Oscar predictions are usually a piece of cake (or garbage, depending on how you look at them), at least in the big categories. A Best Picture front runner is often helmed by the Best Director favorite who, in turn, worked with the Best Actor or Best Actress. Though this structure is by no means rigid, the public knows who is supposed to win. If the identified favorites don't, it's a surprise; if they do, it's deserved.
But this year there's hardly a straightforward narrative to speak of. While there were plenty of great performances (and more than a few great films) during 2014, often those two things didn't seem to happen in the same movie. It's a trend the goes beyond the actual Oscar nominations: Jennifer Aniston was a revelation in Cake, a not-so-good drama that would have otherwise been forgotten; Jake Gyllenhaal blew people away in Nightcrawler, and the Michael Mann rip-off would have been dead in the water without him.
While some of the following movies are better than others, 2014 may be remembered as the year actors made the movie, rather than the other way around. Here are 10 examples from 2014 where actors transcended the movies around them.
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Jennifer Aniston in Cake
Directed by: Daniel Barnz
Cake doesn't really work as a movie, but it's not for Jennifer Aniston's lack of trying. The story follows a woman, Aniston, who suffers from chronic pain and attends a support group. When one of the group's members commits suicide, Aniston's character becomes obsessed with her decision, ultimately leading her on a path to recovery. While that may sound like it has the makings for a riveting drama, the plot is filled with tired clichés and undeveloped characters. Still, Aniston gives her all to a largely unlikable and difficult character.
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler
Scarlett Johansson in Lucy
Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Some people really like Foxcatcher, and that's not unreasonable—it's an expertly crafted film. Personally, I find it to be overly cold and clinical, if fascinating to watch. The performances, though, are universally fantastic, with one standing out above the rest. Though Carell is fantastic in all his prosthetic-nosed glory and Channing Tatum's charisma is a much-needed blast of on-screen energy, it's Ruffalo's portrayal of Dave Schultz that steals the show. While the role could have been a simple supporting turn, Ruffalo's furtive, wholly believable portrayal of a former champion is completely mesmerizing. Come Oscar day, I'll be rooting for him.
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything
I get that The Theory of Everything is adapted from a book written by Stephen Hawking's ex-wife, but I still can't fathom why they made a marriage drama about the smartest living person on the planet. Sure, Hawking's family life was unconventional, but so are many other people's. The true magic powers of Hawking are his discoveries. What makes The Theory of Everything more of bummer, though, is the fact that Eddie Redmayne is so fantastically good. They found a guy who could truly embody Hawking, from his gangly youth to his near completely immobilized adult self. And what do they do with it? Make what's essentially a Lifetime movie about a not-quite-polyamorous family. What a shame.
Edward Norton in Birdman
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
Bill Murray in St. Vincent
Meryl Streep in Into the Woods
