The two macro articles I put up each time I do the Quest are the Viewer’s Guide and the Rankings. The Rankings are self-explanatory. The Viewer’s Guide is more universal. One is specific to the categories and picking winners. The Viewer’s Guide is more about how I feel about the films. If you wanted to find Oscar films to watch, you come here, and I tell you how I feel.
Last time I put out the Viewer’s Guide, it was done with a big color code, with each color used to signify how I felt about a film. Not the best system, especially since I put out hundreds of reviews each year on a star system. So we’re moving to the star system now.
Pretty simple — for each Oscar nominee’s film, I’ll assign a rating the way I’d assign a rating to any film I see each year. I don’t think anything’s gone under 2.5 stars, since I don’t think there are truly bad films nominated. The worst you’ll see is 2.5 stars, which for me means I was indifferent toward it. 3 stars is “pretty good.” 3.5 stars is “solid.” 4 stars is “liked it quite a bit.” 4.5 stars is “loved it.” And 5 stars is 5 stars.
The idea is for the ratings to help you find stuff you might like. Also, for each category I’ll tell you what I voted for, what I think would have held up as a winner from that category and how good a choice I think it was.
Here’s Best Supporting Actor:
2016 – Mahershala Ali, Moonlight — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Dev Patel, Lion — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: A-
2015 – Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Christian Bale, The Big Short — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Tom Hardy, The Revenant — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Sylvester Stallone, Creed — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: B+
2014 – J.K. Simmons, Whiplash –– * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Duvall, The Judge — * * * (3 stars)
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood — * * * * (4 stars)
Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: A
2013 – Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club — * * * * (4 stars)
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: A-
2012 – Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained — * * * * * (5 stars)
Alan Arkin, Argo — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
What Would Have Held Up: Hoffman, Waltz, maybe Jones, possibly De Niro
The Choice: B
2011 – Christopher Plummer, Beginners — * * * (3 stars)
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn — * * * (3 stars)
Jonah Hill, Moneyball — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Nick Nolte, Warrior — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Nick Nolte, Warrior
What Would Have Held Up: Nolte, von Sydow maybe. Plummer sort of has.
The Choice: B-
2010 – Christian Bale, The Fighter — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jeremy Renner, The Town — * * * * (4 stars)
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids are All Right — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Christian Bale, The Fighter
What Would Have Held Up: Bale, Rush
The Choice: A-
2009 – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds — * * * * * (5 stars)
Matt Damon, Invictus — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station — * * * (3 stars)
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
What Would Have Held Up: Waltz
The Choice: A
2008 – Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight — * * * * * (5 stars)
Josh Brolin, Milk — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt — * * * * (4 stars)
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
What Would Have Held Up: Ledger. And then maybe Hoffman a way’s back
The Choice: A+
2007 – Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford — * * * * * (5 stars)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
What Would Have Held Up: Bardem. Then Wilkinson. Then Affleck.
The Choice: A+
2006 – Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond — * * * (3 stars)
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
What Would Have Held Up: Murphy. Maybe Haley.
The Choice: C
2005 – George Clooney, Syriana — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Matt Dillon, Crash — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
William Hurt, A History of Violence — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: William Hurt, A History of Violence
What Would Have Held Up: Clooney has. Gyllenhaal maybe. Hurt possibly.
The Choice: B
2004 – Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby — * * * * (4 stars)
Alan Alda, The Aviator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jamie Foxx, Collateral — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Clive Owen, Closer — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Clive Owen, Closer
What Would Have Held Up: Owen. Freeman on stature not performance. Possibly Church.
The Choice: B-
2003 – Tim Robbins, Mystic River — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Alec Baldwin, The Cooler — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Benicio del Toro, 21 Grams — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Djimon Hounsou, In America — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
What Would Have Held Up: Robbins has. Watanabe maybe. Baldwin maybe.
The Choice: B
2002 – Chris Cooper, Adaptation — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ed Harris, The Hours — * * * * (4 stars)
Paul Newman, Road to Perdition — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
John C. Reilly, Chicago — * * * * (4 stars)
Christopher Walken, Catch Me if You Can — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can
What Would Have Held Up: Cooper, Newman, Walken
The Choice: B+
2001 – Jim Broadbent, Iris — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Ethan Hawke, Training Day — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast — * * * * (4 stars)
Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jon Voight, Ali — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
What Would Have Held Up: Kingsley, McKellen, Broadbent mostly has
The Choice: B/B+
2000 – Benicio del Toro, Traffic — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jeff Bridges, The Contender — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire — * * * * (4 stars)
Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich — * * * * (4 stars)
Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Benicio Del Toro, Traffic
What Would Have Held Up: Del Toro. Potentially Dafoe. Maybe Finney.
The Choice: A-
1999 – Michael Caine, The Cider House Rules — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Cruise, Magnolia — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile — * * * * (4 stars)
Jude Law, The Talented Mr. Ripley — * * * * (4 stars)
Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Tom Cruise, Magnolia
What Would Have Held Up: Cruise would have. Caine has to an extent. Maybe Law.
The Choice: B-/B
1998 – James Coburn, Affliction — * * * (3 stars)
Robert Duvall, A Civil Action — * * * * (4 stars)
Ed Harris, The Truman Show — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Geoffrey Rush, Shakespeare in Love — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan
What Would Have Held Up: Jury’s out on Coburn. The rest of them actually could have I think.
The Choice: C+
1997 – Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Forster, Jackie Brown — * * * * * (5 stars)
Anthony Hopkins, Amistad — * * * * (4 stars)
Greg Kinnear, As Good as It Gets — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting
What Would Have Held Up: Williams, Reynolds
The Choice: A-
1996 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jerry Maguire — * * * * * (5 stars)
William H. Macy, Fargo — * * * * * (5 stars)
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Shine — * * * * (4 stars)
Edward Norton, Primal Fear — * * * * (4 stars)
James Woods, Ghosts of Mississippi — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Edward Norton, Primal Fear
What Would Have Held Up: Macy, Norton. Gooding has, on performance.
The Choice: B+
1995 – Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects — * * * * * (5 stars)
James Cromwell, Babe — * * * * (4 stars)
Ed Harris, Apollo 13 — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Brad Pitt, Twelve Monkeys — * * * * (4 stars)
Tim Roth, Rob Roy — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects
What Would Have Held Up: Category fraud aside, Spacey has
The Choice: A-
1994 – Martin Landau, Ed Wood — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction — * * * * * (5 stars)
Chazz Palminteri, Bullets Over Broadway — * * * * (4 stars)
Paul Scofield, Quiz Show — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Martin Landau, Ed Wood
What Would Have Held Up: Landau. Jackson. Sinise maybe. The other two also, to a lesser extent.
The Choice: A/A+
1993 – Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape — * * * * (4 stars)
Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List — * * * * * (5 stars)
John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Pete Postlethwaite, In the Name of the Father — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List
What Would Have Held Up: Fiennes. DiCaprio, probably. Jones somewhat has. Postlethwaite could have.
The Choice: B/B-
1992 – Gene Hackman, Unforgiven — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jaye Davidson, The Crying Game — * * * * (4 stars)
Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men — * * * * * (5 stars)
Al Pacino, Glengarry Glen Ross — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
David Paymer, Mr. Saturday Night — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men
What Would Have Held Up: Nicholson, Hackman
The Choice: B/B+
1991 – Jack Palance, City Slickers — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Tommy Lee Jones, JFK — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Harvey Keitel, Bugsy — * * * * (4 stars)
Ben Kingsley, Bugsy — * * * * (4 stars)
Michael Lerner, Barton Fink — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Michael Lerner, Barton Fink
What Would Have Held Up: If any, Palance or Lerner
The Choice: C
1990 – Joe Pesci, Goodfellas — * * * * * (5 stars)
Bruce Davidson, Longtime Companion — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
Andy Garcia, The Godfather Part III — * * * * (4 stars)
Graham Greene, Dances with Wolves — * * * * (4 stars)
Al Pacino, Dick Tracy — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
What Would Have Held Up: Pesci
The Choice: A+
1989 – Denzel Washington, Glory — * * * * (4 stars)
Danny Aiello, Do the Right Thing — * * * * * (5 stars)
Dan Aykroyd, Driving Miss Daisy — * * * * (4 stars)
Marlon Brando, A Dry White Season — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Martin Landau, Crimes and Misdemeanors — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote:
What Would Have Held Up:
The Choice:
1988 – Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda — * * * * (4 stars)
Alec Guinness, Little Dorrit — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
Martin Landau, Tucker: The Man and His Dream — * * * * (4 stars)
River Phoenix, Running on Empty — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Dean Stockwell, Married to the Mob — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda
What Would Have Held Up: Kline. I guess Phoenix
The Choice: B
1987 – Sean Connery, The Untouchables — * * * * * (5 stars)
Albert Brooks, Broadcast News — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Morgan Freeman, Street Smart — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Vincent Gardenia, Moonstruck — * * * * (4 stars)
Denzel Washington, Cry Freedom — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Sean Connery, The Untouchables
What Would Have Held Up: Connery has. Brooks, Freeman and Denzel could have.
The Choice: B+
1986 – Michael Caine, Hannah and Her Sisters — * * * (3 stars)
Tom Berenger, Platoon — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Willem Dafoe, Platoon — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Denholm Elliott, A Room with a View — * * * (3 stars)
Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Tom Berenger, Platoon
What Would Have Held Up: Berenger, Dafoe. Caine kind of has.
The Choice: B
1985 – Don Ameche, Cocoon — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Klaus Maria Brandauer, Out of Africa — * * * * (4 stars)
William Hickey, Prizzi’s Honor — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert Loggia, Jagged Edge — * * * (3 stars)
Eric Roberts, Runaway Train — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Klaus Maria Brandauer, Out of Africa
What Would Have Held Up: Ehh.
The Choice: C/C-
1984 – Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Adolph Caesar, A Soldier’s Story — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Malkovich, Places in the Heart — * * * * (4 stars)
Pat Morita, The Karate Kid — * * * * (4 stars)
Ralph Richardson, Greystroke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields
What Would Have Held Up: Ngor, then Caesar
The Choice: B+
1983 – Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Charles Durning, To Be or Not to Be — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
John Lithgow, Terms of Endearment — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Rip Torn, Cross Creek — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
My Vote: Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff
What Would Have Held Up: Shepard could have. Nicholson maybe has?
The Choice: B-
1982 – Louis Gossett, Jr. An Officer and a Gentleman — * * * * (4 stars)
Charles Durning, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Lithgow, The World According to Garp — * * * * (4 stars)
James Mason, The Verdict — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Preston, Victor Victoria — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Lou Gossett Jr., An Officer and a Gentleman
What Would Have Held Up: Gossett. Potentially Lithgow
The Choice: B
1981 – John Gielgud, Arthur — * * * * * (5 stars)
James Coco, Only When I Laugh — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Ian Holm, Chariots of Fire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jack Nicholson, Reds — * * * * (4 stars)
Howard Rollins, Ragtime — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: John Gielgud, Arthur
What Would Have Held Up: Gielgud, Nicholson, and probably Rollins
The Choice: A-/B+
1980 – Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People — * * * * (4 stars)
Judd Hirsch, Ordinary People — * * * * (4 stars)
Michael O’Keefe, The Great Santini — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Joe Pesci, Raging Bull — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jason Robards, Melvin and Howard — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People
What Would Have Held Up: Hutton first. Pesci could have. Robards maybe
The Choice: B+
1979 – Melvyn Douglas, Being There — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now — * * * * * (5 stars)
Justin Henry, Kramer vs. Kramer — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Frederic Forrest, The Rose — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Mickey Rooney, The Black Stallion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now
What Would Have Held Up: Duvall
The Choice: B-
1978 – Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter — * * * * * (5 stars)
Bruce Dern, Coming Home — * * * * (4 stars)
Richard Farnsworth, Comes a Horseman — * * * (3 stars)
John Hurt, Midnight Express — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Warden, Heaven Can Wait — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter
What Would Have Held Up: Walken. Then Dern.
The Choice: A-
1977 – Jason Robards, Julia — * * * * (4 stars)
Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Turning Point — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Peter Firth, Equus — * * * (3 stars)
Alec Guinness, Star Wars — * * * * * (5 stars)
Maximilian Schell, Julia — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Alec Guinness, Star Wars
What Would Have Held Up: Guinness. Robards too.
The Choice: B
1976 – Jason Robards, All the President’s Men — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ned Beatty, Network — * * * * * (5 stars)
Burgess Meredith, Rocky — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Marathon Man — * * * * (4 stars)
Burt Young, Rocky — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Jason Robards, All the President’s Men
What Would Have Held Up: Robards. Meredith. Young. Olivier. Maybe even Beatty.
The Choice: A
1975 – George Burns, The Sunshine Boys — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Brad Dourif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — * * * * * (5 stars)
Burgess Meredith, The Day of the Locust — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Chris Sarandon, Dog Day Afternoon — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jack Warden, Shampoo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: George Burns, The Sunshine Boys
What Would Have Held Up: Burns has. Sarandon maybe. Dourif possibly.
The Choice: B/B+
1974 – Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)
Fred Astaire, The Towering Inferno — * * * * (4 stars)
Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot — * * * * (4 stars)
Michael V. Gazzo, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)
Lee Strasberg, The Godfather Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II
What Would Have Held Up: De Niro
The Choice: A
1973 – John Houseman, The Paper Chase — * * * (3 stars)
Vincent Gardenia, Bang the Drum Slowly — * * * * (4 stars)
Jack Gilford, Save the Tiger — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jason Miller, The Exorcist — * * * * * (5 stars)
Randy Quaid, The Last Detail — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Jason Miller, The Exorcist
What Would Have Held Up: If any, Miller or Quaid
The Choice: C
1972 – Joel Grey, Cabaret — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Eddie Albert, The Heartbreak Kid — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
James Caan, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)
Robert Duvall, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)
Al Pacino, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Al Pacino, The Godfather
What Would Have Held Up: Pacino, Caan, Grey
The Choice: B+
1971 – Ben Johnson, The Last Picture Show — * * * * (4 stars)
Jeff Bridges, The Last Picture Show — * * * * (4 stars)
Leonard Frey, Fiddler on the Roof — * * * * (4 stars)
Richard Jaeckel, Sometimes a Great Notion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Roy Scheider, The French Connection — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Ben Johnson, The Last Picture Show
What Would Have Held Up: Johnson
The Choice: B+
1970 – John Mills, Ryan’s Daughter — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Richard S. Castellano, Lovers and Other Strangers — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Chief Dan George, Little Big Man — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Gene Hackman, I Never Sang for My Father — * * * (3 stars)
John Marley, Love Story — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
What Would Have Held Up: Ehh.
The Choice: C-
1969 – Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Rupert Crosse, The Reivers — * * * (3 stars)
Elliott Gould, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jack Nicholson, Easy Rider — * * * * (4 stars)
Anthony Quayle, Anne of the Thousand Days — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Gig Young They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
What Would Have Held Up: Young, maybe Nicholson
The Choice: A-
1968 – Jack Albertson, The Subject Was Roses — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Seymour Cassel, Faces — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Daniel Massey, Star! — * * * (3 stars)
Jack Wild, Oliver! — * * * * (4 stars)
Gene Wilder, The Producers — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Gene Wilder, The Producers
What Would Have Held Up: Albertson is fine. Wilder maybe.
The Choice: B
1967 – George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke — * * * * * (5 stars)
John Cassavetes, The Dirty Dozen — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Gene Hackman, Bonnie and Clyde — * * * * * (5 stars)
Cecil Kellaway, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael J. Pollard, Bonnie and Clyde — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke
What Would Have Held Up: Kennedy, maybe Pollard or Hackman
The Choice: B+
1966 – Walther Matthau, The Fortune Cookie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Mako, The Sand Pebbles — * * * * (4 stars)
James Mason, Georgy Girl — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
George Segal, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — * * * * * (5 stars)
Robert Shaw, A Man for All Seasons — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Walter Matthau, The Fortune Cookie
What Would Have Held Up: Matthau, potentially Segal or Shaw.
The Choice: A-
1965 – Martin Balsam, A Thousand Clowns — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Ian Bannen, Flight of the Phoenix — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael Dunn, Ship of Fools — * * * (3 stars)
Frank Finlay, Othello — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago
What Would Have Held Up: Courtenay’s really the only one, if any
The Choice: D
1964 – Peter Ustinov, Topkapi — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Gielgud, Becket — * * * * (4 stars)
Stanley Holloway, My Fair Lady — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Edmond O’Brien, Seven Days in May — * * * * (4 stars)
Lee Tracy, The Best Man — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Lee Tracy, The Best Man
What Would Have Held Up: Ustinov is fine. Tracy could have. The others… potentially.
The Choice: B
1963 – Melvyn Douglas, Hud — * * * * (4 stars)
Nick Adams, Twilight of Horror — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Bobby Darin, Captain Newman, M.D. — * * * * (4 stars)
Hugh Griffith, Tom Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Huston, The Cardinal — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Melvyn Douglas, Hud
What Would Have Held Up: Douglas
The Choice: A-
1962 – Ed Begely, Sweet Bird of Youth — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Victor Buono, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? — * * * * (4 stars)
Telly Savalas, Birdman of Alcatraz — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia — * * * * * (5 stars)
Terence Stamp, Billy Budd — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote:
What Would Have Held Up:
The Choice:
1961 – George Chakiris, West Side Story — * * * * * (5 stars)
Montgomery Clift, Judgment at Nuremberg — * * * * * (5 stars)
Peter Falk, Pocketful of Miracles — * * * (3 stars)
Jackie Gleason, The Hustler — * * * * * (5 stars)
George C. Scott, The Hustler — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Jackie Gleason, The Hustler
What Would Have Held Up: Chakiris, Gleason, Scott. Maybe Clift.
The Choice: A
1960 – Peter Ustinov, Spartacus — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Peter Falk, Murder, Inc. — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jack Kruschen, The Apartment — * * * * * (5 stars)
Sal Mineo, Exodus — * * * (3 stars)
Chill Wills, The Alamo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Peter Falk, Murder Inc.
What Would Have Held Up: Ustinov has. Falk maybe
The Choice: B
1959 – Hugh Griffith, Ben-Hur — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Arthur O’Connell, Anatomy of a Murder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Vaughn, The Young Philadelphians — * * * (3 stars)
Ed Wynn, The Diary of Anne Frank — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder
What Would Have Held Up: Scott, O’Connell. Griffith… to an extent, has.
The Choice: C+
1958 – Burl Ives, The Big Country — * * * * (4 stars)
Theodore Bikel, The Defiant Ones — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Lee J. Cobb, The Brothers Karamozov — * * * (3 stars)
Arthur Kennedy, Some Came Running — * * * * (4 stars)
Gig Young, Teacher’s Pet — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Burl Ives, The Big Country
What Would Have Held Up: Ives, maybe Bikel
The Choice: B+
1957 – Red Buttons, Sayonara — * * * * (4 stars)
Vittorio de Sica, A Farewell to Arms — * * * (3 stars)
Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai — * * * * * (5 stars)
Arthur Kennedy, Peyton Place — * * * * (4 stars)
Russ Tamblyn, Peyton Place — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai
What Would Have Held Up: Hayakawa. Buttons, not sure. Theoretically Kennedy.
The Choice: B/B-
1956 – Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Don Murray, Bus Stop — * * * (3 stars)
Anthony Perkins, Friendly Persuasion — * * * * (4 stars)
Mickey Rooney, The Bold and the Brave — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Robert Stack, Written on the Wind — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life
What Would Have Held Up: Quinn
The Choice: B-
1955 – Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Arthur Kennedy, Trial — * * * (3 stars)
Joe Mantell, Marty — * * * * * (5 stars)
Sal Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause — * * * * (4 stars)
Arthur O’Connell, Picnic — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts
What Would Have Held Up: Lemmon. Maybe Mineo.
The Choice: B+
1954 – Edmond O’Brien, The Barefoot Contessa — * * * (3 stars)
Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)
Karl Malden, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)
Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)
Tom Tully, The Caine Mutiny — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Karl Malden, On the Waterfront
What Would Have Held Up: Cobb, Malden, Steiger
The Choice: C
1953 – Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Eddie Albert, Roman Holiday — * * * * * (5 stars)
Brandon de Wilde, Shane — * * * * (4 stars)
Jack Palance, Shane — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert Strauss, Stalag 17 — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity
What Would Have Held Up: Sinatra
The Choice: B/B+
1952 – Anthony Quinn, Viva Zapata! — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Richard Burton, My Cousin Rachel — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Arthur Hunnicutt, The Big Sky — * * * (3 stars)
Victor McLaglen, The Quiet Man — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jack Palance, Sudden Fear — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Anthony Quinn, Viva Zapata!
What Would Have Held Up: Quinn, maybe McLaglen
The Choice: B
1951 – Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire — * * * * * (5 stars)
Leo Genn, Quo Vadis — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Kevin McCarthy, Death of a Salesman — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Peter Ustinov, Quo Vadis — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Gig Young, Come Fill the Gap — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire
What Would Have Held Up: Malden
The Choice: A-
1950 – George Sanders, All About Eve — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jeff Chandler, Broken Arrow — * * * * (4 stars)
Edmund Gwenn, Mister 880 — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Sam Jaffe, The Asphalt Jungle — * * * * (4 stars)
Erich von Stroheim, Sunset Boulevard — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: George Sanders, All About Eve
What Would Have Held Up: Sanders, von Stroheim could have.
The Choice: A
1949 – Dean Jagger, Twelve O’Clock High — * * * * (4 stars)
John Ireland, All the King’s Men — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Arthur Kennedy, Champion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Ralph Richardson, The Heiress — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
James Whitmore, Battleground — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Ralph Richardson, The Heiress
What Would Have Held Up: Richardson, Jagger kind of has.
The Choice: B
1948 – Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre — * * * * * (5 stars)
Charles Bickford, Johnny Belinda — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
José Ferrer, Joan of Arc — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Oskar Homolka, I Remember Mama — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Cecil Kellaway, The Luck of the Irish — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
What Would Have Held Up: Huston
The Choice: A+
1947 – Edmund Gwenn, Miracle on 34th Street — * * * * (4 stars)
Charles Bickford, The Farmer’s Daughter — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Thomas Gomez, Ride the Pink Horse — * * * (3 stars)
Robert Ryan, Crossfire — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death
What Would Have Held Up: Gwenn, Widmark
The Choice: A/A-
1946 – Harold Russell, The Best Years of Our Lives — * * * * * (5 stars)
Charles Coburn, The Green Years — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
William Demarest, The Jolson Story — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Claude Rains, Notorious — * * * * (4 stars)
Clifton Webb, The Razor’s Edge — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Charles Coburn, The Green Years
What Would Have Held Up: Russell has. Coburn could have. Rains maybe.
The Choice: B
1945 – James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael Chekhov, Spellbound — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Dall, The Corn Is Green — * * * (3 stars)
Robert Mitchum, The Story of G.I. Joe — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
J. Carrol Naish, A Medal for Benny — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
What Would Have Held Up: Dunn
The Choice: B+
1944 – Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Hume Cronyn, The Seventh Cross — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Claude Rains, Mr. Skeffington — * * * (3 stars)
Clifton Webb, Laura — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Monty Woolley, Since You Went Away — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way
What Would Have Held Up: Fitzgerald first. Then Woolley. Possibly Cronyn.
The Choice: B+
1943 – Charles Coburn, The More the Merrier — * * * * (4 stars)
Charles Bickford, The Song of Bernadette — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
J. Carrol Naish, Sahara — * * * * (4 stars)
Claude Rains, Casablanca — * * * * * (5 stars)
Akim Tamiroff, For Whom the Bell Tolls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Claude Rains, Casablanca
What Would Have Held Up: Rains. Coburn sort of has
The Choice: B/B-
1942 – Van Heflin, Johnny Eager — * * * (3 stars)
William Bendix, Wake Island — * * * * (4 stars)
Walter Huston, Yankee Doodle Dandy — * * * * * (5 stars)
Frank Morgan, Tortilla Flat — * * * (3 stars)
Henry Travers, Mrs. Miniver — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Van Heflin, Johnny Eager
What Would Have Held Up: Theoretically any of them, given the category.
The Choice: C
1941 – Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Walter Brennan, Sergeant York — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Charles Coburn, The Devil and Miss Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
James Gleason, Here Comes Mr. Jordan — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley
What Would Have Held Up: Crisp, potentially Greenstreet
The Choice: A-
1940 – Walter Brennan, The Westerner — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Albert Basserman, Foreign Correspondent — * * * * (4 stars)
William Gargan, They Knew What They Wanted — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
Jack Oakie, The Great Dictator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
James Stephenson, The Letter — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Walter Brennan, The Westerner
What Would Have Held Up: Brennan
The Choice: B/B+
1939 – Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Brian Aherne, Juarez — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Harry Carey, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — * * * * * (5 stars)
Brian Donlevy, Beau Geste — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Claude Rains, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Thomas Mitchell, Stagecoach
What Would Have Held Up: Mitchell, Rains
The Choice: B+
1938 – Walter Brennan, Kentucky — * * * (3 stars)
John Garfield, Four Daughters — * * * (3 stars)
Gene Lockhart, Algiers — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert Morely, Marie Antoinette — * * * * (4 stars)
Basil Rathbone, If I Were King — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Basil Rathbone, If I Were King
What Would Have Held Up: Rathbone, potentially Morley, maybe Lockhart
The Choice: C
1937 – Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola — * * * * (4 stars)
Ralph Bellamy, The Awful Truth — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Thomas Mitchell, The Hurricane — * * * (3 stars)
H.B. Warner, Lost Horizon — * * * * (4 stars)
Roland Young, Topper — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola
What Would Have Held Up: Schildkraut
The Choice: B-
1936 – Walter Brennan, Come and Get It — * * * (3 stars)
Mischa Auer, My Man Godfrey — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Stuart Erwin, Pigskin Parade — * * * (3 stars)
Basil Rathbone, Romeo and Juliet — * * * (3 stars)
Akim Tamiroff, The General Died at Dawn — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
My Vote: Walter Brennan, Come and Get It
What Would Have Held Up: Brennant
The Choice: B
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