Jaye Davidson- The Crying Game

[Sabin]

I love Unforgiven but that does not happen at all. I am rooting for Clint Eastwood.

If Eastwood were to truly subvert our expectations, he would star as Little Bill and not William Munny.

[MovieFan]

Only Jack Nicholson's clichéd performance in A Few Good Men sticks out like a sore thumb in this fantastic lineup of performances. 1992's lineup isn't as strong as 1993's or 1994's, but it has to be thought of as one of the Academy's finest hours. Nicholson should have made way for Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs), Al Freeman, Jr. (Malcolm X), anybody from Glengarry Glenn Ross, or especially Sydney Pollack (Husbands and Wives). Fuck, give it to Robin Williams for Aladdin. Unless I'm mistaken, A Few Good Men went from front-runner to afterthought faster than any nominee since The Green Mile. In retrospect, we should all be grateful that he didn't win!

I'm a little amazed that David Paymer actually did get a nomination. While the film flopped and I don't recall its release date, he's an incredibly powerful presence that steers Crystal's mess of a film on track whenever he's on-screen. It's rooted in pathos - not pathetic. At one point in the rest of his career, I'd like to see him do something different or better. The following year or so, he would be cast as an interchangeable desk-head in Quiz Show, and there he would remain for his career, but he is very strong.

As I scroll through the Golden Globes that year, I see that the Dramatic Nominations went to Pacino, Cruise, Downey Jr., Washington, and Jack Nicholson for his also-Razzie-nommed Hoffa. I have no idea why Jack Lemmon wasn't nominated. Then again, it seems like this entire precursor season was a bit fluky. While I would fully expect the awards to divide between Lemmon and Washington, one group went for Clint Eastwood and the other for Stephen Rea. In retrospect, that should have done it for Washington. He needed a sweep to challenge the hokem of Pacino. But Lemmon is astonishing, and so in retrospect while Al Pacino tears up Glengarry Glenn Ross he can't help but pale a bit. I really wish they had cast Mantegna if only to see his allegedly revelatory work. He always struck me as an actor who never quite got his great on-screen role and was always primed. While Donnie Brasco is his greatest work since Dog Day Afternoon and likely will be until he dies, I think Glengarry Glenn Ross features the greatest Old Pacino performance of our time, the cavalier, self-indulgent line-readings because that is exactly what Ricky Roma is about. He's all about making everything he says sound like ruminating rhythms. It works very well and I can't begrudge his nomination a bit.

Next to Martin Landau in Ed Wood, Gene Hackman's is the best win in this category of the decade. Interesting though, to read Unforgiven without knowledge of who is Clint Eastwood and who is Gene Hackman is to read the story of two ideological heroes who intersect. So while Eastwood's performance is one of his best along with Million Dollar Baby, his casting telegraphs where the audience's sympathies lie, and the ready nastiness of Hackman which had been on all too obvious display after The Conversation (and wouldn't be truly subverted into something stronger, like his possibly career-best performance in The Royal Tenenbaums) only assists in this. He's fantastic, but he can't help but be Gene Hackman in the film.

Unforgiven is a great film, the best of Eastwood's career IMO, and Hackman is a deserving winner. I have not seen The Crying Game in ages, but I recall thinking that Stephen Rea assisted immeasurably in allowing the viewer to perceive Davidson through his longing eyes. Rea's nomination is just as deserving as Washington's for Malcolm X would have been an equally deserving underdog triumph over Pacino. As for the strength of Davidson, I can't say. I'd have to check it out again. I remember him being awesome.

Loved reading this post Sabin. Thanks. I agree with you on Lemmon. I think whats fantastic about Unforgiven is how you go into the film thinking Hackman is going to be the man you will root for but as the story progresses the more much more sinister and darker layers unravel revealing Little Bill to be just as sadistic as Wiliam Munny is. almost like Little Bill is also trying to put his dark past behind him by clinging on to things he feels represent what normal people do like building a house which he cant do very well, the only thing he knows is violence

[Sabin]

Only Jack Nicholson's clichéd performance in A Few Good Men sticks out like a sore thumb in this fantastic lineup of performances. 1992's lineup isn't as strong as 1993's or 1994's, but it has to be thought of as one of the Academy's finest hours. Nicholson should have made way for Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs), Al Freeman, Jr. (Malcolm X), anybody from Glengarry Glenn Ross, or especially Sydney Pollack (Husbands and Wives). Fuck, give it to Robin Williams for Aladdin. Unless I'm mistaken, A Few Good Men went from front-runner to afterthought faster than any nominee since The Green Mile. In retrospect, we should all be grateful that he didn't win!

I'm a little amazed that David Paymer actually did get a nomination. While the film flopped and I don't recall its release date, he's an incredibly powerful presence that steers Crystal's mess of a film on track whenever he's on-screen. It's rooted in pathos - not pathetic. At one point in the rest of his career, I'd like to see him do something different or better. The following year or so, he would be cast as an interchangeable desk-head in Quiz Show, and there he would remain for his career, but he is very strong.

As I scroll through the Golden Globes that year, I see that the Dramatic Nominations went to Pacino, Cruise, Downey Jr., Washington, and Jack Nicholson for his also-Razzie-nommed Hoffa. I have no idea why Jack Lemmon wasn't nominated. Then again, it seems like this entire precursor season was a bit fluky. While I would fully expect the awards to divide between Lemmon and Washington, one group went for Clint Eastwood and the other for Stephen Rea. In retrospect, that should have done it for Washington. He needed a sweep to challenge the hokem of Pacino. But Lemmon is astonishing, and so in retrospect while Al Pacino tears up Glengarry Glenn Ross he can't help but pale a bit. I really wish they had cast Mantegna if only to see his allegedly revelatory work. He always struck me as an actor who never quite got his great on-screen role and was always primed. While Donnie Brasco is his greatest work since Dog Day Afternoon and likely will be until he dies, I think Glengarry Glenn Ross features the greatest Old Pacino performance of our time, the cavalier, self-indulgent line-readings because that is exactly what Ricky Roma is about. He's all about making everything he says sound like ruminating rhythms. It works very well and I can't begrudge his nomination a bit.

Next to Martin Landau in Ed Wood, Gene Hackman's is the best win in this category of the decade. Interesting though, to read Unforgiven without knowledge of who is Clint Eastwood and who is Gene Hackman is to read the story of two ideological heroes who intersect. So while Eastwood's performance is one of his best along with Million Dollar Baby, his casting telegraphs where the audience's sympathies lie, and the ready nastiness of Hackman which had been on all too obvious display after The Conversation (and wouldn't be truly subverted into something stronger, like his possibly career-best performance in The Royal Tenenbaums) only assists in this. He's fantastic, but he can't help but be Gene Hackman in the film.

Unforgiven is a great film, the best of Eastwood's career IMO, and Hackman is a deserving winner. I have not seen The Crying Game in ages, but I recall thinking that Stephen Rea assisted immeasurably in allowing the viewer to perceive Davidson through his longing eyes. Rea's nomination is just as deserving as Washington's for Malcolm X would have been an equally deserving underdog triumph over Pacino. As for the strength of Davidson, I can't say. I'd have to check it out again. I remember him being awesome.

[Greg]

Anymore thoughts?

I wonder how ego deflating it was for Jaye Davidson to have done a frontal nude scene and still have many people think he was a woman.

[MovieFan]

Glad you guys agree. Anymore thoughts?

[Big Magilla]

It was definitely the gimmick, especially since many who voted for him didn't have a clue until the gimmick was revealed.

[MovieFan]

Glad you agree Reza, my friends are big Davidson supporters, im the only one that roots for Hackman lol

[Reza]

I agree it was the novelty of the part that got Davidson the nomination. He was very bland and one note throughout.

[MovieFan]

I apologise if this wasnt the right place to put this topic I wasnt sure, but it relates to an Oscar discussion. Just wanted to catch youe guys thoughts on Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game. I just watched this recently with a lot of expectation because I heard people build this film up, especially Davidson's performance, but I watched it and felt completely underwhelmed with his performance, and found it baffling that some people think he deserved to win (I respect their opinions of course) and that he was even nominated. I understand that it was his first film so it is somewhat admirable, but I could really see his inexperience in some scenes, he came off almost wooden to me with very flat emotion. Even the scenes where he is emotional didnt feel organic and rang false to me, too much transition from one emotion to the next without any real flow behind it. I cant help feel that it was the gimmick that got the nomination. Im glad the academy opted for Gene Hackman's complex performance in Unforgiven, which has actually become somewhat underrated, I think its one of the most deserving supporting actor wins

Stephan Rea on the other hand was excellent and was unfortunately overshadowed by the showy Davidson performance, but he deserved his nomination