2003 Oscar Awards

Actor in a Leading Role
by Stepanie Morgan, Columbus Wired Columnist (3/18/03)

The five nominations for the four acting awards are chosen by actors and actresses. In this category, it is the performance by an actor that must be nominated. As for the distinction between “Leading” and “Supporting” – this is decided by the studios when the “for your consideration” advertisements hit. Each studio will support an actor/actress in the category where they feel that the person has the best shot at winning an award.

Nominees:

Adrien Brody – “The Pianist”

Nicolas Cage – “Adaptation”

Michael Caine – “The Quiet American”

Daniel Day-Lewis – “Gangs of New York”

Jack Nicholson – “About Schmidt”

Adrien Brody
Past Oscar Nominations	None.
Past Wins	2003 – BFCS Award “Best Actor” – “The Pianist” 2003 – Cesar Award “Best Actor” – “The Pianist” 2003 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “The Pianist” 2002 – International Festival of Action and Adventure Films Award “Best Actor” – “Love the Hard Way”
Pass-Overs	Brody has had a number of supporting roles in impressive films that have not garnered nominations. Most notably, his role as Richie in “Summer of Sam.” Note Golden Globe snub on even being nominated for performance in “The Pianist” as well.
Mirimax Factor	No.
Hip Factor	He’s the new kid on the block amongst the nominees.
# of Nominations	7
Age	30
Intangibles	The film is important, and the field is already crowded with prior winners, so this could work in Brody’s favor.

Nicholas Cage
Past Oscar Nominations	1996 – “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas”
Past Award Wins	2002 – TFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Adaptation” 2001 – Blockbuster Award “Favorite Actor” – “The Family Man” 1999 – Blockbuster Award “Favorite Actor” – “City of Angels” 1999 – Blockbuster Award “Favorite Actor” – “Snake Eyes” 1998 – Blockbuster Award “Favorite Actor” – “Face/Off” and “Con Air” 1998 – MTV Movie Award “Best On-Screen Duo” – “Face-Off” 1997 – Blockbuster Award “Favorite Actor” – “The Rock” 1997 – MTV Movie Award “Best On-Screen Duo” – “The Rock” 1996 – Oscar Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1996 – CFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1996 - DFWFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1996 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1996 – Screen Actors Guild Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1995 – BFCS Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1995 – LAFCS Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1995 – NBR Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1995 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1995 – Silver Seashell Award “Best Actor” – “Leaving Las Vegas” 1989 – Cantalonian Film Festival Award “Best Actor” – “Vampire’s Kiss”
Pass-Overs	More Serious roles in “8MM,” “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” and “Windtalkers.”
Miramax Factor	No.
Hip Factor	Spike Jonze does cool movies that are arty-but-mainstream. HIGH.
# of Nominations	4
Age	39
Intangibles	See all those MTV and Blockbuster awards? It says “I make good money making movies.” It does not say “I’m serious about my craft.”

Michael Caine
Past Oscar Nominations	2000 – “Best Supporting Actor” – “The Cider House Rules” 1987 – “Best Supporting Actor” – “Hannah and Her Sisters” 1984 – “Best Actor” – “Educating Rita” 1974 – “Best Actor” – “Sleuth” 1967 – “Best Actor” – “Alfie”
Past Award Wins	2003 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Actor” – “The Quiet American” 2003 – ALFS Award “Best Actor” – “The Quiet American” 2002 – SFFCC Award “Best Actor” – “The Quiet American” 2001 – NBR Award “Best Ensemble Performance” – “Last Orders” 2000 – Oscar Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “The Cider House Rules” 2000 – ALFS Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Little Voice” 2000 – Screen Actor Guild Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “The Cider House Rules” 1999 – British Independent Film Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Little Voice” 1999 – CFCA Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Little Voice” 1999 – Golden Globe Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Little Voice” 1987 – Oscar Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Hannah and Her Sisters” 1996 – Silver Seashell “Best Actor” – “Blood and Wine” 1989 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television” – “Jack the Ripper” 1984 – BAFTA Award “Best Actor” – “Educating Rita” 1984 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “Educating Rita” 1975 – Evening Standard British Film Award “Best Actor” – “Sleuth” 1967 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “Alfie”
Pass-Overs	The pass-over for “Little Voice” in 1999 (Oscar completely ignored the film) has been apologized for with two subsequent wins.
Miramax Factor	Yes.
Hip Factor	Brendan Fraiser was put into this film in hopes of breaking his “cheesy pseudo-action-film” roles, and to bring a younger crowd to a film that would have been ignored by the 18-35 set.
# of Nominations	1
Age	70
Intangibles	Cain is getting older, and has never won the big acting award. However, he has one film slated for release this year, is currently working on a project and will start on another this summer.

Daniel Day-Lewis
Past Oscar Nominations	1994 – “Best Actor” – “In The Name of the Father” 1990 – “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot”
Past Award Wins	2003 – BAFTA Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – BFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – CFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – FFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – KCFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – Sierra Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of new York” 2003 – LAFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – Screen Actors Guild Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2003 – VFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2002 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2002 – Seattle Film Critics Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 2002 – SEFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Gangs of New York” 1993 – BSFC Award “Best Actor” – “In The Name of the Father” 1993 – ALFS Award “Best Actor” – “In the Name of the Father” 1993 – Evening British Standard Film Award “Best Actor” – “Last of the Mohicans” 1990 – Oscar Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1990 – Evening British Standard Film Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1990 – ALFS Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1990 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1989 – BAFTA Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1989 – LAFCA Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1989 – Montreal World Film Festival Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1989 – Montreal World Film Festival Award “Prize of the Ecumenical Jury” – “My Left Foot” 1989 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “My Left Foot” 1986 – NBR Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “A Room With A View” 1986 – NYFCC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “My Beautiful Laundrette” 1986 – NYFCC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “A Room With A View”
Pass-Overs	The most notable is another Scorsese film - “Age of Innocence.”
Miramax Factor	Yes.
Hip Factor	Costume drama with an over-the-top moustache. So un-hip that it could be hip.
# of Nominations	10
Age	46
Intangibles	Daniel Day-Lewis is constantly rumored to be retired (he’s only acted in 14 films since 1971). His reputation is one of an actors-actor that only chooses to work if the piece is worthy. The Miramax publicity machine has been spinning a grand mythology about what it took to get him to be in the film.

Jack Nicholson
Past Oscar Nominations	1998 – “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1993 – “Best Supporting Actor” – “A Few Good Men” 1988 – “Best Actor” – “Ironweed” 1986 – “Best Actor” – “Prizzi’s Honor” 1984 – “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1982 – “Best Supporting Actor” – “Reds” 1976 – “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1975 – “Best Actor” – “Chinatown” 1974 – “Best Actor” – “The Last Detail” 1971 – “Best Actor” – “Five Easy Pieces” 1970 – “Best Supporting Actor” – “Easy Rider”
Past Award Wins	2003 – BFCA Award “Best Actor” – “About Schmidt” 2003 – DFWFCA Award “Best Actor” – “About Schmidt” 2003 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “About Schmidt” 2002 – LAFCA Award “Best Actor” – “About Schmidt” 1999 – ALFS Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – Oscar Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – American Comedy Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – BFCA Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – Golden Satellite Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – OFCS Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1998 – Screen Actors Guild Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1997 – NBR Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1993 – SEFCA Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “A Few Good Men” 1992 – NBR Award “Best Actor” – “As Good As It Gets” 1988 – Saturn Award “Best Actor” – “The Witches of Eastwick” 1987 – LAFCA Award “Best Actor” – “Ironweed” 1987 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “The Witches of Eastwick” 1987 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Ironweed” 1987 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Broadcast News” 1986 – BAFTA Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Reds” 1986 – BSFC Award “Best Actor” – “Prizzi’s Honor” 1986 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “Prizzi’s Honor” 1986 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “Prizzi’s Honor” 1985 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Prizzi’s Honor” 1984 – Oscar Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1984 – BSFC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1984 – Golden Globe Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1984 – NSFC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1983 – BAFTA Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Reds” 1983 – LAFCA Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1983 – NBR Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1983 – NYFCC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Terms of Endearment” 1982 – BSFC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Reds” 1981 – NBR Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Reds” 1977 – BAFTA Award “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1976 – Oscar Award “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1976 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1975 – BAFTA Award “Best Actor” – “Chinatown” 1975 – BAFTA Award “Best Actor” – “The Last Detail” 1975 – Golden Globe Award “Best Actor” – “Chinatown” 1975 – NBR Award “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1975 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1975 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “Chinatown” 1975 – NSFC Award “Best Actor” – “The Last Detail” 1975 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” 1974 – Cannes Film Award “Best Actor” – “The Last Detail” 1974 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Chinatown” 1974 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “The Last Detail” 1970 – Golden Laurel Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Easy Rider” 1970 – NSFC Award “Best Supporting Actor” – “Easy Rider” 1969 – NYFCC Award “Best Actor” – “Easy Rider”
Pass-Overs	You cannot possibly be serious – didn’t you just get through reading the list of awards?
Miramax Factor	No.
Hip Factor	Older people matter, too! Aging Academy members will appreciate this film.
# of Nominations	2
Age	66
Intangibles	His on-again, off-again affair with Laura Flynn Boyle (32), negates much of the “old-guy” factor that he enjoyed when winning for “As Good As It Gets.”

The Bottom Line:

Look for the Miramax factor, along with the acknowledgement that some actors can indeed do nothing but good films their entire career, to bring home a statue for Daniel-Day Lewis.

Cain and Nicholson will split the “old-guy” vote, and Cage will need to make a few more good films to make up for his string of not-so-good films. This leaves Brody as the only possible spoiler.

Actor in a Leading Role by Stepanie Morgan, Columbus Wired Columnist (3/18/03)

Actor in a Leading Role
by Stepanie Morgan, Columbus Wired Columnist (3/18/03)