Best Supporting Actor 1944: Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way

Barry Fitzgerald won his Oscar from his other Oscar nomination for also portraying Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way.

Barry Fitzgerald is the only actor to have been nominated twice for the same role in the same role in two different categories. Because of this I find it rather pointless to entirely re-review him as you can find my thoughts on him here. My thoughts have not changed in regards to his performance after watching the film once again. The only point of my review here is to explain the difference between rating a leading performance and a supporting one. Although I think it is easy enough to say a performance is a performance, but I would say there is a difference when looking at whether they are supporting or leading.

I do feel leading performances receive more expectations and appropriately so. There is a greater impact, and presence in a film that is expected from a leading performance. A supporting performance you still want to be memorable and have a lasting impact, but they don't have to be the most memorable aspect of a film or the most striking still to be a perfect supporting turn. The reason Fitzgerald did not get a five in his leading performance was he could not have this impact expected of the great leading performance simply because he was not a leading performance something he could not help.

As a leading performance I wanted more of Fitzgerald to allow for the appropriate presence in the film, but as a supporting turn Fitzgerald has more than enough time to realize his wonderful performance in a supporting fashion. He gives the perfect supporting performance. He is always enjoyable and heartwarming whenever he is in the film. He is always a joy and makes every moment he is in better that it would be otherwise, and becomes the best part of the film easily. He doesn't control the film as he is a supporting player as written, but in the role he is in he is perfect for it. As a leading role he simply is not given the allowance to realize a perfect lead performance, but he unquestionably does realize a perfect supporting one.

Posted in: 1944 Best Supporting Actor, Barry Fitzgerald