Did They Get it Right? – Best Actor – Oscars 2000

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls)

Russell Crowe (Gladiator)

Tom Hanks (Cast Away)

Ed Harris (Pollock)

Geoffrey Rush (Quills)

Biggest Snub:

Guy Pierce – Memento

My Overall Thoughts:

This was an ok year for nominees. Crowe didn’t manage to win any of the awards before the Oscars, so his win came on the coattails of the films success.  It was also a year where three films vied for the top awards with all three basically splitting votes and coming out with similar number of wins (4) before the final award was announced.

My Rankings:

Acting Performances

5. Geoffrey Rush (Still not seen)
4. Javier Bardem (Still not seen)
3. Ed Harris 
2. Russell Crowe
1. Tom Hanks

Movies

5. Quills (Still Not seen)
4. Before Night Falls (Still Not seen)
3. Pollack – Nice biopic that is just as abstract as the subject matter, but Harris is still quite good here.
2. Gladiator – Excellent Epic movie, amazingly done by Ridley Scott, Great effects and music.
1. Cast Away – One of Hank’s best performances (and that isn’t say so easily) especially because he is able to hold more than half of the film just by himself. Loved the way that we get to see how getting stranded on an island can effect someone emotionally,. physically and also mentally. Amazing supporting cast helps us believe the character’s life in a way that we want to constantly root for him. Great theme song by Silvestri. The best film of the year IMHO because it has such a deep message about how each and every one of us lives our lives.

Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Not Really!  Crowe was much better the year before in The Insider (1999), and Hanks should have won his 3rd Oscar for role this year.  Despite this, Crowe was second best (based on the 3 performances that I saw for this year.)

Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!