Monday, February 02, 2009

Best Actor Lineup

If you combine all of this year's nominated Best Actor Nominees into one composite character you get an 6' tall old pro of 55 years of age who's making his comeback playing a disgraced ex president of the New Orleans Drummers Association who wrestles at nights in gay bars for extra cash.

Will someone please make a movie about that guy?


Click on over to the Best Actor page to vote on your preference (not prediction) for Hollywood's top honor for male actors and see my theories as to how they all got nominated. Do you love Frank Langella's Nixon, Mickey Rourke wrestler, Sean Penn's gay politico, Brad Pitt's southern drawl and magically disappearing wrinkles. Or maybe you'd prefer a visit from or a drum circle with Richard Jenkins?

And in the comments here, who do you think is going to win... Mickey or Sean or (gasp) someone else?, perhaps slipping up into the indecision between them.

I wish I could say I had some clever reasons for including Marisa Tomei in this lineup but it doesn't go much deeper than that I love to look at her.
*

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tomei. How I love you.

Anonymous said...

God! I hadn't realised Jenkins was the father in the Fisher family! I haven't seen an episode of that series (I love it by the way) for a long time.

I haven't seen Jenkins' and Langella
's films so I won't vote but Penn is my favorite from the 3 I've seen.

Anonymous said...

I am a total fan of Richard Jenkins and I have to thank you (yeah, you), because I first noticed him when you praised his performance in “North Country” (bad movie, I know... but Richard is great, easily “my best supporting actor” that year)… now I watch everything he does (or has done). I am a total “j(e)nkie” (slang: Richard Jenkins’ superfan) and I am extremely happy for her nod even if I actually know that he won’t win.

And yeah, my favorite actor in the “best actor”’s Oscar race this year is RICHARD JENKINS!

James Colon said...

Who will win? Well, I'll have to give the same reason I gave when someone asked me who would win the Super Bowl: I have no fucking clue. Obviously, since Penn won a bunch of precursors, and Rourke has only got that lowly Golden Globe (it's really not what it used to be, you know?), it seems that Penn is the front-runner. But those precursors were before general audiences actually got to see THE WRESTLER, and almost everyone who's seen it has fallen in love with it. Like you said, nobody could have played Randy the way Rourke did.

So, to answer the question, I put Penn in the lead, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Rourke won. As for anyone else scoring an upset, I'd say it's incredibly unlikely.

sophomorecritic said...

what exactly does brendan gleasson count as, supporting or lead?

Anonymous said...

Rourke is gonna win. Weather is changing, I can feel it.

Anonymous said...

If voters were really that split between Penn and Rourke, wouldn't Brad Pitt benefit from that the most, more so than Frank Langella? He's from the most nominated film of the year, and if there's a big win to be had for the film, is Taraji P. Henson enough? It would be really funny if he managed to win in this highly competitive field this year. And in an odd way, I'd be kinda happy for him.

Anonymous said...

OMG, did anyone just read that Kung Fu Panda trumped Wall-E in all the major categories at the Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature? What does this mean for Oscar?

- Adam

Anonymous said...

I truly think Penn will take it in the end... I mean, 8 nominations... they're going to want to give MILK something big... and not just screenplay (can't wait to here Black's speech).

And yes, Tomei is quite the eye-candy.

NATHANIEL R said...

sophomore -- Gleeson isn't nominated but to me he's a clear lead.

Nick M. said...

Did an unfortunate incident occur with Mickey Rourke's hand, a glue gun and his belt?

Even if he doesn't win the Oscar, he's not going home empty handed.

Anonymous said...

I find it really odd how easy Brad Pitt has been able to rack nominations from all the major awards bodies, when he's never really been much of an awards magnet, and yet his co-star n Benjamin Button who is an awards magnet was n't even able to get a single nomination. Oddly they've swapped their real life roles this awards season.

Anonymous said...

The poll didn't work for me :( I never got a chance to vote, just see the results, and my beloved Jenkins could really use my vote!!

It's a tough showdown between Rourke and Penn. I've thought Penn would take it for a long time, but maybe I'm starting to learn more toward Rourke? I'm not sure yet.

Carl Joseph Papa said...

i just wonder why this is a very old bunch. younger actors did give out far challenging performances if only they noticed them

Danielhardy23@gmail.com said...

hey, if every year was a toss up between two such incredible, iconic performances by two great actors, oscar season would be a happier place. it's win-win situation.

however, if rourke wins, will it go to his head for another major crash and burn? or will he be eating humble pie for the rest of his resurrected career?
it would be great to see him keep working with great directors and doing work like this. But self-destruction dies hard sometimes.

if penn wins, he has another oscar, and his standing is cemented in gold, which it already is. but the main benefit is that more people see milk, which is no small thing. the more people see it, the more people who need to be affected by it can be affected by it. but maybe that's just wishful thinking, because those who really need to be affected by it won't go near it no matter how many oscars it wins.

i'm rooting for both of them. go sean! go mickey! best result is that they bond at the after party and get signed up to be in a movie together.

Anonymous said...

MICKEY ROURKE!

NATHANIEL R said...

Daniel - 100% AMEN.

it is a win-win. Both are worthy statue holders.

Glenn said...

I'm going for Penn (I haven't seen Langella though) because I liked Milk much more than The Wrestler and thought Sean Penn was so different to how he usually is. I wouldn't begrudge Rourke the win though.

However, doesn't it feel like Sean Penn should have two Oscars?