Alternate Best Actor 1973: Results

5. James Coburn in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid- Coburn does an excellent job of mixing in the weightier elements of his performance along with just being the bad ass that Pat Garrett should be.

4. Edward Fox in The Day of the Jackal- Fox's performance is a true accomplishment in making such a unique reality driven characterization of the type of character that is often portrayed in the exact opposite fashion.

3. Steve McQueen in Papillon- This tremendous work by McQueen not only puts on display once again McQueen unique screen presence, but here he also is able to show how powerful of an actor he really could be.

2. Martin Sheen in Badlands-This is a great performance by Martin Sheen who goes out on a limb with his portrayal and never stops for a moment in this outstanding performance.

1. Gene Hackman in Scarecrow- This was certainly a difficult year to choose out of the top four, but as well as with the overall. This is just an incredible year for lead performances. Gene Hackman's is my second favorite of the year though through his powerful unique portrayal in his film.

Overall Rank:

1. Jack Lemmon in Save the Tiger
2. Gene Hackman in Scarecrow
3. Martin Sheen in Badlands
4. Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail
5. Jason Miller in The Exorcist
6. Steve McQueen in Papillon
7. Edward Fox in The Day of the Jackal
8. James Coburn in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid
9. Paul Newman in The Sting
10. Al Pacino in Scarecrow
11. Carl Anderson in Jesus Christ Superstar
12. Harvey Keitel in Mean Streets
13. Ted Neeley Jesus Christ Superstar
14. Walter Matthau in Charley Varrick
15. Kris Kristofferson in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid
16. Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force
17. Dustin Hoffman in Papillon
18. Al Pacino in Serpico
19. Michael Moriarty in Bang the Drum Slowly
20. Charlton Heston in Soylent Green
21. Robert Redford in The Sting
22. Timothy Bottoms in The Paper Chase
23. Roger Moore in Live and Let Die
24. Richard Benjamin in West World

Next Year: 1973 supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1973: James Coburn in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid

James Coburn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Pat Garrett in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid.

Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid is a fairly effective western about sheriff Pat Garrett tracking down outlaw Billy The Kid. It is not great though as some of the seventies qualities become tiresome after awhile particularly the soundtrack.

James Coburn portrays the Sheriff Pat Garrett who in this film is portrayed as a former outlaw of sorts himself who was friends with Billy the Kid before becoming a sheriff. In that the film treats him as a man troubled with his conscious over becoming a law man as many look at him as a sell out. Coburn is really the perfect actor for this role for many reasons. One being of course that Coburn just fits in a western. He has just the perfect gruff commanding presence that wears the clothes of the period without any sort of visible effort. Another being is his style of performance which in his best roles is a very low key manner that is great in a way to show his emotions within a character who tries to avoid showing anything.

Coburn of course does something here which what only a select group actors can be which is being a badass without even trying. Coburn has such a natural command here that works particularly well for the formidable Garrett. He makes Pat Garrett a self assured man of the west who knows how to stay alive by killing those he comes across on his path to finding Billy The Kid. One scene in particular shows Coburn's skills is one he alone keeps four potentially dangerous men in check. Coburn is excellent in the moment as he has such a cool calm control of the scene without a doubt. He makes Garrett the imposing figure he should be as well as the fact that the Kid will be caught a inevitability in the end.

Coburn has a certain style that really works particularly well for the character of Pat Garrett here who is suppose to be Billy the Kid's friend and is on somewhat casual terms with most of the people he encounters even the ones he ends up shooting. The Coburn style that does this is his somewhat humorous element he is able to bring in this role, despite not really being a humorous role in any way. Coburn though in his very particular grin though is able to bring this certain history of Garrett without all these people he is hunting down. By being almost friendly with them he honestly creates the history of this Garrett which was once as the ally of those he is now hunting.

What Coburn also does so well though is showing the guilt Garrett feels over his sort of betrayal of his old friends. Coburn is excellent at this because he portrays it so well without ever being obvious about it in a single scene. It would be wrong for a character like Pat Garrett to show a lot of overt emotions of regret particularly when his aim is to seem like a formidable foe. Coburn is perfect at doing this because he leaves it as an underlying element within him usually expressed with the utmost subtly by James Coburn in his expression. He does this particularly well in the last scene when he kills the Kid and Coburn powerfully expresses Garrett's regret and shame despite saying nothing in the moment.

This is a very good performance by James Coburn as he portrays Pat Garrett in a very effective fashion. Coburn uses his distinct screen presence perfectly here to emphasize his role. James Coburn as well though succeeds in giving a compelling portrayal of Garrett's underlying emotions throughout the film. He does an excellent job of mixing in the weightier elements of his performance along with just being the badass that Pat Garrett should be as well. There is no disconnect between the two aspects of his characterization and he effectively melds together these facets of Garrett into one single portrayal.

Alternate Best Actor 1973

And the Nominees Were Not:

Edward Fox in The Day of the Jackal

Steve McQueen in Papillon

Martin Sheen in Badlands

Gene Hackman in Scarecrow

James Coburn in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

I'll apologize in advance for leaving so many out as this year simply was packed.

Best Supporting Actor 1998: Results

5. Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love- Rush is not bad, but besides a few somewhat comedic moment there just is not much to his performance.

4. Ed Harris in The Truman Show- Harris gives a consistently stoic performance that actually is an interesting but not amazing depiction of a pretentious artist who has delusions of grandeur.

3.  James Coburn in Affliction- James Coburn gives an effective performance that brings to life the cruelty, as well as the weakness of his character extremely well.

2. Robert Duvall in A Civil Action- Robert Duvall is a strong performance as the legal adversary for this film. He creates an effective and unique opponent in just how calm he is throughout the film.

1. Billy Bob Thorton in A Simple Plan- Thorton easily wins this year for me in his heartbreaking portrait of a simple man who is always trying to do the right thing, but has a very hard to figuring out what the right thing ever is.

Deserving Performances:
John Goodman in The Big Lebowski
Giovanni Ribisi in Saving Private Ryan

Best Supporting Actor 1998: James Coburn in Affliction

James Coburn won his Oscar from his only nomination for portraying Glen Whithouse in Affliction.

Although never nominated before his win should not have been the greatest surprise since three of competitors were already Oscar winners, Coburn was a veteran actor deserving of recognition, and frankly Ed Harris' part was not nearly as Oscary as Coburn's. James Coburn portrays an alcoholic father whose mental and physical cruelty toward his family which causes his eldest son to have serious mental problems, his younger son to become passive aggressive, and his daughter to become a one dimensional evangelical christian. Glen Whithouse is not a part that is without cliche and to not be one dimensional himself is quite up to Coburn. Everyone of his scenes could go extremely poorly, and especially over the top if he portrayed them incorrectly.

He has an effective visceral power, and there really is no surprise that he was chosen for the part since Coburn's strong screen presence is on full display here. It is doubtful that any other actor of Coburn's age really could have seemed physically imposing enough to seem threatening to Nick Nolte as Glen's troubled son Wade. Coburn though is always absolutely convincing particularly with his remarkable power he brings to the screen. Coburn always stands strong in every scene, and easily controls most of them that he is in. James Coburn absolutely does command the way Glen needs to for the film.

Glen caused all of this trauma in the kids and in the flashbacks Coburn makes it unbundantly clear why. He is striking in these flashbacks where we see how horrible his cruelty was. Coburn realistically portrays the overwhelming quality of Glen's behavior. It cannot be ignored and it is constant a brutality that Coburn brings to life here. Coburn shows it as something uncontrollable, and something that is always aimed to pierce deeply into his victims. James Coburn never fails to make the fact that Glen's cruelty lead to the delusional behavior of Wade. He succeeds in bringing this terrible man to life.

James Coburn does also have his non drunken scene, where he does show quite a different man in Glen Whitehouse. He actually does not really show a better man exactly, but really just a small and sad man showing that drink is the only way he can cope with his own weaknesses. In his particularly sober scene where he talks about his wife Coburn shows a weak weak man barely able to interact in any meaningful way. He shows the drink as his defense mechanism to be able to stand life itself, his scene where he almost begs to be allowed to get more alcohol, Coburn realizes just how small of a man Glen really is.

Coburn never is one dimensional in the role even though he very well could particularly in his drunken rages, the type of scenes actors usually use as excuse to be so. Coburn though interestingly attempts to show how much of the derangement that creates his cruelty is derived from his perverse sense of masculinity. James Coburn creates a complexity in that he shows that some of Glen's terrible behavior merely is Glen believing he is doing the right thing for children no matter how bad in reality it may be. It is very interesting that Coburn actually finds some logic in this twisted mind, but he does which works almost perfectly for the film. This is a strong performance from Coburn, limited in terms of his time on screen, but substantial in his impact on the film.

Best Supporting Actor 1998

And The Nominees Were:

Robert Duvall in A Civil Action

Billy Bob Thorton in A Simple Plan

James Coburn in Affliction

Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love

Ed Harris in The Truman Show

A Man Called Flint

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the two Derek Flint movies starring James Coburn. These 1960s spy spoofs are great fun to watch, with gadgets, fights, beautiful women and the incomparable Mr. Flint saving the world without batting an eye or ever losing his cool.

While I enjoyed both movies, I have to give the edge to the first one, “Our Man Flint” (1966). In this one, we are introduced to agent Derek Flint of the Z.O.W.I.E. organization, who works alone, disdains authority and doesn’t follow orders. But Flint is the one man who can destroy the Galaxy organization (bigger than SPECTRE), which is bent on conquering the world by controlling the weather.

Flint is a lighthearted rebuke to James Bond. After all, we see Flint easily best Agent 0008 in a bar fight. And when boss Lee J. Cobb tries to arm Flint with special equipment, like a trick briefcase, he dismisses them, saying they are toys and he doesn’t need them.



He lives in a posh loft apartment with four women who cater to his every need. Are they mistresses? Girlfriends? Servants? We’re not sure, but there’s apparently no jealousy among them and when he takes them all out to dinner, he makes sure he dances with each one. This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, because Jerry Goldsmith’s infectious Flint theme gets treated to variety of styles (depending on what dance Flint and his ladies are dancing to at that time).

Flint’s ladies are kidnapped by Galaxy and bought to an island for re-programming into pleasure units. Flint infiltrates the island to stop Galaxy and rescue his ladies. Another new woman, an agent for Galaxy, Gila (Gila Golan) seduces Flint but soon switches to his side.

It’s all hugely enjoyable and not meant to be taken seriously. The sets and costumes are 1960s garish (in the best sense) and you can see how the Flint movies were huge inspirations for the Austin Powers movies.

The film was successful enough to warrant a sequel, “In Like Flint” (1967). In this one, a group of women attempt to rule the world by kidnapping the president and replacing him with an imposter. They have the help of some army officers, but the male villains have their own agenda…

The four ladies from the first one are gone (Flint says they all married, and I bet he was invited to all the weddings) and are replaced by three new women. (Flint tells his boss he is trying to cut back). Flint has learned new tricks, including learning to communicate with dolphins. And you can bet that is going to come in handy in the course of the movie.

The pacing in the second one is more slack, and the climax is a ridiculous one, with Flint blasting off into outer space to foil the plot. Secret agents and space do not mix. Never have and never will It’s too bad the Bond producers didn’t remember this when they made “Moonraker” (1979), arguably the nadir of the series.

Fox recently issued the two Flint films in a deluxe set, with about nine featurettes, examining different aspects of the series, from Coburn to 1960s spy movies, set design and musical scores (the two Goldsmith scores are great, by the way).

One of the featurettes does a nice job of explaining Coburn’s appeal and how there is no one like him today. How true. One of the experts says if James Coburn, Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson turned up in Hollywood today they would not be let through the front gates. Yet they were among the biggest stars of the 1960s and 1970s. Individuality is what makes great stars, not cookie cutter looks and mannerisms.

The Flint films are great fun, and remain supremely enjoyable time capsules of 1960s entertainment.

Rating for “Our Man Flint”: Three and a half stars.

Rating for “In Like Flint”: Two and a half stars.