricane
32. Sean Penn in Sweet and Lowdown
33. Pierce Brosnan in The World is Not Enough
34. Martin Lawrence in Life
35. Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace
36. Arnold Schwarzenegger in End of Days
37. Devon Sawa in Idle Hands
38. Joseph Gordon-Levitt 10 Things I Hate About You
39. Mike Myers in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
40. Thomas Jane in Deep Blue Sea 
41. Martin Lawrence in Blue Streak
42. Tobey Maguire in The Cider House Rules
43. Adam Sandler in Big Daddy
44. Sean Patrick Flanery in Simply Irresistible
45. Jake Lloyd in The Phantom Menace

Next Year: 2000 lead

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Alternate Best Actor 1999: Edward Norton and Brad Pitt in Fight Club

Edward Norton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the narrator in Fight Club.

Fight Club is a film with an intense fan club to say the least, but not one that I subscribe to I'm afraid. I don't hate it, and I liked it well enough on my first viewing, but its style really wore thin on re-watch.

Edward Norton plays the unnamed protagonist of the film who starts out as that of the corporate drone who is a numb man going through his life just buying random things for himself. He only finds anything for himself by releasing himself emotionally at various support groups. Norton's performance is that of a very average sad sack suffering from insomnia and just a general detachment from all things. Norton's pretty good in just being a general downer of an individual showing us a man without a past and without much of a future other then faking some sort of ailment for the most basic expression of emotions possible, which really does not bring him to much of anywhere either, but Norton plants the motivation for the narrator's desire to change.

The narrator's life does not really start changing though until he meets Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt who also did not receive an Oscar nomination for this film. Well here is the spoiler although I am sure you already know it as it is only kept a better secret than the twist ending to Planet of the Apes which is usually used as its poster these days. Anyway the twist is that Tyler Durden is in fact just a figment of the narrator's imagination who the narrator uses as the visualization for himself when he does everything he has dreamed of doing. This means that Brad Pitt does not play a real person rather just an idea of a man, and that idea is being as the ultimate ideal man who is a rebel who wants to make his own cause.

There is not a single scene with Pitt that does not feature Norton but it is Pitt's character that drives Norton's forward making them co-leads who are constantly intertwined in even more way then you think even when they meet near the beginning of the film. Once they meet the narrator always seems one step behind as Durden seems to be shaping him through his long line of tasks which all start with forcing him to get into a violent confrontation as a more volatile way of breaking the narrator's detachment. Norton's and Pitt's performances are on opposite ends. Where Pitt portrays Durden as a constant who always seems to know exactly what he is doing, Norton portrays the narrator as constantly a step behind who is changing due to each of Durden's actions in one way or another. 

Pitt's performance is all about his charisma, and although I will might be severely beaten for this I find that Pitt certainly has charisma here but not all time greatest macho man ever charisma. Pitt is an actor with that natural star magnetism at least in most of his roles and it is present here although I don't feel he goes the extra mile with this performance as Tyler Durden. Yes he is strong and assured in his performance but he never quite makes Durden the figure of almost godly power. I should note this is only criticism of the highest order in that I think the point of Durden is being perfection a point I don't feel Pitt reaches with this performance. Having said that though Pitt is good in the role well at least the first three fourths of the film.

Although I might be burned with acid for this, I'll say that I actually prefer Norton's performance as the narrator. Norton's performance, until the very end of the film, is a reactionary performance and he is rather effective in portraying the way the narrator changes through the story. Norton has the right sort of amazement as the narrator watches and joins Durden as he starts the titular Fight Club and goes on to commit all sorts of mayhem in his anti-establishment behavior. I like Norton's performance because unlike all the supporting players, who I feel terribly overact in this film, Norton conveys the life changing effects of Durden in a believable, far less bombastic fashion, through the way he brings a life to the narrator that was missing at the beginning of the film.

The end of the film changes things for the worse when it comes to Pitt and I suppose for the better when it comes to Norton. Once the twist is revealed Pitt decides to play Durden as a bit more of the villainous character than necessary. Frankly Pitt just needed to continue how he had gone from the start as Durden meets his end, but instead he ends up overplaying Durden in his concluding appearances. The idea that Durden is just a figment of the narrator's mind is taken too far with Pitt as he starts playing him, well as an imaginary character. I suppose that makes sense, but I think it would have made even more sense that Durden stay as he was before as since there is no reason Durden needed to go the way that Pitt takes him at the end of the film.

Norton on the other hand is very good as the narrator is completely taken aback by the revelation and tries very hard to set make some sort of sense of it all and stops Durden(his)'s plan. Norton sells the twist with his performance which excels in portraying the messed up mental state of the narrator as he has to deal with his own disbelief, and fear of what is going on. Most importantly though in these scenes Norton shows the narrator come into his own as a man. Norton loses that detachment from the beginning, but he as well loses that dreamy amazement in Tyler. Norton instead gives the narrator a will of his own and brings the most genuine emotions in the film as the narrator desperately tries to save his although sorta Tyler's lover Marla (Helena Bonham Carter).

Although Brad Pitt's performance is the much more talked about performance in this film, in achieving the purpose of the character Edward Norton's performance is the stronger work. Pitt is just fine in the film but otherworldly he is not, and he comes close to going off the deep end in a bad way in his final scenes which could have highlights of his performance. Edward Norton does not give an amazing performance either and technically, in terms of the heights he must reach, he has far less of challenge, but Norton does meet his lesser challenge much more thoroughly than Pitt does as Durden. Although his character is the one who changes, Norton gives the consistent performance of the two which shows each detail of the journey of the narrator in a convincing manner.

(For Pitt, let the fire rain down upon me)

(For Norton)

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Alternate Best Actor 1999: Guy Pearce in Ravenous

Guy Pearce did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Captain John Boyd in Ravenous.

Ravenous, despite its poor critical reception, is a rather effective and most unusual thriller about cannibalism in a remote army base. I would say I can see how its style of a subtle absurdity, if that makes any sense, could turn some off it though.

Guy Pearce is an actor who recently has been cast in the wrong types of roles. For one thing Pearce should be a leading man, this is not to say he can't do well in a supporting part, but leading is where he excels best. I tend to always like Pearce except in the roles of one dimensional villains such as in The Count of Monte Cristo and in Iron Man 3. To be frank, he just seems out of place as villains as they are just not the parts for him and sincerely hope he and the casting directors stop placing him in such spots as he is a great actor when it comes to just about every other type of role but not a great actor when it comes to playing a villain. A weakness certainly but one that can easily be forgiven when he is so good in just about every other type of role.

Anyway with that rant of sorts over on to Ravenous which places Pearce where he should be in the role of Captain John Boyd who at the beginning of the film is a soldier who has recently been promoted during the Mexican American war although he only proved the hero by proving himself a coward who pretended to be dead which placed him under a sea of corpses. For several minutes in Pearce really does not say much of anything but, as he would show later in, The Proposition as well, he is amazing in portraying a powerful internal angst. The film really leaves it to him to show the guilt and shame in his character and Pearce handles his end flawlessly. Even without saying much of anything we see where Boyd is coming from even before he enters the secluded army base surrounded by the wilderness.

Boyd stays rather quiet and reserved until a strange man (Robert Carlyle) appears at the base, who claims to have survived a cannibalistic massacre although things quickly turn for the worse when it turns out that man was actually the cause of the massacre and wishes to make the men at the base his new meals. Guy Pearce is excellent here by just being a man who is way in over his head and correctly reflecting how someone would be in such a situation. While Carlyle, properly so, brings the absurdity of the situation alive through his insane performance Pearce off sets that very effectively by being the sane man in the situation who honestly shows exactly how most people would be through his performance that believably shows all the fear and disbelief that should be shown.

The cannibalism in this film is not shown to be just an extreme survival method but rather a powerful curse that makes you stronger and creates an irresistible urge for human blood once you've tasted a drop. Due to the Captain's time under his comrades' corpses suffers from the curse already. The curse might sound like a somewhat rather silly prospect, and really it is, but Pearce plays it so effectively actually bringing to life in a believable fashion. Robert Carlyle and Jeffrey Jones portray as both going way off the deep end, but Pearce keeps Boyd as the man who wants to retain his humanity and his performance stays far more reserved. Again though Pearce is a master of the silent internal conflict and portrays Boyd's struggle brilliantly.

Guy Pearce gives a pretty terrific performance here actually that does so much for the film. Captain Boyd is a man of few words and his whole point is not going crazy while others do so it would have been easy for him to have been overshadowed. Pearce though owns the film from beginging to end through his assured and thoughtful performance. He makes Boyd's struggle believable and as a guide for the absurd affair brings a surprising amount of realism with his performance. Due to his approach he really builds up the tension of the later scenes of the film because we do care about Boyd. His reactions to the insanity are always remarkable, a particularly love when Boyd sees his new commanding officer turns out to be the cannibal mystery man. This is a very solid turn by Guy Pearce and a good example of the strength as a leading man.

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Alternate Best Actor 1999: Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon

Jim Carrey did not receive an Oscar nomination,despite winning a Golden Globe and being nominated for SAG, for portraying Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon.

Man on the Moon is an interesting and enjoyable film about comedian Andy Kaufman even if you could assemble a great deal of the film with YouTube clips, and it is more of a film about observing Kaufman's antics rather getting down to who he really was exactly.

Jim Carrey can't seem to catch a break when it comes to the Academy even though he has ventured out from his comfort zone. The reason perhaps though is his most notable films outside of this zone still tend to be funny in some way or another. They might not be broad comedies but perhaps they just are not serious enough for the liking of the Academy for them to be able to accept Jim Carrey as an actor. It seems a shame in that the academy's lineup of 1999 and his recognition in the precursors should have allowed for Carrey to be among the nominees. 99 though is tricky a year for lead actor with the vast differences in the leading lineups presented so it is hard to see if Carrey was knocked out by a Sean Penn which would have been a real shame, or if he was knocked out by Richard Farnsworth which is another story.

Jim Carrey in his standup comedian days was a noted mimic which certainly comes into play here as Andy Kaufman. He not only must imitate Kaufman but he must go to a whole other level by imitating people that Andy Kaufman imitated in the way Kaufman did it. Carrey is simply a master here and if it were not for Carrey very distinct face you would think Kaufman did fake his death just to come back for the film. The funny part is Carrey compensates even with his face though keeping that Andy Kaufman look throughout the entire film. Carrey's voice is as well spot, well not just Kaufman's voice but every voice that Kaufman does is a flawless triumph by Carrey. Carrey who is usually off the wall in his body languages brings it back to reflect that rigid stiff manner of Kaufman as well. Jim Carrey just is Andy Kaufman in this film.

Carrey's work is not a comedic imitation though and he is steadfast in not acting like Kaufman but being Andy Kaufman here right down the line. Milos Foreman's direction puts us not in the mind Kaufman nor as one of his unsuspecting audience members, but rather as a semi-informed party. Yes we know of the pranks and tricks but we don't always know their full extent always, or when something even is a trick. Due to this the film and Carrey make Kaufman a man who seems to always be performing to at least some degree. There are extremely brief moments where we seem to see the true Kaufman only for a moment. These are excellent very short moments in Carrey's performance, but pivotal in creating a fuller portrait of Andy Kaufman as a person.

One example of the real Kaufman is when he has just performed as the foreigner, and his future agent George Shapiro approaches him. Carrey keeps Kaufman performing as the role as the foreigner until Kaufman notices the card. In just a short little glimpse we see just a man who sees a big break. This is a purely honest Andy. Carrey only keeps him completely honest one only for a moment though as Kaufman seems to playing a game again the very next scene. There are few other times, mostly involving Kaufman's girlfriend, and they are all superbly handled by Carrey. The reason is Carrey does show that there is a man behind the endless act, a man with some very normal dreams actually, but a man who chooses to play his games.

For most of the film it is Kaufman do his various types of performances and Carrey excels in each by showing Kaufman excel in each style of humor. There is just the straight forward funny scenes which Carrey is quite at home with. His early act as the foreigner is a perfect bit in Carrey's hands as he goes through the whole awkward part of the foreigner's terrible imitations, to his terrific imitation of Elvis to the hilarious punchline of once again being foreigner. Carrey brings us all the comedic promise by being very entertaining and enjoyable always in Kaufman's style. He never loses the magic of the act of the original act by Kaufman breathing the life into which it deserves. Carrey though continues to be just as convincing though when Kaufman starts to go even further with his brand of humor.

Carrey, just as Kaufman did, let's us decide whether we want to find his antics as the boorish Tony Clifton, also brilliantly imitated by Carrey, or just the random awkward behavior Kaufman does purposefully just to drum up a reaction especially when he becomes a wrestling heel who fights women. Carrey does not apologize in these scenes but with a keen eye of a proper observer you can see the comedic performance. Carrey is the unrepentant jerk, but as well as the man who is winking to the audience in a most peculiar way. Whether it is truly funny comes down to frankly what particularly thing Kaufman is doing as some of his anti-humor worked and some of it I'm sure he found it personally quite side splitting. Carrey replicates the unforgiving nature of Kaufman's brand of humor beautifully even when it gets quite ugly technically speaking.

Even as his antics become less appealing there is a sweet side to Kaufman behind which are displayed at his funeral and at Kaufman's big show at Carnegie hall. These two scenes Carrey makes Kaufman the man he dreamed to be which is a "song and dance man". Carrey brings such a life to these scenes even if that is quite ironic considering one of these scenes is after Kaufman's death. Carrey suggests a happiness lacking in the darker stunts played by Kaufman and honestly portrays Kaufman as a man who wishes to make other smiles. Both scenes work wonderfully because of how Carrey is able to convey a warmth while being entertaining as Andy finally leaves out his dreams. This is a great performance by Jim Carrey as he so fully inhabits every aspect of Kaufman's very complex personality. I would remark though that this could have have ranked among the all time great performances if the film dared just a little more. This is not a slight against Carrey he goes as far with the role as he possibly could in this film, I would like to have seen Carrey tackle what exactly made Kaufman the way he was though. 

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Alternate Best Actor 1999: Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Forest Whitaker did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Ghost Dog in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an interesting and enjoyable enough film about a mysterious hit man, who follows the code of the samurai, who finds himself the target of the mafia he works for.

Forest Whitaker certainly is not the first man you think of when you think of samurai or even a modern samurai, but Whitaker could not be more comfortable in the role of the stoic man who takes pride in the ideas found in a book that outlines the purpose of the samurai. Whitaker's performance is that of finding a consistent tone and sticking with it through the film. This is the nature of the character who is very firm in his belief of following the code of the Samurai to the letter, he is not one of those atypical ones played by Toshiro Mifune. Whitaker plays Ghost Dog who does not just talk about being a samurai he walks the walks right down to an undying loyalty to his retainer even if the retainer does not deserve it.

Whitaker gives a fully physical performance in his portrayal of Ghost Dog as there is a certain way he moves and walks that is very telling of his character. The samurai can be seen in his movements and Whitaker is quite effective in showing Ghost Dog as a man so utterly devoted to his ideals that he is one with them. There is such grace in his performance in every movement. There is not a wrong step he is always the samurai in every movement. Whitaker makes this an interesting performance just to watch, and he is especially good in the pivotal action scene late in the film. The way he uses his gun is not that of an action hero, or even gangster. Whitaker makes the movements that of artist at work much like a samurai with his sword. 

In his scenes of non-violence Whitaker gives a very unassuming performance that works well as he makes Ghost Dog just a man of quiet reflection. Whitaker has an innate likability as an actor to begin, but he is particularly splendid here in his portrayal of Ghost Dog who might have strange morals but morals that he does stick to. Whitaker stays with his character's nature the whole film through and this easily could have made him seem an uninteresting character but Whitaker makes it work. Whitaker brings to life the devotion of Ghost Dog to life in a gentle and even believable fashion. Whitaker makes it simple by being entirely genuine with the part. He makes the nature of Ghost Dog something very honest in the film.

Ghost Dog certainly is a most unusual film lead by a most unusual hero with a most unusual casting. Forest Whitaker does not seem strange in the part in the slightest though he makes it his own. This is a performance about the creation of the character and his creation of Ghost Dog is an endearing and strangely fascinating sort. Every action take by the Ghost Dog is realized by Whitaker's assured performance and even the final actions of Ghost Dog, which could have seemed completely absurd and frankly they are completely absurd, but Whitaker makes it work because he makes Ghost Dog a philosophy such a part of him. Whitaker makes him the samurai in every other way, from his manner in violence to his thoughts on every day things, therefore Ghost Dog would even have to stay with the fatal fault of the samurai code. 

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Alternate Best Actor 1999

And the Nominees Were Not:

Brad Pitt in Fight Club

Edward Norton in Fight Club

Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon

Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Guy Pearce in Ravenous

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