Ferndale Library Lists: Ed's Overlooked Oscar Pics

Ed's spotlighting those snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this week. 

Our esteemed in-house movie buff is Ed Burns, an exceptional Librarian who serves as Head of Reference and Adult Services. If I ever have that question of: Hey, who was in that movie with this person and what year was that out? He's the guy to go to!

What I also admire about my co-worker is that he's inventive in how he highlights recent titles (in books and film) particularly with Spunky Old Broads display and his seasonal film series screened in our Community Room. He's keen on catching a lot of outstanding work that flies under most of our radars, films or performances we may have overlooked.

Take it away, Ed

Ed's Picks 

Movie awards season is in full swing, and Oscar fever is heating up.  There was a day when I would have seen most of the nominees in the top categories.  Sadly, I didn’t get out to the movies much last year.  The only big Oscar contender I saw was American Hustle.  I enjoyed it.  It was entertaining and the performances were top-notch.  I was particularly enamored of Jeremy Renner.  And, when the movie ended I thought, he should really go up for an Academy Award. 

American Hustle received 10 Academy Award nominations, including nods for all of the major players – except Jeremy Renner.  And so it goes.  And so it usually goes that my favorites don’t tend to be those of the Academy.  For your consideration, here are some films with performances by actors that I thought were award-worthy, but were overlooked by Oscar. 

 1.) Jim Carrey in The Truman Show (DVD DRAMA T)

 In The Truman Show, Jim Carrey plays a man who has unknowingly been the star of a reality show since he was born.  Before I saw this movie, I’d only seen Carrey in dumb comedies where he did more mugging than acting.  Here he gives a much more restrained and nuanced performance than I’d have imagined him capable of.  The subtle change in his demeanor when he begins to realize that something isn’t quite right is exquisite.  But, Carrey had to content himself with his Golden Globe win.  (See also Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (DVD COMEDY E).)

2. Dylan Baker in Happiness (DVD DRAMA H)

 Happiness is a very black comedy about a very, very dysfunctional family of three adult sisters.  It was brilliantly written and directed by Todd Solondz, who unfortunately hasn’t done anything as good since.  Dylan Baker plays a tormented pedophile trying to be a good father to his 11-year old son.  He is at turns heartbreaking and hilarious.  I was genuinely surprised that this film, and in particular Baker, went pretty well unnoticed when award time came that year.  I guess it just goes to show you how subjective it all is.       

3. Christian Bale in American Psycho (DVD DRAMA A)

 American Psycho is based on the controversial novel by Brett Easton Ellis which takes place in  Manhattan during the Wall Street boom of the late 1980s.  Christian Bale immerses himself into the role of Patrick Bateman, a self-loathing narcissist whose disgust with his own shallowness and that of those around him, spurs him to serial killing.  It’s both horrifying and comedic, and Bale plays both aspects with equal aplomb.  I personally thought this was a more award-worthy performance than The Fighter, which garnered Bale an Oscar and many other accolades.  We own both movies at the library. Have a double-feature night and judge for yourself.           

4. Sam Rockwell in Moon (DVD SCI-FI/FANTASY M)

 In Moon, Sam Rockwell plays the sole worker on a lunar station.  He’s nearing the end of his three-year contract and longs to return to earth and reunite with his wife and daughter, when an accident occurs.  I don’t want to give anything else away.  I’ll just say that Rockwell’s performance is mostly solitary, but multi-faceted, and superb.  This is an original and thought-provoking film that should have had a bigger audience.  Fun fact:  Director Duncan Jones is the son of David Bowie. 

5. Brad Pitt in Babel (DVD DRAMA B) and Inglourious Basterds (DVD DRAMA I)

 Obviously, Brad Pitt is a huge star.  But, I think he’s a bit underappreciated as an actor.  I’d have given him the Oscar back in 1995 for Twelve Monkeys.  And, I think he should have at least been nominated for these two films. In Babel, Pitt and Cate Blanchett play a troubled couple trying to work out their marital problems on a trip to Morocco, where she is accidentally shot by a kid playing with a gun.  The scene where he’s talking to his young son on the phone was enough for me to hand him a statuette.  Inglourious Basterds was chockfull of wonderful performances, and Pitt’s was definitely one of them.  It was a different kind of role than I’d seen him in before, and he appeared to be having fun playing it.

6. Tom Cruise in Rain Man (DVD DRAMA R)

 Cruise plays a black sheep from a wealthy family who discovers he has an autistic older brother (Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman) who’s been institutionalized since Cruise was a baby. Yes, Hoffman was good in a showy, award-baiting way.  But, watch this again for Tom Cruise.  He’s just kind of quietly excellent.  I’m not much of a Cruise fan, but I do think he was robbed here.