Ranking the Oscar-Nominated Performances in Steven Spielberg's Films
Monday, February 1, 2016 at 2:20PM Mark Rylance’s best supporting actor nomination for Bridge of Spies marks the 13th time a performance in a Steven Spielberg movie has been nominated for an Oscar. Which of course calls for a list, so without any further ado here's Murtada's ranking.
Oscar Nominated Performances in Spielberg Films Ranked
13- Anthony Hopkins - Amistad (1997)
Other Nominees: Robert Forster – Jackie Brown, Greg Kinnear – As Good as It Gets, Burt Reynolds – Boogie Nights, Robin Williams – Good Will Hunting.
Winner: Williams
Did Hopkins have a big righteous courtroom speech? Must be, because why else was this performance nominated. The only thing I remember about it is that Hopkins robbed Rupert Everett of his nomination for My Best Friend’s Wedding.
Twelve more after the jump...
12- Melinda Dillon - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Other Nominees: Leslie Browne – The Turning Point, Quinn Cummings – The Goodbye Girl, Vanessa Redgrave – Julia, Tuesday Weld – Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
Winner: Redgrave.
Elevates the stereotypical “Mom” role but is peripheral to the plot, hence the low ranking.
11- Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies (2015)
Other Nominees: Christian Bale - The Big Short, Tom Hardy - The Revenant, Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight, Sylvester Stallone - Creed.
Winner: To be determined.
This year's critical favorite but after his SAG loss it seems Rylance is a long shot to win. It's looking like Stallone is a lock for the Oscar but will it be Rylance or SAG winner Idris Elba at BAFTA?
10- Sally Field - Lincoln (2012)
Other Nominees: Amy Adams – The Master, Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables, Helen Hunt – The Sessions, Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook.
Winner: Hathaway
Her scene with Tommy Lee Jones was the comic highlight of a movie surprisingly full of funny scenes. Matches her leading man when emotions escalate in their scenes together, but maybe could’ve reigned in a bit in other scenes instead of going full blast. Still very moving.
9- Christopher Walken - Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Other Nominees: Chris Cooper – Adaptation, Ed Harris – The Hours, Paul Newman – Road to Perdition, John C. Reilly – Chicago.
Winner: Cooper
Only the third best performance in Catch Me If You Can. Still Leonardo DiCaprio’s best performance.
8- Margaret Avery - The Color Purple (1985)
Other Nominees: Anjelica Huston - Prizzi’s Honor, Amy Madigan - Twice in a Lifetime, Meg Tilly - Agnes of God, Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple.
Winner: Huston
Remembered among Oscar nerds for her unorthodox campaign to get votes by invoking God (see letter above), Avery’s performance is fantastic and gives Purple the light it needs. Too bad the film only hints at the sexual relationship between her character, Shug and Celie (Goldberg). And Hollywood is still doing it to this day, Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl is completely stripped of her bi-sexuality. Not even a hint remains.
7- Tom Hanks - Saving Private Ryan (1999)
Other Nominees: Roberto Benigni – Life Is Beautiful, Ian McKellen – Gods and Monsters, Nick Nolte – Affliction, Edward Norton – American History X.
Winner: Benigni
Hanks is the perfect Spielberg actor, capably representing his themes of good, decent and commanding American values. It’s surprising he received only this one nomination for their collaborations. Frankly any of the other 4 men nominated would've made a better winner than Benigni.
6- Liam Neeson - Schindler’s List (1993)
Other Nominees: Tom Hanks – Philadelphia, Daniel Day-Lewis – In the Name of the Father, Laurence Fishburne – What's Love Got to Do with It, Anthony Hopkins – The Remains of the Day.
Winner: Hanks
Neeson effectively carries the film and would’ve ranked higher if not for the fact that his co-star totally steals it. And this is a very strong best actor lineup, each of these 5 men would've made a worthy winner.
5- Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln (2012)
Other Nominees: Alan Arkin – Argo, Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook, Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master, Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained.
Winner: Waltz
Jones was funny and his scenes with S Epatha Merkerson were the film’s only personal connection to the political story being told. I remember at the film’s NYFF premiere Jones got the biggest applause and for a while it seemed he might actually win.
4-Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln (2012)
Other Nominees: Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook, Hugh Jackman – Les Misérables, Joaquin Phoenix – The Master, Denzel Washington – Flight.
Winner: Day Lewis
The only performance in a Spielberg movie to win. And likely to stay that way; at least till Spielberg’s next movie.
3- Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple (1985)
Other Nominees: Anne Bancroft - Agnes of God, Jessica Lange - Sweet Dreams, Geraldine Page - The Trip to Bountiful, Meryl Streep - Out of Africa.
Winner: Page
Remains one of the best film debuts ever. Goldberg might have won if she wasn’t up against Page’s eighth career nomination.
2- Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple (1985)
Other Nominees: Margaret Avery - The Color Purple, Anjelica Huston - Prizzi's Honor, Amy Madigan - Twice in a Lifetime, Meg Tilly - Agnes of God.
Winner: Huston
Just remembering this performance tears me up. Winfrey is devastating and devastatingly good as Sophia, by turns defiant and deafeated.
1- Ralph Fiennes - Schindler’s List (1993)
Other Nominees: Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Tommy Lee Jones - The Fugitive, John Malkovich - In the Line of Fire, Pete Postlethewaite - In the Name of the Father.
Winner: Jones
A perfect performance. The one thing I was sure of when I started this list was that Fiennes will be #1. When he lost to the career honor of Jones, everybody thought he’d get many more opportunities to win. Alas 22 years later Fiennes only has one other nomination; for The English Patient (1996). Where is his “overdue” narrative?
There are many excellent performances that Spielberg directed that didn't garner Oscar's attention. Besides DiCaprio there's Drew Barrymore in E.T., Hanks in Catch Me If You Can and Bridge of Spies, Cate Blanchett in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
OK just kidding on the last one, but what are some of your favorites? And do you agree with our ranking?
Reader Comments (54)
Robert Shaw in Jaws
I 'd put Melinda Dillon higher. A uniquely affecting actress in one of her signature roles. No love here for Margret Avery. A scrawny performance. But totally agree with your assessment of Winfrey in the same film. Absolutely wonderful. Thought she was pretty terrific in "Selma" too.
My list would include Jude Law's Gigolo Joe in "A.I. Artificial Intelligence". Still don't understand how he missed a nomination that year.
If you didn't get #1 correct, I would've been angry!
Hanks should have been nominated this year.
I think Sally Field is too low, but I love Lincoln a lot more than the average cookie, so I admit to my bias. I would swap Jones and Day Lewis also.
I would prob have Goldberg, Fiennes and Jones as my top 3, in that order.
Wish Hanks in Saving Private Ryan was higher than Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis is wonderful and uncanny, of course, but it is terribly actor-ly. Never has Hanks been more restrained or affecting.
Mmm, I wouldn't say "just kidding" on that last one. Blanchett was doing her job pretty darn well. If Indiana Jones 4 wasn't so insane, I'd guess people would appreciate her more.
1993 Lead Actor: Eh, I'd probably trade Hanks, Hopkins and Day-Lewis that year for Bill Murray (Groundhog Day), Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness) ("Klaatu Barada Nickhickhick!", "You ain't leading but two things right now. Jack, and shit. And Jack left town." "Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun." "Sally Fargh! Sally Fargh! (groan, holds his mouth down) Sally Forth.") and Pacino (Carlito's Way.)
I saw The Fugitive for the first time over the weekend and as entertaining as Jones was, his win just baffles me. Really? Over Fiennes?
Also Ford was much better in the movie....
Rylance higher up. Day-Lewis higher up. Whoopi further down.
I would've nominated Fiennes last year for Grand Budapest.
Oprah and Whoopi gave two of the best film performances of all time (in my opinion) in The Color Purple. Whenever I revisit this film, it always makes me wish that they both took on more film roles.
This was a great read!
Fiennes's loss to Jones is preposterous. But then so much about the Oscars is, given a couple decades' hindsight!
Jones should have won over Waltz (though PS Hoffman was the real star of that supp actor lineup).
I like your #1 ranking, Ralph Fiennes is becoming a modern version of Paul Newman, everyone agrees he's brilliant but somehow doesn't get an Oscar - (until he's over 60.)
Melinda Dillon is so memorable in "Close Encounters" - way more indelible than Margaret Avery.
Richard Dreyfuss was nominated and won for "The Goodbye Girl" the same year but his "Close Encounters" performance is one of the best of all time. Also his work in "Jaws".
I still don't understand how Tommy Lee Jones didn't win for "Lincoln" - giving Waltz a second Oscar instead is just strange. I know Jones doesn't campaign but still....
San FranCinema: No, Jones was. Because Waltz AND Hoffman were cat-fraud and De Niro and Arkin were strictly coasters, symbolic representations of their movies' Best Picture strength.
Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple is one of life's small treasures. Funny how most of the principal talent from Purple latter received Oscar recognition in some form. Jones and Winfrey has a Jean Hersholt statuette. Goldberg won Supporting Actress. And Steven has multiple statuettes two for directing and one for Best Picture. Hopefully Danny Glover's humanitarian efforts will make him a prime candidate for a Hersholt recognition.
Volvagia: I confess I'm a lot less bothered than a lot of my fellow Oscarologists by "cat fraud" (lol that sounds like a funny internet video).
1. DDL
2, Fiennes
3, Oprah
4. Samantha Morton, Minority Report
5. Christian Bale, Empire of the Sun
6. Jude Law, A.I.
7. Robert Shaw, Jaws
8. Walken
9. Hanks, Saving Private Ryan
10. Daniel Craig, Munich
Oops, I completely forgot we were talking about Oscar-nominated performances.
About Jones in Lincoln. I believe the winner that year should have been Philip Seymour Hoffman, and NOT Christoph Waltz for doing exactly the same as he did in Inglorious Basterds. One Oscar would have been more than enough!
Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun
Because we are talking about nominated performances, it's a shame we won't get to (officially) consider Haley Joel Osment in A.I.. Technically brilliant (the kid never blinks!), but nails it in every other way possible, and just ends up creating a marvel of a performance. Just watch the way his face changes once he's been "imprinted" on, and the line reading of "My brain is falling out." is just damn near perfect. A real shame that Will Smith's physicality in Ali and Sean Penn doing whatever he was doing in I Am Sam kept this from being a contender (especially if Ewan McGregor wasn't even gonna get in for Moulin Rouge!).
As for the official list, I'd be tempted to put Day-Lewis at #1, but it really is like splitting hairs. Fields is too low (she should at least switch with Avery), but everything else feels about right. Side note, I can't believe Lincoln didn't at least win Best Adapted Screenplay. Damn Ben Affleck apology tour...
Oh man i would love to see Leo do another Catch Me If You Can type role.
obviously the #1 is correct but I Sally Field and Margaret Avery (so underrated! i think because she's not famous) should be higher. Hanks performance in Saving Private Ryan does just nothing for me. And i shudder remembering that Hopkins was nominated for Amsted.
I bought The Color Purple on DVD a while back with the intention of a re-watch which I shamefully still haven't got around to, but Whoopi's performance is seared into my memory from watching it in my Film class in high school. Such a bold and moving turn, I think she'd just edge out Fiennes if I was ranking these.
It seems odd that Spielberg isn't responsible for more acting nominations, but his films do often prioritise technical prowess, production detail and spectacle over character.
If movie star performances were allowed to be in the conversation more often, Harrison Ford for Raiders... would absolutely make my nominees of its year. Effortlessly charismatic work creating an iconic character. And I'd definitely echo Paul on Samantha Morton, with a shoutout to Cruise's work in both Minority Report and War of the Worlds.
Try to cast any of the other four It's nearly impossible role to play actors in Benigni's role. Good luck.
Benigni deserved it so much. "Clown" is one of the most difficult kinds of acting, maybe the most difficult, and while you think he's laying himself, he is giving us heavy loads of drama and comedy and physicality in every single scene. The point in is that in every single gag and shouting of that movie Benigni is giving us the most subtle of those performances and nobody notices that. It's a nearly impossible role to play, and he knocks it out the park.
I was going to post my own list, but I think you pretty much got it right.
The trio in The Color Purple is fantastic. But Oprah's performance cracked just a little near the end, I thought.
And Melinda Dillon left almost no impression on me in Close Encounters. I can literally name 15 other Spielberg non-nominated performances off the top of my head that ran circles around Dillon's.
Totally agree about Tommy Lee Jones not deserving of the Oscar for the Fugitive. However I believe they got it right with Benigni for Life is beautiful.
OT ... but the new cover for Vanity Fair <3
That 1993 Best Supporting Actor lineup is one of the strongest of the last 30 years. Frankly, Tommy Lee Jones is probably the only one who *shouldn't* have won.
"Try to cast any of the other four It's nearly impossible role to play actors in Benigni's role. Good luck."
Try to cast Benigni in any of the other four roles. Not really buying that argument. (Plus I wouldn't be averse to either ca. 1985 McKellen or present-day Norton in that role...if I were in the least inclined to want an alternate version of Life is Beautiful. ::shudder::)
That's one of those things that I think gets underrated about Spielberg(if we can put "Spielberg" and "underrated" in the same sentence). For a man who often gets derided for a magician of spectacle, saccharine, and sentiment, his films regularly have many career high performances from many actors. The ones included here, but just about everyone in Jaws, Raiders, Sean Connery Sr in Last Crusade, Henry Thomas in E.T., Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun, DiCaprio in Catch Me if you Can, Eric Bana in Munich, Kingsley in Schindler's List, Haley Joel in A.I., Tom Cruise in Minority Report...
His films wouldn't be so effective at capturing the audience's imagination if he wasn't so well-attuned to the natural strengths of dramatic acting and marshaling Hollywood star power.
OT: Not saying a word about that Vanity Fair cover until Nat makes a post about it. Oo boy.
Hopkins used to get Judi Dench in Chocolat type nominations back in the day!
Roberto Begnini in Life Is Beautiful. A performance that will always be a thing of beauty and joy forever to coprophages, paraphiliacs and masochists
You showed the famous Avery letter. How great is that!
Oh I adore Sally Field so don't agree with her low ranking, love the rest specially my man Raiph at number 1.
cal roth: You said it (so much better than I could have): Benigni is wonderful in Life is Beautiful. He is easily my choice that year. The Academy got it right.
And - at the risk of ostracising myself from this site, and indeed from the world - I have never been overly impressed by Ralph Fiennes' work in Schindler's List. He never convinces me that he's a Nazi - instead, it's like I'm watching an actor give a very good performance. It's the role that creates the impact, I feel, rather than the performance. I'm afraid I feel the Academy got it right that year too; Jones in The Fugitive is fantastic.
Fiennes elsewhere, though, is a different story. I would have given him the win last year for Grand Budapest. That's a perfect performance!
As for terrific non-nominated Spielberg-directed performances, these come immediately to mind: the three men in Jaws, but especially Robert Shaw; Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr and Francois Truffaut in Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark; Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun; Richard Attenborough in Jurassic Park; James Spader in Lincoln.
"The only performance in a Spielberg movie to win. And likely to stay that way at least till Spielberg’s next movie."
Spielberg's next movie is 'The BFG'. It's smooth sailing from here for Mark Rylance winning Best Actor.
@ ConMan:
You forget that last year's overdue favorite and loser and this year's snubbee is playing the founder of McDonald's in a biopic titled The Founder, coming to theaters after Thanksgiving: next year's Best Actor winner Michael Keaton.
#JusticeforWhoopi
Oh, please. Hopkins is excellent in Amistad. You people drooled all over Ian McKellen this year for playing someone older than him - Hopkins did it with much gusto almost twenty years before. Everett is a blank face in that vanilla Roberts vehicle.
My nominations (* and wins) for Mr Fiennes:
Leading Actor
The english patient
The end of the afair
Spider
The constant gardner
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
Supporting Actor:
Shindler's List*
In Bruges
Ok Margaret Avery needs to be much higher. Yes, everyone in The Color Purple is wonderful, but she stands out the most for me. That scene when she walk/sings to get to the church and embraces her father is amazing. I can't remember a time when I saw an actor so physically/vocally/mentally/emotionally involved in a character.
Also Sally Field should be a little higher as well. she nailed what it is like to suffer from depression- being told to calm down when you just can't and having emotional outbursts that you just can't control in the moment. Her character was historically misunderstood. Field doesn't shy away from her unlikable side and portrays Mary as she was.
I HATE Lincoln and all of its performances, so boring. As such, this list is void. :).
Wow all this love for Sally Field..... fantastic. Who knew?
Something I just realized, every nominee for Best Supporting Actor 1993 (the one Ralph Fiennes was nominated in for Schindler's List) has worked with Steven Spielberg at least once. Besides Fiennes, we have Leonardo DiCaprio who was in Catch Me If You Can (still one of my favorites of his as well), Tommy Lee Jones was in Lincoln (and nominated for it), John Malkovich was in Empire of the Sun and the late Pete Postlethewaite was in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I'll have to see if that's the case in any other line-up.
I would probably rank all the Lincoln performances higher (even Sally Field, who has grown on me the more I see Lincoln) and Mark Rylance would also be higher for me. I also don't think Liam Neeson should be penalized just because Ralph Fiennes stole the film, since Neeson is so good in his own right (his "I could have done more" scene always gets me).
ConMan -- but BFG won't that just be voice work for Mark Rylance so don't expect any awardsyness... i can't imagine they won't CG the giant.
Edward L -- OSTRACIZING COMMENCING... NOW ;)
summer -- i was happy he included that too. I love Margaret Avery's Oscar campaign (and her performance)
Samantha Morton in Minority Report! Indefinitely wet and cold precog queen!
Whoooooa, this is the first time I've ever seen that Margaret Avery letter and as a black person, i'm legit horrified.
and I thought CONSIDER. was bad....
Though Fiennes should have won that Oscar in 93, I have always been a huge defender of Jones in The Fugitive. He perfectly sold the subtle questioning/realizations beneath his staunch commitment to the chase. I think the only thing close to it recently has been Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty.
But yes, Fiennes should have won then and Jones would have won for Lincoln and Waltz already had his Oscar. It all would have worked out.
Actually, the Oscar that Fiennes lost and that Jones won should have gone to DiCaprio. I'm surprised that I'm the first in these comments to say it. And if he'd won, I think we would have been spared a lot of...unpleasantness these past 23 years.
Paul Outlaw, Grape is DiCaprio's best performance. It is the only time I ever remember him inhabiting a role.
Fiennes was superb, but I think Leo should have won. Many an actor could have done wonderful things with the Amon Goeth character but Arnie Grape is a work of genius.
Sort of glad Leo didn't win, though. I like the Oscar memes:)
And Jones was really very good. Such a musical, economical performance.