Best Supporting Actor 1991: Results

5. Ben Kingsley in Bugsy-Kingsley gives a rather dull performance that never really even becomes comfortable with his gangster mannerisms he attempts to employ.

4. Harvey Keitel in Bugsy- Keitel certainly is as good as one could be as the gangster here being exactly as he should be unfortunately he does almost nothing over the course of the film.

3. Jack Palance in City Slickers- Palance like Keitel basically is exactly as he should be in his role, unfortunately just like Keitel he has far too little to do.

2. Michael Lerner in Barton Fink- Lerner is only in three scenes but he dominates the three scene with his rather enjoyable performance as the quick talking movie executive.

1. Tommy Lee Jones in JFK- Good Prediction RatedRStar. Tommy Lee Jones easily wins this year with his fascinating performance that carefully but very effectively creates the enigma of a man his character should be.

Deserving Performances:
John Goodman in Barton Fink
Ted Levine in The Silence of the Lambs
Gary Oldman in JFK

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Best Supporting Actor 1991: Michael Lerner in Barton Fink

Michael Lerner received his only Oscar nomination so far for portraying Jack Lipnick in Barton Fink.

Barton Fink depicts the strange story of a playwright hired for the movies to write a wrestling picture but suffers from writer's block well living in a bizarre hotel.

This is a strange nomination since after the watching the film I would think that anyone would most likely say the standout supporting performance in the film was by John Goodman as the strange neighbor of Barton's, but I guess maybe Goodman's character was a little too strange for them maybe his whole plot line so perhaps they decided to go with the character they could more fully understand the imposing studio boss played by Michael Lerner Jack Lipnick who hires Fink to write a wrestling picture that is to star Wallace Beery.

Lerner appears in only three scenes total as Lipnick although he is the domineering presence in all three of them. Jack Lipnick is forceful fast talking studio head who knows his business and talks fast, and is unpredictable in his way he praises Fink and ridicules his assistant. Lerner actually is quite good in these scenes and does bring all of these qualities to life. He dominates his scenes just as Jack Lipnick should dominate everything around him.

Lerner appropriately has humorous overtones to his performance which he includes in his performance without any sort of visible performance. It is a performance that more than simply fufills his roles because how effective he is in his scenes. Lerner role though is limited, and he does not make for the most memorable part of a film. Lerner's performance though is of course quite good though yet I can say he is that good really. Lerner is enjoyable presence in the film, but there isn't anything he does in the film that is absolutely amazing in the film though. He is a good few scenes wonder, but not one of the truly great ones.

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Best Supporting Actor 1991

And the Nominees Were

Ben Kingsley in Bugsy

Harvey Keitel in Bugsy

Jack Palance in City Slickers

Michael Lerner in Barton Fink

Tommy Lee Jones in JFK

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