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To you, over the history of these awards, what are their most underrated nominations for acting or other categories? I’ll name some I appreciated that have kind of fallen victim to being forgotten or not remembered fondly enough. If you know of underrated nods/wins, please feel free to drop them below, even if other categories if you please! I’ll do three for male actors and three for female actors:
Jack Nicholson in Ironweed – One of Nicholson’s most underplayed performances ever. He carries such a haunting quality, completely devoid of his usual Nicholson screen presence/trademark mannerisms in a great turn of a man who has been beaten down by life.
Richard Burton in “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” – Alongside Gary Oldman’s performance as another British spy in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, Burton’s work stands as one of the most subtle turns ever nominated for an Oscar. So you can really extend this one to Oldman as well. Both are excellent in portraying that withdrawn, almost robotic emotionlessness in their spies that gives way to a pathos they have hidden within them, and both are almost entirely internalised portrayals with nary a big Oscar scene to chew on. That’s probably why they get underrated.
Robert Duvall in “Tender Mercies” – Again, another top five all time most subtle performance ever nominated. It’s almost as if there’s a pattern to which (male) performances are underrated over history! Anyway, there’s a truly subversive quality to how close to the chest Duvall plays this country singing cowboy. There’s a very particular way to how Duvall reacts to everything that is so somber and understated. He portrays male repression and despair so quietly yet it’s so beautiful to watch as he kicks away the bottle in favor of a better life. Another brilliant, Oscar winning gem.
Emily Watson in “Breaking the Waves” – Again, another tough choice for me to be honest, as she shared the category that year with another sadly underrated performer in Brenda Blethyn, who could have/maybe should have won the Oscar that year. Needless to say, Watson is an utter tour de force in this film. She portrays her sexual self-debasement over the course of the film with a surprising level of commitment and intensity. It’s a transformative role that she really chews down on and makes the most of. Sad to see its rarely mentioned on lists of the most transformative performances ever, as there’s a level of commitment you don’t see in typical biopic roles.
Viola Davis in “The Help” – She might seem an odd choice, but I do think she’s absolutely underrated by people. Not sure what it is, but she’s magnificent and again, I never hear this work being praised as often as it should be.
Rooney Mara in “Carol” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” – Now this is a supremely underrated actress, and this is particularly true for her work in both of these films. Both show her utter range as a thespian, and show the methods she uses to get into the skin of characters can vary wildly. What amazing works that sadly, don’t get the praise in my eyes, that they totally should.
Of course, these are just a few that I personally chose, but I can name many many more. Why don’t you give it a go and name some of your own you feel are underrated? As I said, not necessarily have to be acting categories!
ReplyAnne Ramsey from Throw Momma From The Train – Supporting Actress in 1988. She is very underrated and she does not have a lot of screen time, but she is hilarious and her presence looms throughout the movie in scenes that she is not in.
Liked that film a lot – Danny DeVito has a great hand in directing some really funny comedies (fav has to be Matilda!).
ReplyCopy URLJack Nicholson in Ironweed – One of Nicholson’s most underplayed performances ever. He carries such a haunting quality, completely devoid of his usual Nicholson screen presence/trademark mannerisms in a great turn of a man who has been beaten down by life.
I agree with this, by the way. I dislike him most of the times but this was a great performance.
ReplyCopy URLRegina King in Beale Street. I loved her win for a hundred reasons
ReplyCopy URLFYC :
Best Actress - Viola Davis, Frances McDormand
Best Actor - Delroy Lindo, Chadwick Boseman
Best Supporting Actor - Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman
Best Picture - Nomadland
Best Director - Chloé Zhao
SAG Ensemble - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Cinematography - Nomadland
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