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The Forgotten Five
With the Academy Awards race focusing on who will win it all,
it's time to take a moment for those who would consider it an
honor just being nominated. Here are my nominees for the top five
actors and actresses still waiting for a trip to the Oscars.
Ladies first...
Meg Ryan - I have the least sympathy for this actress
because of her willingness to play the same character, no matter
how it wastes her talents. In many ways, she is always the over-orgasming
Sally, although if this role does so well for her then one has
to wonder why it wasn't nominated when originally played opposite
Billy Crystal. Almost always giggly and good, she may have to
turn that smile upside-down if she hopes to ever sway the Oscar
Nomination committee. And, no, I didn't forget about "Courage
Under Fire," but I'd like to.
Ellen Barkin - Though seemingly out of the Hollywood loop
these days, don't be surprised if she comes out of "hiding"
and once again reveals her tremendous abilities. From a stirringly
frustrated role in "Diner" to energetically steamy showings
in "Sea of Love" and "The Big Easy," Barkin
has been largely forgotten and for the smallest reason—witness
an actress being punished for aging.
Robin Wright Penn - There was only one main character
not nominated for the juggernaut that was "Forrest Gump"—Jen-nay.
And the only thing that can account for this was that there was
nothing particularly special about her character. She didn't compulsively
name shrimp, didn't come up with phrases regarding sweets, didn't
run thousands of miles, didn't lose her legs—yet why did
many of the most touching moments involving the film come from
this wandering troubled woman? Because Penn was forced to rely
on honesty rather than gimmick and did so with quiet strength.
Sometimes taking throwaway parts such as "Message in a Bottle,"
Penn always seems to balance it out with something as worthy as
"The Pledge." Though she started out as a "Princess
Bride," here's hoping Buttercup gets her due as Oscar royalty.
Parker Posey - Long dubbed the queen of Indie, this actress
seems to purposely avoid anything that could possibly be labeled
mainstream. Whether wickedly cast in "House of Yes"
and "Clockwatchers" or asked to play an innocent Dairy
Queen dreamer in "Waiting for Guffman," Posey has turned
in some of the most hilarious and true performances of the last
decade. The only problem is that many of the best female roles
these days happen to come from wide releases. Her unspoken oath
to stay in small budget features may ultimately sell her short.
Demi Moore - Poor choices have contributed to a poor awards
showing for Moore, but most of the few who saw "G. I. Jane"
knew that she had achieved a physical performance that few actresses
could have mustered. Conversely, her vulnerable showing in Edward
Zwick's "About Last Night" was a mature revelation for
such a young performer. Doing a "Striptease" might have
cost her, but one must admit she has more layers to peel from
than most.
Gentlemen, if you please...
John Cusack - Here is an actor who refuses to grow up.
Now 35, he has barely played someone who was married, let alone
had kids. As long as he refuses to act his age and continues to
play the unlucky-in-love role, he will never get a seat at the
Oscars, unless as someone's guest. In many ways he is the male
Meg Ryan, and it's only a matter of time before they do a forgetful
film together, tentatively titled "What a Cute Repetition."
Forrest Whitaker - Whether as an addicted musical great
in "Bird" or as the kidnapped British soldier in "The
Crying Game," Whitaker seems to find the good in characters
dealing with bad situations. The only thing that may stop him
from the acting nom is his burgeoning ability behind the camera.
Taking the helm of surprising successes "Waiting to Exhale"
and "Hope Floats," his Red Carpet stroll may well come
from the director's chair.
Johnny Depp - Many call Sean Penn the greatest actor of
his generation, but if Johnny Depp is considered from the same
era then Spicoli needs to know his place. There is no better actor
working today and seemingly no one who is less affected by his
talent than Depp. Known to pick roles for his personal enjoyment
more than the furthering of his career, his latest "From
Hell" was clearly of that first ilk. Though impressive in
his myriad accents and demeanors, Depp will never be nominated
until he considers more than just his present whims. That being
said, he could easily have gotten the nod for either of his title
character roles in sullen "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"
or eccentric "Ed Wood." Depp has the two most important
qualities for any artist: promise and no compromise.
Mark Ruffalo - Either a revelation or a one-trick pony,
Ruffalo provided what some felt was the best acting turn not only
in 2000 but maybe in the last twenty years. No other actor comes
to mind who could have provided as much realism or sympathy to
the confused and sometimes violent character Terry in Kenneth
Lonergan's "You Can Count on Me." The nomination could
have propelled Ruffalo into the national moviegoing consciousness,
but the exclusion seemed to relegate him to a completely one-dimensional
role in Rod Lurie's "The Last Castle." He deserves better
but sadly may end up with much worse.
Bruce Willis - Yes, he may have died hard with a vengeance,
lost "Hart's War" and given us the bird by making us
watch "Hudson Hawk," but there is another side to Willis—
The one with significant talent. "The Sixth Sense" was
a prime example of an actor being overlooked because of his other
lesser work. Haley Joel Osment's much-revered performance would
have felt like nothing more than a lost little boy without the
calming presence of Willis' brilliant psychologist role. Combined
with his almost sadly brash Carl Roebuck in "Nobody's Fool"
and his conscience-spinning turn in "Pulp Fiction,"
we are left with an action star that is something more—An
actor.
-Eric Butterman
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