Here are my top ten, with quotes from some of the best moments in their performances. There are some fairly significant
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Capote
Engage_With_Zorp — 17 years ago(January 20, 2009 02:48 PM)
Here are my top ten, with quotes from some of the best moments in their performances. There are some fairly significant SPOILERS in the quote from The Manchurian Candidate, and very minor spoilers for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
- F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus - "I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink strokes - at an absolute beauty."
- Kevin Spacey, American Beauty - "Today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go beep himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus."
- Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate - "But now, we have come almost to the end. One last step. And then when I take power, they will be pulled down and ground into dirt for what they did to you. And what they did in so contemptuously underestimating me."
- Frances McDormand, Fargo - "And here you are, and it's a beautiful day."
- James Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - "You think I'm licked. You all think I'm licked. Well, I'm not licked. And I'm going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. Even if the room gets filled with lies like these, and the Taylors and all their armies come marching into this place!"
- Kathy Bates, Misery - "THEY DO NOT! At the feedstore do I say, "Oh, now Wally, give me a bag of that F-in' pig feed, and a pound of that bitchly cow corn"? At the bank do I say, "Oh, Mrs. Malenger, here is one big bastard of a check, now give me some of your Christ-ing money!" THERE, LOOK THERE, NOW SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"
- Martin Landau, Ed Wood - "No more. I haven't worked in four years. This business, this town, it chews you up, then spits you out. [
pause
] I'm just an ex-boogeyman." - Audrey Toutou, Amelie - "Let me help you. Step down. Here we go! The drum major's widow! She's worn his coat since the day he died. The horse's head has lost an ear! That's the florist laughing. He has crinkly eyes. In the bakery window, lollipops. Smell that! They're giving out melon slices! Sugarplum, ice cream! We're passing the park butcher. Ham, 79 francs. Spareribs, 45! Now the cheese shop. Picadors are 12.90. Cabecaus 23.50. A baby's watching a dog that's watching the chickens. Now we're at the kiosk by the metro. I'll leave you here. Bye!"
- Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - "You know Billy, what worries me is how your mother is going to take this."
- Toshiro Mifune, Seven Samurai - "But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do?"
Honorable mentions: Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Orson Welles (Citizen Kane or Touch of Evil, take your pick), Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs), Tom Hanks (Cast Away, Philadelphia), and Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove).
This happens. This is something that happens.
-
floorrfiller — 17 years ago(March 12, 2009 02:46 PM)
It's hard to make a list when I feel like there is so much I haven't seen.
But from what I have, here's a top 5.
1.Meryl Streep - Sophie's Choice
2.Edward Norton - American History X
3.Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
4.Leonardo DiCaprio - What's Eating Gilbert Grape
5.Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight -
sethro_11 — 16 years ago(April 09, 2009 09:31 PM)
you guys got it all wrong
(no order except top 3)- Daniel Day-LewisThere Will Be Blood (and everything else he's in)
- Forrest WhitakerThe Last King of Scotland
- Jodie FosterSilence of the Lambs
Ellen BurstynRequiem for a Dream
Leonardo DiCaprioThe Aviator
Hilary SwankMillion Dollar Baby
Jamie FoxxRay
Haley Joel OsmentThe Sixth Sense (that's right)
Javier BardemNo Country For Old Men
Tom HanksForest Gump/The Terminal/Catch Me If You Can
-
bezerker412 — 16 years ago(April 28, 2009 08:14 PM)
1 Robert De Niro-Raging Bull
2 Daniel Day Lewis-There Will be Blood
3 Al Pacino-Dog Day Afternoon
4 Marlon Brando-A Streetcar Named Desire
5 Bette Davis-All About Eve
6 Ralph Fiennes-Schindlers List
7 James Stewart-Its a Wonderful Life
8 Al Pacino-The Godfather part 2
9 Daniel Day Lewis-Gangs of New York
10 Orson Welles-Citizen Kane
Honorable Mentions
Jack Lemmon-Some like it Hot
James Stewart-Mr Smith goes to Washington
Hilary Swank-Million Dollar Baby
Tom Hanks-Forest Gump
Humphrey Bogart-Casablanca -
meso97ts — 16 years ago(February 17, 2010 02:39 PM)
I can't narrow it down to a top 10, but here is a list of the 20 performances that, for whatever reason, have stayed with me through the years. The list is chronological.
- Eli Wallach - The Good The Bad And The Ugly - 1966
- Rod Steiger - In The Heat Of The Night - 1967
- Maggie Smith - The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie - 1969
- Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy - 1969
- George C. Scott - Patton - 1970
- Peter Sellers - Being There - 1979
- Ben Kingsley - Gandhi - 1982
- Al Pacino - Scarface - 1983
- F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus - 1984
- Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple - 1985
- Robin Williams - Dead Poet's Society - 1989
- Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump - 1994
- Burt Reynolds - Boogie Nights - 1997
- Johnny Depp - Pirates Of The Caribbean - 2003
- Jamie Fox - Ray! - 2004
- Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote - 2005
- Helen Mirren - The Queen - 2006
- Ioan Gruffudd - Amazing Grace - 2006
- Sean Penn - Milk - 2008
- Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight - 2008
-
treedcub — 16 years ago(February 21, 2010 05:14 PM)
Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice
Charlize Theron in Monster
Hillary Swank in Boys Don't Cry
Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People
Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People
Jack Nicholson in The Shining
Ben Kingsley in Ghandi (Or House of Sand and Fog)
Viggo Mortenson in Eastern Promises
Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront -
treedcub — 16 years ago(February 21, 2010 05:15 PM)
Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice
Charlize Theron in Monster
Hillary Swank in Boys Don't Cry
Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People
Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People
Jack Nicholson in The Shining
Ben Kingsley in Ghandi (Or House of Sand and Fog)
Viggo Mortenson in Eastern Promises
Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront -
treedcub — 16 years ago(February 21, 2010 05:21 PM)
Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice
Charlize Theron in Monster
Hillary Swank in Boys Don't Cry
Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People
Jack Nicholson in The Shining
Ben Kingsley in Ghandi (Or House of Sand and Fog)
Viggo Mortenson in Eastern Promises
Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront
Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
Honorable Mention:
Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People -
saybow69 — 16 years ago(February 21, 2010 06:27 PM)
I agree Hoffman great actor NO QUESTION! But i cant give him one of the best outstanding perfomances for this role, when pretty much unknown Toby Jones played him better or as good, i know you disagree. But many dont, so if you can have arguements over who he was played by better. That right there shows shouldnt be in top 10 let alone #3. Plus Daniel Craig was 100 times better as Perry Smith, so movie wasnt even better.
Penn in I Am Sam? Being a hyporite if i said Hanks was better then Penn in Forrest Gump, but just shows as with D. Hoffman also playing with a handicap and "My Left Foot" "Ray" etc. could go on and on, seems to be roles were you are handicap (blind), retarded (loony like Nicholson in "One Flew Over Cuckoos" WITCH BY FAR IS #1! HOW YOU THAT ROLE LEFT OFF? NO IDEA! But also played wierd in "As Good As It Gets", not even close to "Cukoos Nest" though) or gay man "Philadelphia" "Milk" etc awarded every yr as Tropic Thunder finally made fun of. Thank god!
So you gotta see the common theme in most of these great perfomances, 1 of those 3. Not all your list is like that, but alot on there and agree on a few. But no way "As Good As It Gets" ("Cuckoos Nest" way better!) and "I Am Sam" maybe if he played that role 30 yrs ago, but that bit was beat by then (Gump, Rainman, Awakenings etc) and movie sucked and not realistic at all, teachers or neighbors would have put a stop to that long ago, loved Forrest Gump (favorite movie) so not sure if thats why i think Hanks was better, cause movie so much better. So not sure if thats why? Will be honest, but threw out whole movie i didnt see Hanks, i saw Forrest and that`s all you can ask for. But those 3 roles are beat to death and awarded every yr? So cant be that hard if almost every big acter who plays that way is always being nominated. Deniro in "Awakenings" also good. Think Cruise was just as good as Dustin Hoffman, Hoffman was not that impressive nor was Penn, better in "MILK" (Gay, 1 of the 3 again). Cruise in "Born on 4th of July" should be on there (again handicap? ha, but he was great) we all just give to much credit to those 3 roles, and its not right, Cruise was brilliant though.
Dont know if this just male roles, but Kathy Bates in "Misery" or "Doloris Claibourne" (i liked better) deserve to be on list, but maybe just male list though. But gotta have Nicholson for Cuckoos Nest and Cruise for 4th of July more credit. Loved "Green Mile" but leaving off a Pacino (Godfather) and Deniro in any movie, but i loved him in "This Boys Life" (Great Movie and no credit) just hard to see M.C. Duncan in his 1st movie, even though good movie and neither one of those guys on list? But like i said i love P.S. Hoffman, but Capote was played just as good or at least darn close to same role, no way can he be #3? And Toby Jones isnt a huge star. Good list and all got different opinions, just find it odd its always 1 of thos 3 roles though, but "I Am Sam"? Fake and movie blew no matter how good he was, movie has to least be good. Agree on a few, but you gotta put Jack on there for "Cuckoos Nest" thats #1! and Nurse Ratched by Louise Fletcher might have been #1 for womens? So cant pass up that movie. Still good list though. -
abraz1-1 — 15 years ago(April 14, 2010 03:06 PM)
Great topic. This is kind of hard, but for now (IMO):
- Daniel Day Lewis- Gangs of New York
- Edward Norton- American History X
- Tom Cruise- Collateral
- Johnny Depp- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Bill Nighy- Pirates of the Caribben: Dead Man's Chest
- Edward Norton- Fight Club
- George Clooney- O' Brother Where Art Thou?
- Javier Bardem- No Country for Old Men
- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds
- Michael Keaton- Beetlejuice
Honorable mentions:
Geoffrey Rush- Pirates of the Caribbean
Christoph Waltz- Django Unchained
Daniel Day Lewis- There Will Be Blood
Russell Crowe- Gladiator
Joaquin Phoenix- Gladiator
Robert De Niro- Heat
Jack Nicholson- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Dustin Hoffman- Rain Man
Liam Neeson- Batman Begins
Christian Bale- Batman Begins
Denzel Washington- Training Day
Casey Affleck- The Assassination of Jesse James
Movies I still need to see (not limited to):
Saving Private Ryan
Magnolia
Capote
I Am Sam
The Green Mile
Traffic
Hotel Rwanda
Ray (2004)
The Aviator (2004)
Malcolm X
The Hurricane
A Beautiful Mind
Schindler's List
The Godfather
Raging Bull
Memento
Amistad
Mystic River
Miller's Crossing
Mulholland Dr.
-
chicomary — 15 years ago(May 02, 2010 04:59 PM)
Some of the greatest performances:
Gary Sinise - Forrest Gump
Dustin Hoffman - Rain Man
Gregory Peck - To Kill a Mockingbird
Kurt Russell - Miracle
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
Jamie Foxx - Ray
David Strathairn - Good Night and Good Luck
Gary Sinise and John Malcovich - Of Mice and Men -
jeremysuckz — 15 years ago(July 10, 2010 12:13 PM)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Marlon Brando - The Godfather
Jack Nicholson - The Shining
Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over The Cuckoo''s Nest
Brad Pitt - Fight Club
Edward Norton - American History X
Annette Benning - American Beauty
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Ellen Burnstyn - Requiem For A Dream
Sean Penn - Milk