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The year 2005 is a fairly infamous one on the movie front. Well, at least for Oscars aficionados. The choices for Best Picture, and the acting awards, were fairly sparse. Then, Crash won Best Picture. It’s now considered one of the worst Best Picture winners ever. Needless to say, nobody from Crash, nor the movie itself, is going to appear in my own film awards for 2005.
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Keener, Capote
Wow, this is a bad year for movies. Just in general. Keener is good as Harper Lee in Capote, because she is a talented actress. I have not seen Junebug, the movie that gave Amy Adams her breakout role and first Oscar nomination, so I do have to admit that. Without her in the mix, this was my only real choice.
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Harris, A History of Violence
This really came down to Harris versus William Hurt in the same film. Hurt is a little showier, but I remember seeing this movie in theaters and being more grabbed by Harris’ performance of the two. He’s playing more straightforward menacing, without the theatricality of Hurt, but I thought it worked better for the movie, and as a performance.
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
I agree with the Oscars here in giving Witherspoon this award. However, I think she’s quite good as June Carter Cash, but nothing special. This was not a strong year in general, but especially for lead actresses. I mean, even in Walk the Line, Witherspoon is decidedly playing second fiddle (country music term!) to Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash.
Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Once again, I agree with the Academy, but this time more strongly. I saw Capote in theaters, and was probably one of the few teenagers who did so. However, I knew about the Oscar buzz, and I wanted to see for myself. Hoffman did not disappoint. This is his only Oscar win, but he should have taken home at least a couple. His turn as Truman Capote is excellent.
Best Picture: The Ice Harvest
Of the movies actually nominated for Best Picture at the Academy, Capote was my favorite at the time, and still is. I had not seen Brokeback Mountain then, the favorite of most from what I can glean, but I have sense. It’s very good, but none of the actors really stand out to me. Ang Lee, the Best Director winner, earned that. Back in 2005, my favorite film of the year was The Ice Harvest, a dark comedy crime movie set around Christmas. Now, reflecting upon it, I did wonder if maybe the cynicism and the anti-Christmas cheer of the movie was just connecting to me as a teenager. As an adult, would I still enjoy the film? While it has dropped a bit in my mind, I still think it is the best-crafted film of 2005. It’s one of a handful of really good movies, but this crime comedy is the one I enjoy the most. Merry Christmas.
