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Discussion of Mahershala Ali (who only appears in the first 1/3 of MOONLIGHT) possibly getting a nomination brings up the topic: what nominated actors…
(a) disappear early in their film (before the halfway mark), never to be seen again, or (b) appear in their film late in the game (more than halfway in)?
Their amount of limited screen time isn’t as important as the concentration of that time appearing exclusively either in the first or last half.
*An obvious example is William Hurt, who first appears in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE after the film is over 75% of the way done.
*The entire runtime of MARTY transpires before Hugh Griffith appears in his Oscar-winning turn in BEN-HUR, just around the halfway mark. Â I don’t think he’s anywhere in the last 30-40 minutes of the film either.
*And then, of course, there’s Janet Leigh, who delivers her McGuffin to the Bates Motel before meeting her untimely end early in PSYCHO.
*While Beatrice Straight wouldn’t qualify (she pops up briefly throughout NETWORK), her nominated co-star Ned Beatty does for his single scene in the second half.
*I only remember Maria Ouspenskaya late in the game in DODSWORTH but can’t say 100% that she doesn’t appear briefly earlier.
*And it’s been ages since I’ve seen ROOM AT THE TOP so Hermione Baddeley’s brief appearance (less than 3 minutes) must appear either in the first or last half of the film, but I can’t recall which. Â To a lesser extent, ditto for the timing for Sylvia Miles in MIDNIGHT COWBOY.
Any other conspicuous examples? Â (please use some math when you can)
ReplyOscar nominated William Hurt I believe has one brief scene with no dialogue about halfway through “A History of Violence”, and does not show up again until the last ten minutes of a 96 minute film.
Oscar winner Jason Robards only shows up for a few scenes in the first third, or maybe even first quarter, of “Julia”. I would not be surprised if it is the shortest role to win best supporting actor. Maximillian Schell got nominated for less than ten minutes of screen time in the middle of the same movie.
ReplyCopy URLJackie Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook
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Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line
Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables
Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine
Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction
Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love
Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights
Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There
Patricia Arquette in BoyhoodJackie Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
This is decidedly not accurate about Weaver, Witherspoon, Hathaway (who appears in the final musical number), Dench, Moore, and Arquette. Â They all make recurring appearances throughout the films from start to finish, and though some might have late appearances (Moore, Witherspoon), they certainly have their first scene far earlier than halfway through the movie.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is only 100 minutes, and I’d wager Arkin doesn’t die until the hour mark, so he’s out, too.
Agreed on Thurman and Blanchett’s Dylan.
ReplyCopy URLIf I recall correctly, Sylvia Miles isn’t in the last 90 percent or so of Midnight Cowboy.
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ReplyCopy URLMaureen Stapleton (“Interiors”) and Penelope Cruz (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) show up late in their films and change the rhythms of the plots. Both were directed by Woody Allen.
The opposite case is Thelma Ritter for “All About Eve”. Joseph L. Mankiewicz has expressed his regret of not including Birdie in any of late scenes which should be a given as she was the only one to see through Eve right from the start but was nowhere to be seen when other characters started to take notice.
ReplyCopy URLWasn’t Geraldine Page in like 2 scenes on “The Pope of Greenwich Village”?
Anjelica Huston disappears halfway through “Prizzi’s Honor” only to return at the end.
Marisa Tomei disappears halfway through “In the Bedroom” only to return to be slapped.
Staying on topic of slapping, Ruby Dee, “American Gangster”, anyone?
If I remember “Into the Wild” correctly, Hal Holbrook shows up and then disappears around the half mark time. Great performance, by the way.
Tom Wilkinson is prominent in “Michael Clayton”… until he isn’t in the second half (at least in person).
Jude Law in “Talented Mr. Ripley”!!! Perfect example for this.
Willem Dafoe in “Platoon”
John Lithgow in “Terms of Endearment”
James Caan in “The Godfather”Laurence Olivier shows up pretty late in “Marathon Man”.
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It has to be noted that Audrey Hepburn doesn’t show up in the first 20 minutes of “Wait Until Dark” and she received her final Best Actress nod for this.Lupita Nyong’o and Michael Fassbender only appear in the second half of 12 Years a Slave if I recall correctly. I even remember an award show showing footage of Adepero Oduye for the Supporting Actress segment- many assumed that was Lupita Nyong’o as she was the prominent female for the first half of the film.
ReplyCopy URLMichael Shannon in Revolutionary Road only have two scenes in the movie but he is very impressive.
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Max Von Sydow only appears in the middle-half of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and he doesn´t talk in the movie.
Laura Dern in Resse Whitherspoon´s flashbacks Wild is simply breathtaking as her sweet mother.I even remember an award show showing footage of Adepero Oduye for the Supporting Actress segment- many assumed that was Lupita Nyong’o as she was the prominent female for the first half of the film.
How embarrassing. I also saw one of those “brutally honest” anonymous Oscar voters vote for Nyong’o even after admitting they walked out of 12 Years a Slave half-way through. I assume they also got her mixed up with Oduye.
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