Alternate Best Actor 1996: Results

5. Leonard DiCaprio in Romeo and Juliet - DiCaprio does not have the language down but he does bring the right passion and enthusiasm although it is hard see through that direction.

Best Scene: Romeo's death monologue.

4. Chris Cooper in Lone Star- Cooper seems right as the quiet convicted Sheriff, but he's suppose to be uncomfortable with his job which isn't expressed very well.

Best Scene: Sam talks to his old flame.

3. Liam Neeson in Michael Collins- Collins is made to be an absolute hero here, and the film outright rejects any scenes to give a greater complexity to see him, but Neeson does bring the right power and passion to the part.

Best Scene: Collins attempts to defend the treaty.

2. Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting - McGregor gives a nicely charismatic portrayal, and meets any challenge in store for him.

Best Scene: Renton goes Cold Turkey

1. Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet - Although I was skeptical about Branagh approach to the prince of Denmark, he successfully won me over with his flamboyant portrayal of Hamlet. He creates an understanding in the insanity, but as well brings his performance down when needed and to great effect. For the overall win it came down to the men whose plan goes horribly wrong, I decided to go with the car salesman.

Best Scene: The duel.

Overall Rank:

1. William H. Macy in Fargo
2. Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet
3. Timothy Spall in Secrets & Lies
4. James Woods in Killer: A Journal of Murder 
5. Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting
6. Daniel Day-Lewis in The Crucible
7. Liam Neeson in Michael Collins
8. Matthew McConaughey in A Time to Kill
9. Mel Gibson in Ransom
10. Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire
11. Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient
12. Noah Taylor in Shine 
13. Luke Wilson in Bottle Rocket 
14. Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor
15. Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: First Contact
16. Richard Gere in Primal Fear
17. Owen Wilson in Bottle Rocket
18. Stanley Tucci in Big Night
19. Nathan Lane in The Birdcage 
20. Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible
21. Tom Everett Scott in That Thing You Do 
22. Jon Favreau in Swingers
23. Tony Shalhoub in Big Night
24. Tom Hulce in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
25. Geoffrey Rush in Shine
26. Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade
27. Michael J. Fox in The Frighteners
28. John Travolta in Phenomenon
29. Antonio Banderas in Evita
30. Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy
31. Sean Connery in The Rock
32. Woody Harrelson in Kingpin
33. Sean Connery in Dragonheart
34. Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore
35. Dennis Quiad in Dragonheart
36. Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Eraser  
37. Chris Cooper in Lone Star
38. Bill Murray in Larger Than Life 
39. Joseph Perrino in Sleepers
40. Robin Williams in The Birdcage
41. Nicolas Cage in The Rock
42. Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet 
43. Bill Pullman in Independence Day
44. Jason Patric in Sleepers
45. Val Kilmer in The Ghost and the Darkness 
46. Michael Keaton in Multiplicity
47. Steve Martin in Sgt. Bilko
48. Randy Quaid in Kingpin
49. Blake Heron in Shiloh
50. Sylvester Stallone in Daylight
51. Will Smith in Independence Day
52. Woody Harrelson in The People vs. Larry Flynt
53. Bill Paxton in Twister
54. Chris Farley in Black Sheep
55. Leslie Nielsen in Spy Hard 
56. Kelsey Grammer in Down Periscope
57. Jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks!
58. Keanu Reeves in Chain Reaction
59. Vincent Kartheiser in Alaska
60. Alec Baldwin in Ghosts of Mississippi
61. Jon Lovitz in High School High
62. David Spade in Black Sheep
63. Matthew Broderick in The Cable Guy
64. Robin Williams in Jack
65. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle All The Way
66. Tom Arnold in The Stupids
67. Michael Jordan in Space Jam
68. Sinbad in First Kid
69. Jeffrey Nording in D3
70. Billy Zane in The Phantom
71. Robert Sean Leonard in Killer: A Journal of Murder
72. Joshua Jackson in D3
73. Jason Alexander in Dunston Checks In 
74. Brock Pierce in First Kid
75. Francis Capra in Kazaam
76. Shaquille O'Neal in Kazaam
77. Eric Lloyd in Dunston Checks In
78. Stephen Baldwin in Bio-Dome
79. Pauly Shore in Bio-Dome

Next Year: 1996 Supporting

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Alternate Best Actor 1996: Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting

Ewan McGregor did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Renton in Trainspotting.

Trainspotting is about a group of friends in around the Edinburgh drug scene. Although I am not a huge fan of Danny Boyle I found his kinetic style worked here and found the film an entertaining ride.

The always reliable Ewan McGregor made his breakout with his role here as Renton a heroine addict who we follow through his lowly existence along with his group of friends who are addicts of one sort or another. Just like in the later adaptation of Irvine Welsh novel Filth, Trainspotting also employs frequent narration by its hero, and again with a very earthy tone to it. Renton though is a considerably less complex individual than Bruce Robertson, as Renton life at the beginning of the film consists very little more than getting high and spending some time with his friends doing nothing. Honestly Renton could be a disposable enough character really if it were not for the fact that McGregor is the one to play him.

McGregor has a natural magnetism in him, and he is able to create an investment in a character like Renton even if he may not be worthy of it. Although Renton lives an undeniably dour lifestyle it never feels that way because of McGregor's portrayal of him as well as the humorously cynical narration that he delivers during the course of the story. McGregor wit his performance never falls into the depression potential of his character always bringing a certain energy to any moment he may be in never allowing any scene to fall the wrong way. Even though he may not be deserving of it McGregor is able to make Renton considerably endearing through his own charisma as a performer.

Renton undergoes some changes throughout the film though most considerably when his parents force him to undergo cold turkey withdrawal, when earlier he took a very specific process to kick the habit. McGregor is terrific in the cold turkey scene and the intensity of his performance is absolutely fitting to the imagery that Boyle creates around him. The scene perhaps could have merely become an exercise in the style of the grotesque, but McGregor does not allow that to happen by showing the very real pain that Renton undergoes as he suffers every thing that the absence of the drug is doing to his body. It is brilliantly acted scene by McGregor, and he makes Renton's turn to make something out of himself wholly believable.

For the rest of the film Renton takes a reactionary role, although with the occasional slight relapse, as he tries to deal with friends who have not at all reformed. McGregor is effective in portrayal of the slowly growing exasperation at the increasingly troublesome behavior of his friends particularly from the alcoholic and violent Begbie (Robert Carlyle). Although McGregor by this point technically becomes the far less volatile presence in the film, and it would have been easy enough to be forgotten behind the nature of Carlyle's intense performance. McGregor performance always remains compelling, and his depiction of Renton's growing responsibility is honest and fitting to the character.

It is easy to see why this was McGregor break through as it is the indication of McGregor's abilities in limited roles, which he would again show later on in Moulin Rouge and The Ghost Writer. Renton is not a poorly written character by any means, he absolutely works for the story, but he is mostly of defined by what he does rather who he is exactly. McGregor proves his measure with that traditionally known star quality with his work here. His strong screen presence is always prevalent here, he strikes the right tone with his performance fitting to the material, and whenever there is a challenge like the the withdrawal scene McGregor is more than up to it.

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Alternate Best Actor 1996

And The Nominees Were Not:

Liam Neeson in Michael Collins

Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo and Juliet

Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet

Chris Cooper in Lone Star

Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting 

Blast I hate it when that happens, but it appears Hard Eight received no public release until 1997, so here's a quick replacement to allow for some more Shakespearean comparisons which is usually fun. 

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Alternate Best Actor 2001: Results

5. Jack Nicholson in The Pledge- I have to say that my winner was easy to choose I had a hard time deciding the order of the rest as I like all of them. I hate to have to put Nicholson here as I really like his quiet downplayed work here a great deal even if the film botches his characterization somewhat by rushing things.

4. Ryan Gosling in The Believer- Gosling gives a performance better than his film gives a fascinating portrayal of a man made by his inconsistencies.

3. Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge!- The film gave me a headache, but McGregor managed to clear it up through his passionate charming portrayal that belts his character's blunt feelings on love no matter how stupid they may be.

2. Billy Bob Thornton in The Man Who Wasn't There- Thornton is all about his distinct characterization here which is a wonderfully deadpan performance that manages to bring us into his character's story, even when his character would just rather go back to cutting hair.

1. Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums- Well my second favorite actor does it again with his winning turn here as the patriarch of the title family. He is a devilish delight in his comedic scenes, but as well quite moving and believable as his character slowly becomes a better man.

Overall Rank:

1. Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums
2. Tom Wilkinson in In The Bedroom
3. Billy Bob Thornton in The Man Who Wasn't There
4. Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge!
5. Ryan Gosling in The Believer
6. Jack Nicholson in The Pledge
7. Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind
8. Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko
9. Ethan Hawke in Training Day
10. Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball
11. Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast
12. Haley Joel Osment in A.I. Artificial Intelligence
13. Jim Broadbent in Iris
14. Elijah Wood in The Fellowship of the Ring
15. Gael García Bernal in Y Tu Mama Tambien
16. Diego Luna in Y Tu Mama Tambien
17. Billy Bob Thornton in Bandits
18. Jude Law in Enemy At the Gates 
19. Ben Stiller in Zoolander
20. Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky
21. Bruce Willis in Bandits 
22. Denzel Washington in Training Day
23. Yosuke Kubozuka in Go
24. John Goodman in Monster's Inc 
25. Brad Pitt in Ocean's Eleven
26. George Clooney in Ocean's Eleven
27. Mike Myers in Shrek 
28. Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale
29. John Travolta in Domestic Disturbance
30. Hugh Jackman in Swordfish
31. Sam Neill in Jurassic Park 3 
32. Paul Dano in L.I.E 
33. John Travolta in Swordfish
34. Johnny Depp in From Hell
35. Jackie Chan in Rush Hour 2
36. Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 2
37. Mark Wahlberg in The Planet of the Apes
38. Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
39. Billy Crystal in Monster's Inc
40. Alec Baldwin in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
41. Ryan Phillippe in Antitrust
42. Orlando Jones in Evolution
43. David Duchovny in Evolution
44. Will Smith in Ali
45. Woody Allen in The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
46. Brendan Frasier in The Mummy Returns
47. David Spade in Joe Dirt
48. Sean Penn in I Am Sam

Next Year: 2001 Supporting

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Alternate Best Actor 2001: Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge!

Ewan McGregor did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Christian in Moulin Rouge!.

Moulin Rouge is quite properly considered to be a love or hate it film. Well I fall much close to latter as the films opening thirty minutes with its incessant quick cutting gave me a headache. There are a few set pieces that I like or at least don't mind, but I can't like any film that I almost had to turn off after thirty minutes.

Speaking of the headache I had it was not helped by many of the performances found in this film. John Leguizamo's performance probably had both Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jose Ferrer rolling in their graves, and Richard Roxburgh well uhh what can one say about that performance other than his delivery of "I JUST DON'T LIKE PEOPLE TOUCHING MY THINGS" would be great for a security alarm system to protect your possessions. These performances are insanely over the top without being entertaining which is always a problem and it seems for an actor to be able to give a good over the top performance they need to be capable of a subtle one as well.

Those performances as well as many others did not alleviate my headache, and I was ready to give up, but then Ewan McGregor finally got his first solo number, and I have to admit my headache went away. Where too many of the other performances basically act like they know their in an over the top affair and are rather obnoxious because of this Ewan McGregor throws himself into his role with such profound conviction. He doesn't wink or do anything even close to that in his portrayal of Christian, Christian is suppose to be a love obsessed writer filled with passion, and McGregor plays him just that way particularly the part about being filled with passion.

McGregor is uncompromising in his depiction of the hopelessness of this romantic. Honestly if Christian had been portrayed with the wackiness that too many of the other performers rely on his whole constant mentioning of love would seem as stupid as it is. McGregor though because of just how much he gets into the part makes it that even if Christian's unwavering beliefs may be a little too much, at least they are genuine thanks to the fact that is all McGregor ever gives it. McGregor just plays his part with such earnestness that he even manages to keep his head up throughout the whole film, even late in the film when his character makes his rather strange actions in which he becomes rather hateful albeit briefly.

This is of course a musical and McGregor voice is something to behold on its own and only continues to show the amount of effort he puts into the part. McGregor with each and every song sings about love pushes the idea to the utmost that supports the level of belief Christian should hold. Each of his songs where highlights for me throughout the film because again how much he goes for broke with them. The intensity of his singing the expressions they all work so well, and really make the idea of the story of love and he is able just to go with the simplistic. McGregor never seems to care if the love is simplistic and shallow he belts it out to the back row anyways. 

The film did manage to cause me literal pain but McGregor acted as my aspirin for the film, his performance was something I could hold onto to get through it. His investment in it is so great that he even managed to make me invested in it a little. There is not a halfhearted moment in his portrayal even in that late act poorly written out of character turn at the end of the film. This is just a sweet entirely charming performance that knows how to make the material move even when the material isn't even all that great. It is a true shame that the film which was nominated for eight awards but not one was left for the leading man who puts his all into lighting up every moment in which he is on screen.

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Alternate Best Actor 2001

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge!

Billy Bob Thornton in The Man Who Wasn't There

Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums

Jack Nicholson in The Pledge

Ryan Gosling in The Believer

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