Nick's Best Supporting Actresses

A while back I mentioned I would give my top performances by an actress in the last fifteen years so here goes. I will start with supporting roles. Than next week I will move onto the leads. This is in no particular order.

Judy Davis, Barton Fink – She is great in everything she does and in Barton Fink she nails it. Playing Barton’s muse and William P. Mayhew’s girlfriend-secretary she delivers with a performance that hits at exactly the right tone. Not over the top and while she isn’t this classic beauty there is a hidden sexuality in that role.

Cameron Diaz, Being John Malkovich – I am a huge fan of this movie. I really never had an opinion on Cameron Diaz. I’ve seen her be good (She’s the One) and I’ve seen her be real bad (Charlie’s Angel’s.) However, she really nails it for this one. Playing Lotte, the wife of John Cusack she plays the role just right and delivers my favorite line when she tells her husband to “Suck my Dick”

Thora Birch, American Beauty – Plays the insecure teenage daughter of a high maintenance mother to perfection. To me her performance was crucial to that movie. She played just right. You believed she loved her boyfriend like no other 16 year old could love a guy like that.

Erika Christensen, Traffic – Almost to convincing of a performance. That scene where she is having sex with her drug dealer is beyond poignant. You see a good little spoiled girl who gets hooked on crack and heads down the road to ruins. She plays every step perfectly.

Juliette Lewis, Cape Fear – If for no other reason than that scene with her and Deniro in the high school. When he asks if he can kiss her, her reaction is priceless. As much as you as a viewer are screaming no, her girlish teenage grin is the exact right expression at that time. She just blew mw away in this movie and even though she’s had a checkered career since this one, it was one hell of a performance.

Christina Ricci, Monster – Her performance kind of got lost in all the Charlize Theron Oscar hoopla. However, in many ways she does just as good of a job. She finds the right vibe in playing the lover of a serial killer. She is usually very good and in Monster she does her best job yet.

Hope Davis, American Splendor – Another solid actress who played the Joyce, the wife of Harvey Pekar just perfectly. After seeing her in the movie and than the real person I gained a whole new level of respect. She perfectly mimicked Joyce and I’m not sure how anyone could have played it any better.

Joan Cusack, School of Rock – Cusack is usually funny and in School of Rock she is at her neurotic, fidgety best. She is always playing a supporting role and that is just fine. She always plays them just right and usually steals every scene she is in. In this one she does it again giving a great under scored comedic performance.

Anjelica Huston, The Grifters – Another actress who always does a great job in the Grifters she does it again. Here she plays the young con-operating mother to John Cusack. The scene where she is seducing her own son is done perfectly. Overall this is an underrated movie and Huston gives one of her best performances in it.

Parker Posey, Waiting For Guffman – Somehow amongst all the talent and improve veterans in this cast Posey is able to hold her and provide her own comedic spots in this one. Playing the white trash trailer girl with dreams of making to Broadway via a local town play she finds the heart of that character and provides laughs. A really good acting job, by a solid young actress.

Sigourney Weaver, The Ice Storm – American Beauty kind of stole this movies thunder as they are very similar. Which is to bad because if you missed this one you missed Weaver give one of her best performances. Here she plays an unfaithful wife of a man she feels she married down to. She is so cold and I was happy to see somebody use her talents the correct way.

Chole Sevigny, Kids – One of the most brutal and moving films of the 90’s and Sevigny’s performance is one of the reasons for it. Here she plays a young girl who tests HIV positive after only one sexual experience. She finds the right tone and gives a gut wrenching performance.

Winona Ryder, Celebrity – Ryder is one of those actresses I like but often makes bad movies. (Reality Bites, Girl, Interrupted, Autumn in New York, Boys.) As usual Woody Allen finds a way to use her talents wisely. Here she plays the object of Branagh’s lustful desires. She does so perfectly and to any man going through that mid-life crisis her character is the ultimate prize.

Rachel Minor, Bully – A truly heroic and brave performance. Minor, gives everything and does just an amazing job. Another hard movie to watch and Minor’s character is so mis-guided and do ignorant it frightens you. If you missed this movie I implore you to see it just to watch her.

Judy Davis Husbands and Wives – I will begin and end with Mrs. Davis. Here in Allen’s Husbands and Wives she nails the bitter mid-forties cold wife to perfection. She finds the right path to go from hating her and her coldness in the beginning to having sympathy in the end and than happiness when she reconciles with her husband. Davis is just a great actress and I will watch almost anything she is in.