Best Supporting Actor 1995: Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys

Brad Pitt received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Jeffrey Goines in 12 Monkeys.

12 Monkeys depicts a time traveler James Cole (Bruce Willis) from the  post apocalyptic future who tries to find out about the apocalypse virus in the past.

Brad Pitt portrays the deranged Jeffrey Goines who Cole first meets Goines in a mental institution where he even has a cartoon sound effect for when his head pops out of his shirt letting us now from the very first instance that this is not going to be a subtle performance from Brad Pitt. Although to be fair Pitt's performance only seems to fit the film sometimes rather insane style. Also Pitt is suppose to be portraying a totally insane character, so for him to go rather over the top is rather understandable.

The only problem is there is portraying crazy with the utmost realism, and than there is portraying crazy like you are just obviously "ACTING" with all the capital letters being needed. Pitt's performance work s sort of at first with me as he goes on his long rants at the mental hospital, about his insane idea and theories. Though Pitt never really feels like he is really a mental patient, and it does always feel like a performer performing. Pitt does manage to bring a manic energy to his part in these early scenes which is fairly effective to help set the mood.

Later on though Pitt's whole shtick just seems to get old pretty fast it works in those first scenes where he is a effective, later on though it just starts to become tiresome. Every time he shows up he does his same exact insane thing that really never develops to anything especially considering what happens with his character in the end. He never tries anything else with Goines just keeps with same insane act for the whole film, that almost feels to become even more actory as the film goes on.

Pitt performance ends up not being particularly special past his first scenes which are fine, but a little of him goes a long way. Frankly I would have just liked his performance if we never saw him again past the insane asylum, but the way he is used in the film his performance just becomes strangely sort of dull because we know exactly what to expect from his. He simply becomes less and less intense, and interesting as he continues to reappear.