Best Supporting Actor 1987: Results

5. Sean Connery in The Untouchables- Connery has little to do in his role besides act tough and give inspirational talks both which he does adequately enough but never to any sort of amazing degree.

4. Denzel Washington in Cry Freedom- Washington gives a fine quietly passionate performance that avoids the problems some of his other performances suffer from.

3. Vincent Gardenia in Moonstruck- Gardenia gives an effectively colorful performance that only succeeds in adding to his film.

2. Morgan Freeman in Street Smart- Freeman gives a great performance excelling in both showing the odd charm and charisma equally well with the terrifying brutality of the same man.

1. Albert Brooks in Broadcast News- This for me was a rather close choice between the top two, although I really should not have had to make because Brooks gives really more of a lead than a supporting performance. Brooks either way gives a great performance that balances the different aspects of his character making a winning performance. He gives a charming humorous performance that finds the right emotional tone throughout the film.

Deserving Performances:
Vincent D'Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket
R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket
Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride

Best Supporting Actor 1987: Albert Brooks in Broadcast News

Albert Brooks received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Aaron Altman in Broadcast News.

Broadcast News is a film for that improved all around on this viewing so much so really that I must say I was rather unfair to William Hurt in my review of his leading performance and I should probably update my review since he achieves far more than I gave him credit for. What also struck me though was Albert Brooks in the role of the intelligent News reporter who believes in and is effective at reporting the real news. Even though he is not that much of a showman. Brooks really is not supporting but rather co male lead along with William Hurt.

Brooks actually has a great challenge in this role, a challenge that is often failed at which is to portray a character who is written to be annoying in some way but succeeding in making the character likable still. Brooks is quite capable in this regard as Aaron who is purposefully written to be a bit of a know it all as well as someone who does not mind espouses his views fairly loudly and with as much condescension as possible. Brooks though is able to balance this aspect of Aaron with his more charming traits just about perfectly though.

Brooks in Aaron more potentially annoying qualities does well because he effectively enables his slight sense of superiority to be both appropriately humorous as well as sincerity in his performance. Brooks is able to show that Aaron honestly does believe in what he does and what he attempts to do, and it it is almost that he can't help but be at least a little snarky to those who are willing to compromise their values rather than do what it right.

Brooks with this though also does manage to make Aaron charming in his own particular way. Brooks is interesting actually in that he shows that what Aaron tries to do really is always attempt to be charming as much as possible really, because it does not come to him naturally. Brooks is able to show naturally actually able to realize Aaron's repeated attempts to try to charismatic and naturally he does succeed somewhat, but Brooks shows always there is that effort that stops Aaron from being able to be his rival Tom Grunick (William Hurt).

What really is effective about his performance though is in Brooks of portrayal of Aaron relationship with the television producer Jane (Holly Hunter). Brooks is terrific in these scenes as he shows Aaron's obvious love for Jane even though Jane refuses to see Aaron anymore than just a friend. Brooks is great in showing just how much he honestly does love her particularly in his body language that is always tuned toward's Hunter's in a way that he is always waiting for just to reciprocate.

Brooks is very moving really in his scenes with Hunter later on after Jane has fallen for Tom. Brooks realizes so well the various emotions Aaron goes through from his obvious love for Jane that he finally absolutely comes out with, but also with his own anger toward her since she can't return it and is instead falling for a man who represent everything he sees that is wrong with the news. Brooks gives a moving performance that really realizes the painful dilemma of Aaron's life.

Brooks is also great in his very important moments with William Hurt as neither of them treat each other in really a hostile a fashion but rather have a dynamic of rather hidden mutual jealousy, disrespect but with a bit of admiration at the same time. What both actors do work exceedingly well for their scenes together which realizes both their professional and personal struggles in an interesting effective fashion. I was very much surprised by just how much I liked him this time around, but Brooks really gives a great performance that succeeds completely with his character.

Best Supporting Actor 1987: Sean Connery in The Untouchables

Sean Connery won his Oscar from his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables.

The Untouchables depicts the efforts of Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) to take down crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro).

Sean Connery's nomination and win is a rather strange one because despite his long career that included many performances far better than this one he was nominated only for this performance as he street smart beat cop who shows Eliot Ness how to do things the Chicago way. The most notable thing really about this whole performance is the fact that for some reason this beat cop needed to be Irish therefore Connery had to do an Irish accent.

I really do not like to make a big deal about accents unless they really aid in a characterization like for example Al Pacino in a Dog Day Afternoon or if they are distracting because of how bad they are unfortunately Connery's accent falls into this latter category. Connery as he grew older his Scottish accent grew thicker and thicker, perhaps Connery could have done an accent back say in his Darby O'Gill days but this time in his career his accent was far too thick and distinct for him to attempt anything else.

All I can really think is why did they not just change the character's last name, and make him a Scottish cop that was all that was required. Instead Connery attempts an Irish accent over his Scottish that just comes off as awkward when it is apparent, but it is also exceedingly inconsistent. He loses constantly and quite randomly, and this whole problem only ever serves to take away from whatever else he might be doing with his performance. 

The rest of his performance is not remarkable either all he does is look and act tough and gives various talks just to toughen up Ness. No one should never sell short acting tough it is a harder really than it looks, and Connery certainly is good at it, but this not his best display of it. Also there are so many other times where he not only acts tough but has a fuller characterization otherwise than just tough honest cop. Otherwise than the accent Connery really is not bad, but there is nothing special about his work here, which is a shame since you might have noticed I have found Connery has given more than one deserving performance in many other years.

Best Supporting Actor 1987: Vincent Gardenia in Moonstruck

Vincent Gardenia received his second and final Oscar nomination for portraying Cosmo Castorini in Moonstruck.

Moonstruck is about a soon to be married Italian woman Loretta Castorini(Cher) finds some difficulties when she has an affair with her fiancee's brother.

Vincent Gardenia portrays the father of Cher's character who is facing a late life crisis. Cosmo is one of the many colorful family members in the film. Gardenia though although certainly is colorful in his own way in his portrayal of Cosmo never goes over the top to make these sorts of qualities apparent. Gardenia simply adds to the color of the film with his presence with a great deal of ease in his performance that realizes the character of Cosmo quite well.

Gardenia has terrific chemistry with everyone else that he interacts with and with this chemistry he effectively conveys everything he needs to about Cosmo. In his scenes with Cher there is not an a lot of fatherly love found, not that he is cold at all as he does want what is best for her. The two actors though naturally convey a long family history between the two that leaves him less than enthusiastic to hear about her new martial plans with a man he has no respect for.

There is always a certain frustration in his performance that is just perfect for Cosmo, and Gardenia manages to make it appropriately humorous while still keeping Cosmo fairly realistic. Gardenia is very good because he doesn't show Cosmo frustration around his family and his wife as just him being tired, but Gardenia subtly suggests that there is always more on his mind and that he is most certainly hiding something.

What he is hiding is that he is having an affair outside of his marriage with his wife Rose (Olympia Dukakis). Gardenia is great when he is outside the family in one particular scene where he is acting as a plumber where he has a great deal of cockiness and a certain that is totally unapparent in the family scenes that shows just how Cosmo is without his frustrations about that he has at home.

The most interesting factor about Gardenia's performance though is his chemistry with Dukakis. Again they show a family history together that can just be seen in the way they react with one another in such a quiet but knowing fashion. The best single scene I think is a short but just about perfect moment where she tells him she wants him to stop seeing his mistress. Gardenia reaction is almost silent but really quite perfect as he shows Cosmo's history and connection is strong that he instantly understands and accepts. Gardenia throughout is always exactly as he should be adding color, humor and depth whenever needed with his nicely  handled performance.

Best Supporting Actor 1987: Denzel Washington in Cry Freedom

Denzel Washington received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Steve Biko in Cry Freedom.

Cry Freedom tells of the murder of anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko, and the escape of his friend a white newspaper editor (Kevin Kline) who must escape South Africa to tell the truth about what happened to Biko.

Washington plays the murdered Biko who is killed relatively early on but before he is killed Washington is basically the lead in the film. Washington I will admit is not one of my favorite actors as he can act in a too self aware fashion in many of his performances, or fail to really make a characterization with conviction. His performance as Steve Biko though is one of his better performances because he avoids these problems.

He manages to play Steve Biko fairly simply but fairly effectively. He does not try to really make Biko a larger than life sort of figure, but rather just a man who wishes to find some justice in his country. Washington never overplays the role of Biko rather handles everything relatively quietly in his performance. From his speeches to the way he convinces Kline's character of his cause Washington just shows a nice dignity and passion in the part that is effective.

The part is not the greatest of challenges really though past showing the passion of Biko, but nonetheless it is a well handled performance. Biko though is not as well developed of a character as one might think though as he is murdered very early on, and he only occasionally is remembered past this point, and even when he is remembered it is not in any sort of different fashion than when we saw him alive earlier in the film.

What there is though Washington is as he should be in his performance. He realizes the exact Steve Biko the film wanted you to remember as a martyr for his cause throughout the rest of the film. I do wish that the film had maybe expanded even more on his character and given a bit less emphasis on Kline's characters escape, but still Washington's performance is a good one that avoids the problematic tendencies of his later work.

Best Supporting Actor 1987: Morgan Freeman in Street Smart

Morgan Freeman received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Leo "Fast Black" Smalls Jr. in Street Smart.

Street Smart tells a needlessly contrived story about a magazine writer (Christopher Reeve) who makes up a interview with a pimp, but finds himself in trouble when the world's dumbest assistant district attorney thinks the writer was referring to a real life pimp Fast Black who is on trial for murder.

The film has some serious problems in terms of its story as well as because of Christopher Reeve's performance who as an actor always seemed a bit lost when he was not wearing a Superman costume. Also the whole world of the writer who instantly becomes a star, and a television reporter from a single magazine story never feels like it has any sort of credibility luckily though Morgan Freeman as the pimp on trial for murder does manage to create the wanted credibility with the darker side of the film.

What works so well about Freeman's performance is his ability to portray the unpredictability found in Fast Black. Freeman shows a full person with Fast Black and he never portrays him for a moment as a one dimensional sort of pimp, as it would have been very easy to do. Freeman never keeps Fast one way in a single scene and the way he can change his behavior or attitude so suddenly is what makes this such an effective turn by Freeman.

Freeman so well is able to realize the different aspects of Fast and still able to keep him as one single man. Freeman does have an odd degree of charm and charisma in the role. It might seem a bit odd really for a character like his to be charming in any sort of way, but Freeeman makes it work surprisingly enough. There is a jovial quality about Fast that Freeman brings showing that Fast Black most certainly likes being Fast Black.

Freeman is brilliantly disconcerting though through how chilling he is in his extremely brutal moments of abuse and cruelty. He has an overwhelming presence in these scenes that makes him completely control them. He is particular frightening though because of this fact. Scenes like these are easy to overact but Freeman is always brutally honest portrayal of Fast Black.

I think in particular his strongest scene is when he tells one of his hookers that he is going to cut out one of her eyes and that she merely must pick.  Freeman is absolutely chilling in this scene because he is so matter of fact about the whole affair, as well as the fact that he makes it believable that the prostitute would eventually choose an eye simply by his violent presence.

Although this is not a good film at all even making it so that Freeman's is not given a final scene deserving of his terrific performance.  Nonetheless though this is still a terrific performance that fully realizes his frightening character without ever running into any of the cliches that usually comes with this sort of character. It is a great  characterization that most certainly deserved a better film to go around it.

Best Supporting Actor 1987

And the Nominees Were:

Albert Brooks in Broadcast News

Denzel Washington in Cry Freedom

Sean Connery in The Untouchables

Vincent Gardenia in Moonstruck

Morgan Freeman in Street Smart