decade revisited: 2004, part 2

The Nominees: All right, so this is a bit of a random line-up, I know. Let's get this out of the way first - yes, I nominated Dustin Hoffman for Meet the Fockers. Yes, I was caught up in the excitement of real thespians playing it silly (just wait for the next category). And, finally, yes, I understand that it is hardly one of the best performances of that year. Oh, what a difference five years makes. Now on to the rest of the list: Carradine was totally robbed of an Oscar nod for this great turn, Owen is very clearly at his best in Closer (although many would call me a blasphemer in favor of Children of Men), and Ruffalo and Davis were both thrown by the wayside in favor of their more lauded co-stars. But not so at the LCT Awards!

Revisions: Other than the obvious (sorry Mr. Hoffman), I feel pretty satisfied with this group. Though they're some admirable performances in an otherwise great year for movies, it's probably the weakest of the five major categories. I'd keep the other four gents and add in Jeremy Irons for Being Julia for the fifth slot. In retrospect, though, I'd likely give it to Owen instead.

The Nominees: Like some previous entries, looking at the names alone, it's a pretty standard and somewhat impressive line-up (and the eventual winner is probably the least likely victor). But glancing down at their nominated films, it seems that only Blanchett and Portman are the awards mainstays from 2004. As mentioned above, Streisand got nominated in a fluke of awe; also as mentioned above, Dunst is a member of Eternal Sunshine's ensemble that got overlooked; and as mentioned in a previous Merylfest post, Streep's take on Aunt Josephine was a delight!

Revisions: In hindsight, like the previous category, the first four would likely stay, while Streisand's spot would likely be taken by Emma Thompson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. As for the winner, at this point, Dunst would probably come in fifth place. The win would almost assuredly be Portman's, as her performance gets better every time I see Closer.