Ranking the Oscar-Nominated Performances in Steven Spielberg's Films

Mark Rylance’s best supporting actor nomination for Bridge of Spies marks the 13th time a performance in a Steven Spielberg movie has been nominated for an Oscar. Which of course calls for a list, so without any further ado here's Murtada's ranking. 

Oscar Nominated Performances in Spielberg Films Ranked

13- Anthony Hopkins - Amistad (1997)
Other Nominees: Robert Forster – Jackie Brown, Greg Kinnear – As Good as It Gets, Burt Reynolds – Boogie Nights, Robin Williams – Good Will Hunting.
Winner: Williams

Did Hopkins have a big righteous courtroom speech? Must be, because why else was this performance nominated. The only thing I remember about it is that Hopkins robbed Rupert Everett of his nomination for My Best Friend’s Wedding.

Twelve more after the jump...

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Steven Spielberg's Les Misérables?

Do you think he ever fantasized about directing it? With lil' Christian Bale as Gavroche perhaps? 

The BFG Teaser Trailer

Manuel here. While we wait on baited breath to see if the “handsomely shot” Bridge of Spies breaks through with AMPAS next month—they do love themselves some Spielberg, who has helmed three Best Picture nominees in the last ten years, earning directing nods for two of them—Disney already wants us to look ahead at the director’s next release.

The film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG will be the director’s first family-aimed live-action project since 1991’s Hook. We finally got a first look at the film in the teaser below, and as always, Spielberg’s regulars seem to be in top form, from John Williams (perhaps too closely echoing another beloved Brit property he scored recently?), to Janusz Kaminski and Rick Carter. It also sadly marks the final film of screenwriter Melissa Mathison (of E.T. fame) whom we lost just last month.

“... And that is how our story begins.”

We get the tiniest look at recent double SAG Award nominee, Mark Rylance, as the titular character but it wouldn’t be a true teaser without leaving something to the imagination. The film comes out July 1st, 2016; does the teaser show enough promise to think the warm-hearted Spielberg will be a good fit the Dahl's more darker sensibility you think?

RIP: Melissa Mathison (1950 - 2015)

Melissa Mathison, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of E.T., has passed away at 65. 

She gave us the film's iconic "E.T. phone home," but what connects each viewing is her rich understanding of the hearts and minds of children. She got to the part deep within all of us that was afraid of growing up and change, of trying to hold tightly to what would only be taken away from us. Adding this insight with natural and efficient dialogue, she turned uncomplex phrases like "Be good" and "I'll be right here" into primal moments loaded with childhood longing.

A mother of two herself, her grasp of the young mindset was also at play in her adaptations of The Black Stallion and The Indian in the Cupboard, and provided unique insight into the Dalai Lama for Kundun.

A natural fit to the fascinations of Spielberg, her gifts will be greatly missed. Coming in the year ahead, we will luckily have one last collaboration from the pair: the Roald Dahl motion-capture adaptation of The BFG. Material perfectly suited to her skills, it's a chance to celebrate her again.

RIP Melissa Mathison

Posterized: 21st Century Spielberg

Spielberg & his current muse, Tom HanksDepending on whether you count 1971's Duel as Spielberg's debut (it's a TV film but most cinephiles seem to count it where they don't count television features as the debuts of other auteurs) Bridge of Spies, opening today, is Steven Spielberg's 25th or 26th full length feature film. His superstar-making run as an auteur (1975's Jaws through 1985's The Color Purple) is so often discussed and mythologized that for this week's edition of Posterized, let's just look at his output in this new century.

Bridge of Spies, the new cold-war thriller starring Tom Hanks, headlining his 4th Spielberg picture, appears to be divvying people up into two camps from early reviews. Doubters say it's too slow and lacks thrills. Devotees praise it's glorious classical filmmaking. Will there be a Happy Medium crowd that meets in the middle and says, 'a little dull sure but worth it for the glorious classical filmmaking'?  We all have time to decide now that the movie's open.

How many of Spielberg's eleven most recent films have you seen?
All the posters and what's next for Spielberg after the jump...

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