OSCAR WATCH 2007:

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR & ACTRESS

by debbie lynn elias

The roller coaster ride has begun. The horses have left the gate. Bets are in. But who’s first out of the blocks, riding the inside rail or moving to the outside pacing themselves to jockey into position to grab that Oscar gold? When it comes to this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, this is one category that holds some pretty sure bets (although the Academy should be reprimanded for failing to acknowledge Robert Downey, Jr. for his sensually mesmerizing work as the mysterious Lionel in "Fur" as well as the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, for his riveting performance as killer Perry Smith in "Infamous.") In the lead by a mile are DREAMGIRLS co-stars Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, but will their current win streaks hold out for the next month? Let’s take a look at the competition.

The Best Supporting Actor field is as diverse as the day is long. A surprise nomination morning was the announcement of Alan Arkin. At age 72, he is one of the more mature nominees this year and gained strength in his

performance as the crotchety cocaine sniffing, beauty pageant dance choreographing Grandpa in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE from none other than this year’s youngest nominee, everyone’s favorite ray of sunshine, fellow Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin. Arkin surprised critics and audiences alike with this innovative and hysterical Grandpa, giving new meaning to life after 50, 60 or even 70 and by helping put the FUN in dysFUNctional. A director and musician, with a 54 films to his credit, Arkin received prior Oscar nominations as Best Actor for his work in The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - the last nomination being some 38 years ago. (Despite this long respite, Arkin isn’t the record holder for nomination intervals. He ties Jack Palance who was nominated in 1953 for "Shane" and then in 1991 for "City Slickers" and falls one year shy of Helen Hayes’ 39 year wait between ‘The Sin of Madelon Claudet" in 1931 and 1970's "Airport." The record, however, is held by Henry Fonda who waited 41 years after a nomination in "The Grapes of Wrath" in 1940 before his next nomination - and win - in 1981 for "On Golden Pond.") At the back of the pack, Arkin will have to face insurmountable odds with Academy voters if he has any chance to take home Oscar. Solomon Vandy in BLOOD DIAMOND and Mark Wahlberg in THE DEPARTED. My hands down pick for the best supporting performance of those nominated is Hounsou. Already a winner of a Washington, D.C. Film Critics Award, he is legendary for his captivating emotionally compelling characters and here, as a father on the run at the m ercy of mercenaries and the diamond wars of Africa, has one driving force that touches each of us - his love and concern for his son and willingness to do whatever it takes to insure his child’s safety. One of the most emotionally gifted actors of our generation, it’s easy to see how he has made a name for himself as the go-to guy in some 21 films now and why he is my personal pick for Best Supporting Actor. And by the way, Hounsou is only one of five African-born actors to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. Not to be overlooked is the Mark Wahlberg’s foul-mouthed tenacious Boston cop Dignam in THE DEPARTED. Long a favorite of mine, it has been a joy to watch Wahlberg come into his own as an actor and this year he gave us two incredibly diverse performances - the first, as Eagles wide receiver Vince Papale in "Invincible" and the second, as Dignam. Wahlberg has the uncanny ability to be likeable and can connect with the audience even when the character is unlikeable or has unlikeable or intolerable traits. With Dignam, Wahlberg brings to light an accessibility and an inner struggle between decency and decadence that draws you in. He does an excellent balancing act with life and inner demons. Energetic almost to a fault, he is the consummate ensemble player. And I gotta say it. . .WHERE THE HELL IS JACK? Talk about an oversight in this category. If there was ever a year for Nicholson, this was it!

Another big surprise nomination is that for Jackie Earle Haley for his portrayal of sex offender Ronnie James McGorvey in LITTLE CHILDREN. Allegedly receiving the part thanks to co-star Kate Winslet’s belief in his

work  (they also star together in "All the King’s Men") after a 23 year absence from the big screen (he is probably best known for his work in "The Bad News Bears" and "Breaking Away") Haley’s McGorvey is bold and daring, not to mention eerily creepy. The subject of a neighborhood protest and witch hunt, heads roll and emotions intensify when McGorvey jumps into a public pool filled with little children. With a calm odd demeanor Haley gives you goosebumps as he fuels the fear in each of us when it comes to our children. Despite his strong performance, I fear Haley’s work may be underappreciated as it eclipsed by the media attention given to nominee Eddie Murphy.

Drawing on influences of James Brown, Eddie Murphy is the frontrunner for Oscar for his portrayal of R&B promoter and drug addict James "Thunder" Early. Flashy and trashy and over the top, as Early, Murphy has already rocked the film industry with wins at the Golden Globes and SAG. Compounding this notable performance is the snub by the Academy for DREAMGIRLS as Best Picture and Bill Condon as Best Director which may be the impetus necessary to keep the voters on Murphy’s side and send their own "so there/in your face" message back to the powers that be (although I agree with the Academy and do not believe DREAMGIRLS is deserving of a Best Picture nod; Best Director nod yes for Condon just for corralling the cast and checking egos at the door, but not Best Picture). And while I believe Hounsou, Haley and Wahlberg are far superior to Murphy’s performance, Oscar will probably wind up as a book end to Murphy’s SAG Actor or Golden Globe come February 25.

And what of the lovely ladies? An interesting field of newcomers, four of the five nominees are first timers with Cate Blanchett being the only Oscar veteran with 3 prior nominations and 1 win to her credit.

Let’s start with the emotionally impactful performance of Adraina Barrazza in BABEL. As nanny Amelia to two American children, her careless, flippant, suspicious and intensely maddening insane characterization compels in

terest and makes her probably the most full-bodied and complex character of all of the nominees. And while, she should be a hot contender, once again, minimal screen releases for BABEL plus the media hype over Jennifer Hudson may be too much to overcome.

And speaking of Jennifer Hudson, does one show stopping singing number a Best Supporting Actress make? The Hollywood Foreign Press thought so as did the Screen Actors Guild, but let’s get real - is that enough for an Oscar?

Although my personal opinion is no, current odds have Hudson pegged for Oscar gold for her role as the overweight, under appreciated and over shadowed Effie White in DREAMGIRLS. Clearly a gifted singer (what I wouldn’t give to hear a sing-off between Hudson and Ethel Merman in her heyday), I am curious to see if Hudson can sustain an acting career worthy of the talent that becomes Oscar.

Hudson’s biggest threat should come from this year’s youngest nominee, Abigail Breslin. Younger sister to one of my all time favorite child stars, Spencer Breslin, she is charming, cute, delightful, energetic, infectiously joyous and glee-

filled. In short, Abigail is everyone’s LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. As the beauty pageant obsessed but not overly skin-deep beautiful Olive Hoover, she is the brunt of the family joke on their raucous road trip to the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, with everyone always intoning "Where’s Olive?" But as Abigail proves in life and on screen, being the youngest and the smallest just makes you shine even brighter. The most uplifting, fun and determined performance of the year, let alone among the nominees, no matter how many times I watch her in this film, she makes me smile. And her rapport with Alan Arkin is enchanting. With the recent Best Ensemble Cast win at SAG and a Best Picture nomination pending for both Oscar and the Independent Spirit Awards, not to mention some Breakthrough Star awards, let’s not underestimate the heart and good sense of Academy voters. A total and complete acting effort, Abigail Breslin is my personal pick for Oscar.

But let’s not discount the performances of Cate Blanchett as emotionally compromising art teacher Sheba Hart in NOTES ON A SCANDAL and Rinko Kikuchi as deaf teen Chieko in BABEL. What can one say about Cate Blanchett? Mistress of madness and histrionics and masterful at accents and characterizations, she is mesmerizing as Sheba Hart. But, as strong a performance as she gives alone, when paired in scenes with Dame Judi Dench, the two are unstoppable and unparalleled excellence. Will she win? I doubt it. Should she? My top two choices would be Blanchett and Breslin. As for Rinko Kikuchi, she is a longshot at best. Although her character Chieko is emotionally riveting and perhaps stands out as the single msot memorable performance in the multistoried BABEL, due in large part to the character’s deafness and individuality that is part and parcel to the condition, I don’t believe she has the depth in performance to warrant Oscar. I even have doubts as to whether she should have garnered a nomination, preferring to have seen Emily Blunt’s name on the ballot for her hysterically sarcastic and unforgettable Emily in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.

So, who will take home the Best Supporting honors on February 25? Will the sun shine on Abigail Breslin and Djimon Hounsou or even Jackie Earl Haley or Alan Arkin and find Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson just dreaming of Oscar gold? You’ve read my picks and you’ve heard those of the oddsmakers. Now, we’ll have to wait and see. But, in the meantime stay tuned as my Oscar Watch 2007 continues....next week - Best Actor and Best Actress.