The two macro articles I put up each time I do the Quest are the Viewer’s Guide and the Rankings. The Rankings are self-explanatory. The Viewer’s Guide is more universal. One is specific to the categories and picking winners. The Viewer’s Guide is more about how I feel about the films. If you wanted to find Oscar films to watch, you come here, and I tell you how I feel.
Last time I put out the Viewer’s Guide, it was done with a big color code, with each color used to signify how I felt about a film. Not the best system, especially since I put out hundreds of reviews each year on a star system. So we’re moving to the star system now.
Pretty simple — for each Oscar nominee’s film, I’ll assign a rating the way I’d assign a rating to any film I see each year. I don’t think anything’s gone under 2.5 stars, since I don’t think there are truly bad films nominated. The worst you’ll see is 2.5 stars, which for me means I was indifferent toward it. 3 stars is “pretty good.” 3.5 stars is “solid.” 4 stars is “liked it quite a bit.” 4.5 stars is “loved it.” And 5 stars is 5 stars.
The idea is for the ratings to help you find stuff you might like. Also, for each category I’ll tell you what I voted for, what I think would have held up as a winner from that category and how good a choice I think it was.
Here’s Best Actor:
2016 – Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge — * * * * (4 stars)
Ryan Gosling, La La Land — * * * * * (5 stars)
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Denzel Washington, Fences — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: A-
2015 – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Matt Damon, The Martian — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: B+/A-
2014 – Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything — * * * * (4 stars)
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher — * * * * (4 stars)
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game — * * * * (4 stars)
Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Michael Keaton, Birdman
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: B
2013 – Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club — * * * * (4 stars)
Christian Bale, American Hustle — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Bruce Dern, Nebraska — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: B+
2012 – Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Denzel Washington, Flight — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
What Would Have Held Up: N/A
The Choice: A
2011 – Jean Dujardin, The Artist — * * * * * (5 stars)
Demián Bichir, A Better Life — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
George Clooney, The Descendants — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy — * * * * * (5 stars)
Brad Pitt, Moneyball — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
What Would Have Held Up: Jury’s out on Dujardin. Clooney might have. Oldman could have.
The Choice: B-
2010 – Colin Firth, The King’s Speech — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Javier Bardem, Biutiful — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jeff Bridges, True Grit — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network — * * * * * (5 stars)
James Franco, 127 Hours — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
What Would Have Held Up: Firth
The Choice: B+
2009 – Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart — * * * * (4 stars)
George Clooney, Up in the Air — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Colin Firth, A Single Man — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Morgan Freeman, Invictus — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
What Would Have Held Up: Bridges
The Choice: B/B+
2008 – Sean Penn, Milk — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon — * * * * (4 stars)
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Sean Penn, Milk
What Would Have Held Up: Penn, and probably Rourke
The Choice: A
2007 – Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood — * * * * * (5 stars)
George Clooney, Michael Clayton — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
What Would Have Held Up: Daniel Day-Lewis, and then Clooney
The Choice: A+
2006 – Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Peter O’Toole, Venus — * * * (3 stars)
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
What Would Have Held Up: Whitaker
The Choice: B/B-
2005 – Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote — * * * * (4 stars)
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow — * * * * (4 stars)
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
What Would Have Held Up: Hoffman. Possibly Strathairn, or Ledger
The Choice: A-
2004 – Jamie Foxx, Ray — * * * * (4 stars)
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda — * * * * (4 stars)
Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Jamie Foxx, Ray
What Would Have Held Up: Foxx. Possibly DiCaprio. Maybe Cheadle
The Choice: B+
2003 – Sean Penn, Mystic River — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog — * * * * (4 stars)
Jude Law, Cold Mountain — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
What Would Have Held Up: Murray, if any
The Choice: D
2002 – Adrien Brody, The Pianist — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation — * * * * * (5 stars)
Michael Caine, The Quiet American — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Adrien Brody, The Pianist
What Would Have Held Up: Brody, Day-Lewis, possibly Nicholson, maybe Cage
The Choice: B+/A-
2001 – Denzel Washington, Training Day — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind — * * * * (4 stars)
Sean Penn, I Am Sam — * * * * (4 stars)
Will Smith, Ali — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind
What Would Have Held Up: Crowe, and to an extent Washington
The Choice: B-
2000 – Russell Crowe, Gladiator — * * * * * (5 stars)
Javier Bardem, Before Night Falls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Tom Hanks, Cast Away — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ed Harris, Pollock — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Geoffrey Rush, Quills — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Tom Hanks, Cast Away
What Would Have Held Up: Crowe kind of has, Hanks could have
The Choice: B/B-
1999 – Kevin Spacey, American Beauty — * * * * * (5 stars)
Russell Crowe, The Insider — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Sean Penn, Sweet and Lowdown — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Denzel Washington, The Hurricane — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Kevin Spacey, American Beauty
What Would Have Held Up: Spacey, Crowe, maybe Washington
The Choice: B+
1998 – Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ian McKellen, Gods and Monsters — * * * * (4 stars)
Nick Nolte, Affliction — * * * (3 stars)
Edward Norton, American History X — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Ian McKellen, Gods and Monsters
What Would Have Held Up: Hanks, McKellen. Potentially Norton
The Choice: C+
1997 – Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Gets — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Duvall, The Apostle — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Peter Fonda, Ulee’s Gold — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Dustin Hoffman, Wag the Dog — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Gets
What Would Have Held Up: If any, Nicholson
The Choice: B-
1996 – Geoffrey Rush, Shine — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient — * * * * (4 stars)
Woody Harrelson, The People vs. Larry Flynt — * * * * (4 stars)
Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade
What Would Have Held Up: Thornton, Harrelson, Rush a little bit
The Choice: B-
1995 – Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland’s Opus — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Anthony Hopkins, Nixon — * * * * (4 stars)
Sean Penn, Dead Man Walking — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Massimo Troisi, Il Postino — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas
What Would Have Held Up: Cage, and Penn
The Choice: B+
1994 – Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump — * * * * * (5 stars)
Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption — * * * * * (5 stars)
Nigel Hawthorne, The Madness of King George — * * * (3 stars)
Paul Newman, Nobody’s Fool — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Travolta, Pulp Fiction — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump
What Would Have Held Up: Hanks
The Choice: A-
1993 – Tom Hanks, Philadelphia — * * * * (4 stars)
Daniel Day-Lewis, In the Name of the Father — * * * * (4 stars)
Laurence Fishburne, What’s Love Got to Do with It — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Anthony Hopkins, The Remains of the Day — * * * * (4 stars)
Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List
What Would Have Held Up: Hanks seems like he has. Neeson
The Choice: C+/B-
1992 – Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Robert Downey Jr., Chaplin — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven — * * * * * (5 stars)
Stephen Rea, The Crying Game — * * * * (4 stars)
Denzel Washington, Malcolm X — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Denzel Washington, Malcolm X
What Would Have Held Up: Washington, to an extent Pacino. Eastwood maybe
The Choice: B
1991 – Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs — * * * * * (5 stars)
Warren Beatty, Bugsy — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert De Niro, Cape Fear — * * * * (4 stars)
Nick Nolte, The Prince of Tides — * * * (3 stars)
Robin Williams, The Fisher King — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
What Would Have Held Up: Hopkins, maybe Beatty
The Choice: A
1990 – Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune — * * * * (4 stars)
Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert De Niro, Awakenings — * * * * (4 stars)
Gérard Depardieu, Cyrano de Bergerac — * * * (3 stars)
Richard Harris, The Field — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune
What Would Have Held Up: If any, Irons mostly has.
The Choice: B-
1989 – Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Kenneth Branagh, Henry V — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July — * * * * (4 stars)
Morgan Freeman, Driving Miss Daisy — * * * * (4 stars)
Robin Williams, Dead Poet’s Society — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot
What Would Have Held Up: Day-Lewis, then Cruise
The Choice: A
1988 – Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man — * * * * * (5 stars)
Gene Hackman, Mississippi Burning — * * * * (4 stars)
Tom Hanks, Big — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Edward James Olmos, Stand and Deliver — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Max von Sydow, Pelle the Conqueror — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man
What Would Have Held Up: Hoffman
The Choice: A
1987 – Michael Douglas, Wall Street — * * * * (4 stars)
William Hurt, Broadcast News — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Marcello Mastroianni, Dark Eyes — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
Jack Nicholson, Ironweed — * * * (3 stars)
Robin Williams, Good Morning, Vietnam — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Michael Douglas, Wall Street
What Would Have Held Up: Douglas
The Choice: A-/B+
1986 – Paul Newman, The Color of Money — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Dexter Gordon, Round Midnight — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Bob Hoskins, Mona Lisa — * * * * (4 stars)
William Hurt, Children of a Lesser God — * * * * (4 stars)
James Woods, Salvador — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Paul Newman, The Color of Money
What Would Have Held Up: Newman
The Choice: B
1985 – William Hurt, Kiss of the Spider Woman — * * * * (4 stars)
Harrison Ford, Witness — * * * * (4 stars)
James Garner, Murphy’s Romance — * * * (3 stars)
Jack Nicholson, Prizzi’s Honor — * * * * (4 stars
Jon Voight, Runaway Train — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: William Hurt, Kiss of the Spider Woman
What Would Have Held Up: Hurt
The Choice: B
1984 – F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus — * * * * * (5 stars)
Jeff Bridges, Starman — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Albert Finney, Under the Volcano — * * * (3 stars)
Tom Hulce, Amadeus — * * * * * (5 stars)
Sam Waterston, The Killing Fields — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus
What Would Have Held Up: Abraham, Hulce
The Choice: A-
1983 – Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Michael Caine, Educating Rita — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Tom Conti, Reuben, Reuben — * * * (3 stars)
Tom Courtenay, The Dresser — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Albert Finney, The Dresser — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies
What Would Have Held Up: Duvall
The Choice: B
1982 – Ben Kingsley, Gandhi — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Dustin Hoffman, Tootsie — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Lemmon, Missing — * * * * (4 stars)
Paul Newman, The Verdict — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Peter O’Toole, My Favorite Year — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Paul Newman, The Verdict
What Would Have Held Up: Kingsley, Newman, maybe even Hoffman or O’Toole
The Choice: A-
1981 – Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Warren Beatty, Reds — * * * * (4 stars)
Burt Lancaster, Atlantic City — * * * * (4 stars)
Dudley Moore, Arthur — * * * * * (5 stars)
Paul Newman, Absence of Malice — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Dudley Moore, Arthur
What Would Have Held Up: Fonda mostly has. Beatty could have.
The Choice: B
1980 – Robert De Niro, Raging Bull — * * * * * (5 stars)
Robert Duvall, The Great Santini — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Hurt, The Elephant Man — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Lemmon, Tribute — * * * (3 stars)
Peter O’Toole, The Stunt Man — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Robert De Niro, Raging Bull
What Would Have Held Up: De Niro, then Hurt
The Choice: A+
1979 – Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Lemmon, The China Syndrome — * * * * (4 stars)
Al Pacino, …And Justice for All — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Roy Scheider, All That Jazz — * * * * * (5 stars)
Peter Sellers, Being There — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer
What Would Have Held Up: Hoffman, Sellers, Scheider maybe
The Choice: A-
1978 – Jon Voight, Coming Home — * * * * (4 stars)
Warren Beatty, Heaven Can Wait — * * * * (4 stars)
Gary Busey, The Buddy Holly Story — * * * (3 stars)
Robert De Niro, The Deer Hunter — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, The Boys From Brazil — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Jon Voight, Coming Home
What Would Have Held Up: Voight. Maybe De Niro
The Choice: B+
1977 – Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Girl — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Woody Allen, Annie Hall — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Richard Burton, Equus — * * * (3 stars)
Marcello Mastroianni, A Special Day — * * * (3 stars)
John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Girl
What Would Have Held Up: If any, Dreyfuss. Doubtful Allen, possibly Travolta
The Choice: B-
1976 – Peter Finch, Network — * * * * * (5 stars)
Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver — * * * * * (5 stars)
Giancarlo Giannini, Seven Beauties — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
William Holden, Network — * * * * * (5 stars)
Sylvester Stallone, Rocky — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Peter Finch, Network
What Would Have Held Up: Finch, De Niro, maybe even Stallone. Maybe Holden.
The Choice: A-
1975 – Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — * * * * * (5 stars)
Walther Matthau, The Sunshine Boys — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon — * * * * * (5 stars)
Maximilian Schell, The Man in the Glass Booth — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
James Whitmore, Give ‘em Hell, Harry! — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon
What Would Have Held Up: Nicholson, probably Pacino
The Choice: A
1974 – Art Carney, Harry and Tonto — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Albert Finney, Murder on the Orient Express — * * * * (4 stars)
Dustin Hoffman, Lenny — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Nicholson, Chinatown — * * * * * (5 stars)
Al Pacino, The Godfather, Part II — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Al Pacino, The Godfather Part II
What Would Have Held Up: Pacino, Nicholson, potentially Hoffman (but after those two)
The Choice: C-
1973 – Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Marlon Brando, Last Tango in Paris — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Jack Nicholson, The Last Detail — * * * * (4 stars)
Al Pacino, Serpico — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert Redford, The Sting — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger
What Would Have Held Up: Lemmon mostly has. Nicholson. Maybe Pacino
The Choice: B/B+
1972 – Marlon Brando, The Godfather — * * * * * (5 stars)
Michael Caine, Sleuth — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Sleuth — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Peter O’Toole, The Ruling Class — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Paul Winfield, Sounder — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Marlon Brando, The Godfather
What Would Have Held Up: Brando
The Choice: A+
1971 – Gene Hackman, The French Connection — * * * * * (5 stars)
Peter Finch, Sunday Bloody Sunday — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
Walther Matthau, Kotch — * * * (3 stars)
George C. Scott, The Hospital — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Gene Hackman, The French Connection
What Would Have Held Up: Hackman
The Choice: B/B+
1970 – George C. Scott, Patton — * * * * (4 stars)
Melvyn Douglas, I Never Sang for My Father — * * * (3 stars)
James Earl Jones, The Great White Hope — * * * * (4 stars)
Jack Nicholson, Five Easy Pieces — * * * * (4 stars)
Ryan O’Neal, Love Story — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: George C. Scott, Patton
What Would Have Held Up: Scott, maybe Jones, possibly Nicholson
The Choice: A
1969 – John Wayne, True Grit — * * * * (4 stars)
Richard Burton, Anne of the Thousand Days — * * * * (4 stars)
Dustin Hoffman, Midnight Cowboy — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Peter O’Toole, Goodbye, Mr. Chips — * * * (3 stars)
Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Dustin Hoffman, Midnight Cowboy
What Would Have Held Up: Wayne kind of has. Hoffman would have.
The Choice: C+
1968 – Cliff Robertson, Charly — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Alan Arkin, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter — * * * * (4 stars)
Alan Bates, The Fixer — * * * (3 stars)
Ron Moody, Oliver! — * * * * (4 stars)
Peter O’Toole, The Lion in Winter — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Peter O’Toole, The Lion in Winter
What Would Have Held Up: O’Toole, if any
The Choice: C
1967 – Rod Steiger, In the Heat of the Night — * * * * (4 stars)
Warren Beatty, Bonnie and Clyde — * * * * * (5 stars)
Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate — * * * * * (5 stars)
Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke — * * * * * (5 stars)
Spencer Tracy, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate
What Would Have Held Up: Honestly, all of them
The Choice: B+
1966 – Paul Scofield, A Man for All Seasons — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Alan Arkin, The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming — * * * * (4 stars)
Richard Burton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — * * * * * (5 stars)
Michael Caine, Alfie — * * * * (4 stars)
Steve McQueen, The Sand Pebbles — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Paul Scofield, A Man for All Seasons
What Would Have Held Up: Scofield, then Burton
The Choice: A
1965 – Lee Marvin, Cat Ballou — * * * * (4 stars)
Richard Burton, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Othello — * * * (3 stars)
Rod Steiger, The Pawnbroker — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Oskar Werner, Ship of Fools — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Richard Burton, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
What Would Have Held Up: Burton, maybe Steiger
The Choice: C-
1964 – Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Richard Burton, Becket — * * * * (4 stars)
Peter O’Toole, Becket — * * * * (4 stars)
Anthony Quinn, Zorba the Greek — * * * * (4 stars)
Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove
What Would Have Held Up: Harrison sort of has. Sellers.
The Choice: B
1963 – Sidney Poitier, Lilies of the Field — * * * (3 stars)
Albert Finney, Tom Jones — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Richard Harris, This Sporting Life — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Rex Harrison, Cleopatra — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Paul Newman, Hud — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Paul Newman, Hud
What Would Have Held Up: Newman, maybe Harris. Poitier has on achievement, but not specific performance
The Choice: B-/C+ (and also A)
1962 – Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird — * * * * * (5 stars)
Burt Lancaster, Birdman of Alcatraz — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Jack Lemmon, Days of Wine and Roses — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Marcello Mastroianni, Divorce, Italian Style — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Peter O’Toole, Lawrence of Arabia — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird
What Would Have Held Up: Peck, O’Toole
The Choice: A+
1961 – Maximilian Schell, Judgment at Nuremberg — * * * * * (5 stars)
Charles Boyer, Fanny — * * * * (4 stars)
Paul Newman, The Hustler — * * * * * (5 stars)
Spencer Tracy, Judgment at Nuremberg — * * * * * (5 stars)
Stuart Whitman, The Mark — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Maximilian Schell, Judgment at Nuremberg
What Would Have Held Up: Schell, Newman
The Choice: B+/A-
1960 – Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Trevor Howard, Sons and Lovers — * * * * (4 stars)
Jack Lemmon, The Apartment — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, The Entertainer — * * * (3 stars)
Spencer Tracy, Inherit the Wind — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry
What Would Have Held Up: Lancaster. Possibly Lemmon. Tracy too.
The Choice: A-
1959 – Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Laurence Harvey, Room at the Top — * * * * (4 stars)
Jack Lemmon, Some Like it Hot — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Paul Muni, The Last Angry Man — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
James Stewart, Anatomy of a Murder — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: James Stewart, Anatomy of a Murder
What Would Have Held Up: Heston kind of has. Stewart
The Choice: B+/B
1958 – David Niven, Separate Tables — * * * * (4 stars)
Tony Curtis, The Defiant Ones — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Sidney Poitier, The Defiant Ones — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Spencer Tracy, The Old Man and the Sea — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
What Would Have Held Up: Newman, probably Poitier. Maybe Curtis
The Choice: C+
1957 – Alec Guinness, The Bridge on the River Kwai — * * * * * (5 stars)
Marlon Brando, Sayonara — * * * * (4 stars)
Anthony Franciosa, A Hatful of Rain — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Charles Laughton, Witness for Prosecution — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Anthony Quinn, Wild is the Wind — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Alec Guinness, The Bridge on the River Kwai
What Would Have Held Up: Guinness
The Choice: A
1956 – Yul Brynner, The King and I — * * * * (4 stars)
James Dean, Giant — * * * * * (5 stars)
Kirk Douglas, Lust for Life — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Rock Hudson, Giant — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Richard III — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Rock Hudson, Giant
What Would Have Held Up: Hudson, Dean, Brynner kind of has
The Choice: B/B+
1955 – Ernest Borgnine, Marty — * * * * * (5 stars)
James Cagney, Love Me or Leave Me — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
James Dean, East of Eden — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Frank Sinatra, The Man with the Golden Arm — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Spencer Tracy, Bad Day at Black Rock — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Frank Sinatra, The Man with the Golden Arm
What Would Have Held Up: Borgnine has. Sinatra would have. Dean would have.
The Choice: B+
1954 – Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront — * * * * * (5 stars)
Humphrey Bogart, The Caine Mutiny — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Bing Crosby, The Country Girl — * * * * (4 stars)
James Mason, A Star is Born — * * * * (4 stars)
Dan O’Herlihy, Robison Crusoe — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront
What Would Have Held Up: Brando first. Then Bogart and Crosby.
The Choice: A+
1953 – William Holden, Stalag 17 — * * * * * (5 stars)
Marlon Brando, Julius Caesar — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Richard Burton, The Robe — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Montgomery Clift, From Here to Eternity — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Burt Lancaster, From Here to Eternity — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: William Holden, Stalag 17
What Would Have Held Up: Holden. Probably Clift or Lancaster
The Choice: B+
1952 – Gary Cooper, High Noon — * * * * * (5 stars)
Marlon Brando, Viva Zapata! — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Kirk Douglas, The Bad and the Beautiful — * * * * * (5 stars)
José Ferrer, Moulin Rouge — * * * * (4 stars)
Alec Guinness, The Lavender Hill Mob — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Gary Cooper, High Noon
What Would Have Held Up: Cooper, probably Douglas
The Choice: B+/A-
1951 – Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire — * * * * * (5 stars)
Montgomery Clift, A Place in the Sun — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Arthur Kennedy, Bright Victory — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Fredric March, Death of a Salesman — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire
What Would Have Held Up: Brando, then Bogart
The Choice: B
1950 – José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac — * * * (3 stars)
Louis Calhern, The Magnificent Yankee — * * * (3 stars)
William Holden, Sunset Boulevard — * * * * * (5 stars)
James Stewart, Harvey — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Spencer Tracy, Father of the Bride — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: William Holden, Sunset Boulevard
What Would Have Held Up: Holden, Stewart, if any
The Choice: C
1949 – Broderick Crawford, All the King’s Men — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Kirk Douglas, Champion — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Gregory Peck, Twelve O’Clock High — * * * * (4 stars)
Richard Todd, The Hasty Heart — * * * * (4 stars)
John Wayne, Sands of Iwo Jima — * * * * (4 stars
My Vote: Broderick Crawford, All the King’s Men
What Would Have Held Up: Crawford
The Choice: A
1948 – Laurence Olivier, Hamlet — * * * * (4 stars)
Lew Ayres, Johnny Belinda — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Montgomery Clift, The Search — * * * * (4 stars)
Dan Dailey, When My Baby Smiles at Me — * * * (3 stars)
Clifton Webb, Sitting Pretty — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Laurence Olivier, Hamlet
What Would Have Held Up: Olivier
The Choice: B+/A-
1947 – Ronald Colman, A Double Life — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
John Garfield, Body and Soul — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Gregory Peck, Gentleman’s Agreement — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
William Powell, Life with Father — * * * (3 stars)
Michael Redgrave, Mourning Becomes Electra — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Gregory Peck, Gentleman’s Agreement
What Would Have Held Up: Peck. Colman somewhat has.
The Choice: C+
1946 – Fredric March, The Best Years of Our Lives — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Henry V — * * * * (4 stars)
Larry Parks, The Jolson Story — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Gregory Peck, The Yearling — * * * * (4 stars)
James Stewart, It’s a Wonderful Life — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: James Stewart, It’s a Wonderful Life
What Would Have Held Up: March, Stewart
The Choice: A
1945 – Ray Milland, The Lost Weekend — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Bing Crosby, The Bells of St. Mary’s — * * * * (4 stars)
Gene Kelley, Anchors Aweigh — * * * * (4 stars)
Gregory Peck, The Keys of the Kingdom — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Cornel Wilde, A Song to Remember — * * ½ (2.5 stars)
My Vote: Ray Milland, The Lost Weekend
What Would Have Held Up: Milland
The Choice: A-
1944 – Bing Crosby, Going My Way — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Charles Boyer, Gaslight — * * * * (4 stars)
Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Cary Grant, None But the Lonely Heart — * * * * (4 stars)
Alexander Knox, Wilson — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Cary Grant, None But the Lonely Heart
What Would Have Held Up: Grant, Crosby mostly has
The Choice: B
1943 – Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine — * * * (3 stars)
Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca — * * * * * (5 stars)
Gary Cooper, For Whom the Bell Tolls — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Walter Pidgeon, Madame Curie — * * * (3 stars)
Mickey Rooney, The Human Comedy — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca
What Would Have Held Up: Bogart
The Choice: C+
1942 – James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy — * * * * * (5 stars)
Ronald Colman, Random Harvest — * * * * * (5 stars)
Gary Cooper, The Pride of the Yankees — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Walter Pidgeon, Mrs. Miniver — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Monty Woolley, The Pied Piper — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy
What Would Have Held Up: Cagney, then Cooper
The Choice: B+
1941 – Gary Cooper, Sergeant York — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Cary Grant, Penny Serenade — * * * * (4 stars)
Walter Huston, The Devil and Daniel Webster — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert Montgomery, Here Comes Mr. Jordan — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Orson Welles, Citizen Kane — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
What Would Have Held Up: Welles first. Then Cooper
The Choice: B
1940 – James Stewart, The Philadelphia Story — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath — * * * * * (5 stars)
Raymond Massey, Abe Lincoln in Illinois — * * * (3 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Rebecca — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath
What Would Have Held Up: Fonda, Chaplin
The Choice: C-
1939 – Robert Donat, Goodbye, Mr. Chips — * * * * (4 stars)
Clark Gable, Gone with the Wind — * * * * * (5 stars)
Laurence Olivier, Wuthering Heights — * * * * (4 stars)
Mickey Rooney, Babes in Arms — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
James Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: James Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
What Would Have Held Up: Stewart. Donat does on performance, just not over Stewart.
The Choice: B
1938 – Spencer Tracy, Boys Town — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Charles Boyer, Algiers — * * * * (4 stars)
James Cagney, Angels with Dirty Faces — * * * * (4 stars)
Robert Donat, The Citadel — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Leslie Howard, Pygmalion — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Leslie Howard, Pygmalion
What Would Have Held Up: Tracy does on paper. Cagney would have. Howard could have.
The Choice: D
1937 – Spencer Tracy, Captains Courageous — * * * * (4 stars)
Charles Boyer, Conquest — * * * (3 stars)
Fredric March, A Star is Born — * * * * * (5 stars)
Robert Montgomery, Night Must Fall — * * * (3 stars)
Paul Muni, The Life of Emile Zola — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Spencer Tracy, Captains Courageous
What Would Have Held Up: Tracy, maybe March, Muni on performance alone
The Choice: B
1936 – Paul Muni, The Story of Louis Pasteur — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Gary Cooper, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Walter Huston, Dodsworth — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
William Powell, My Man Godfrey — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Spencer Tracy, San Francisco — * * * * (4 stars)
My Vote: Walter Huston, Dodsworth
What Would Have Held Up: Huston, Muni sort of has, maybe Cooper
The Choice: C/C+
1935 – Victor McLaglen, The Informer — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Clark Gable, Mutiny on the Bounty — * * * * * (5 stars)
Charles Laughton, Mutiny on the Bounty — * * * * * (5 stars)
Paul Muni, Black Fury — * * * (3 stars)
Franchot Tone, Mutiny on the Bounty — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Charles Laughton, Mutiny on the Bounty
What Would Have Held Up: Laughton, McLaglen
The Choice: B+
1934 – Clark Gable, It Happened One Night — * * * * * (5 stars)
Frank Morgan, The Affairs of Cellini — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
William Powell, The Thin Man — * * * * * (5 stars)
My Vote: Clark Gable, It Happened One Night
What Would Have Held Up: Gable, and maybe Powell
The Choice: B+
1932-1933 – Charles Laughton, The Private Life of Henry VIII — * * * (3 stars)
Leslie Howard, Berkeley Square — * * * (3 stars)
Paul Muni, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
My Vote: Paul Muni, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
What Would Have Held Up: Muni, Laughton
The Choice: C
1931-1932 – Wallace Beery, The Champ — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Alfred Lunt, The Guardsman — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
My Vote: Wallace Beery, The Champ
What Would Have Held Up: Beery was best
The Choice: B+
1930-1931 – Lionel Barrymore, A Free Soul — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Adolphe Menjou, The Front Page — * * * * (4 stars)
Jackie Cooper, Skippy — * * * * ½ (4.5 stars)
Richard Dix, Cimarron — * * * * (4 stars)
Fredric March, The Royal Family of Broadway — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Jackie Cooper, Skippy
What Would Have Held Up: Barrymore’s fine
The Choice: C/C+
1929-1930 – George Arliss, Disraeli — * * * (3 stars)
George Arliss, The Green Goddess — * * * (3 stars)
Wallace Beery, The Big House — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Maurice Chevalier, The Big Pond — * * * (3 stars)
Maurice Chevalier, The Love Parade — * * * * (4 stars)
Ronald Colman, Bulldog Drummond — * * * (3 stars)
Ronald Colman, Condemned — * * * (3 stars)
Lawrence Tibbett, The Rogue Song — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Wallace Beery, The Big House
What Would Have Held Up: If any… honestly any, actor-wise. Performances — ehh.
The Choice: C
1928-1929 – Warner Baxter, In Old Arizona — * * * (3 stars)
George Bancroft, Thunderbolt — * * * (3 stars)
Chester Morris, Alibi — * * * (3 stars)
Paul Muni, The Valiant — * * * (3 stars)
Lewis Stone, The Patriot — LOST
My Vote: Warner Baxter, In Old Arizona
What Would Have Held Up: Baxter, if any
The Choice: B
1927-1928 – Emil Jannings, The Last Command — * * * ½ (3.5 stars)
Emil Jannings, The Way of All Flesh — LOST
Richard Barthelmess, The Noose — N/A (Haven’t seen yet)
Richard Barthelmess, The Patent Leather Kid — * * * (3 stars)
My Vote: Emil Jannings, The Last Command & The Way of All Flesh
What Would Have Held Up: Jannings
The Choice: B/B+
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from B+ Movie Blog http://ift.tt/2qXgwpw
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