by Ben Miller
Oscar clips are a fun wrinkle of a ceremony. Who could forget Cate Blanchett’s reaction to her Elizabeth: The Golden Age clip? The actors and actresses can seem mortified or proud of anywhere inbetween, and it’s part of the appeal of the clips. The clips preceding each of the categories ranged from brilliant to downright weird. Let’s rank them 20-1…
The Weird
20. Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
19. Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
18. Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Despite great performances, Oscar couldn't find an appropriate clip? Chalamet's case is the most perplexing as he had plenty of great clips to work with, but they went with a back-and-forth during a flirty piano scene. Ronan, too, has dozens of scenes that work as Oscar clips, but they went with an odd fight scene that showcased only one of her many moods. I have no idea what they were thinking with Rockwell. His character chews scenery at will and yet they chose a sitting conversation heavy on the exposition and low on the subtext.
Not Much to Work With
I won't be working for them. I'll be working for us."
17. Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
16. Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water
15. Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
14. Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Harrelson and Plummer might have presented problems because their characters are more atmospheric to the story than heavy on individual showcases. Plummer’s was better than Harrelson’s. Spencer got a good clip, but that one scene was a given as her only big moment. Blige is so subtle in Mudbound, they didn’t have a good clip to show why she got nominated.
ACTING !!!
You're a taker!"
13. Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
12. Allison Janney, I, Tonya
11. Meryl Streep, The Post
Oldman’s entire performance is an Oscar clip, so no surprise that that scene was BIG. Janney is biting in her diner scene with Robbie, but also noticeably broad. Streep's big showcase scene works as The Post’s climax, but you remember it more than the film itself, which is why it’s the best of this bunch.
Subtlety
10. Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
9. Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.
8. Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
7. Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Quieter clips for these nuanced performances. Washington’s character is bold and blunt, but his scene highlights the understanding dignity of the character. A good choice. Jenkins gets his one Oscar scene which we all knew was coming, but gets extra points for featuring heavily in Hawkins’ gesticulation. Kaluuya gets top marks of this batch as his expression slowly morphs with tears streaming during his unexpected therapy session.
Crème de la Creme
You ain't trynta make me believe in reincarnation or somethin' are ya? 'Cause you're pretty but you ain't her..."
6. Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
5. Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
4. Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
A somewhat surprising choice for Daniel Day-Lewis’ scene as his character is so measured while his Oscar scene is wilder. They chose well for McDormand and Robbie showing exactly what got them nominated, McDormand's leaning into the tough humor and the grief simultaneous and Robbie during Tonya's rock bottom moment. In both cases, it’s one of the few scenes in their films where they aren’t cursing up an R rating.
Runners-Up
2a. Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
2b. Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
I love the scene choice for Dafoe. Walking past motel doors, he's laying down the law without going big, but also mentions to another tenant to clean up while he is doing it. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the performance. Metcalf has been the clip champ all Oscar season (the performance has so many great moments), and they went with a perfect snippet of verbal diarrhea and blunt honesty in one of the earliest scenes in the movie. Every audience howls with laughter when her scream punctuates the scene.
The Champion
1. Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Surely you were also thinking “Yes! This is the perfect Oscar clip!” as soon as it began. Rarely has a clip choice encapsulated so many different emotions of a character while also showing the bigger influence that character has on the whole. The Oscar crowd began to cheer before the clip finished, Manville receiving a large ovation. I like to think the producer had a dog in this particular fight.
And -