Perfect Harmony Review

When "Perfect Harmony" and "Sunnyside" both premiered this Fall, I had a hunch only one of the shows would survive due to NBC's penchant for cancelling promising shows (I still haven't forgiven the network for the double whammy of "Go On" and "The New Normal" circa 2013). I got an essay published on this at The Federalist but originally submitted it before "Sunnyside" got cancelled (fortunately, it's been picked up by Hulu). As a result, I cut out the "Perfect Harmony" part of the essay and focused solely on "Sunnyside." Here's the leftover "Perfect Harmony" stuff:

"Perfect Harmony" is an odd couple pairing between an uptight Princeton music professor (Brad Whitford) and the populace of a small Kentucky town. The (extremely laborious) premise for the set-up is that the professor has just been fired and is on his way to bury his dead wife and subsequently commit suicide when he hears a church choir singing awful music and decides on instinct to give them some quick pointers before pulling the trigger. He then decides to stay alive a few days longer through a choir competition against his new mortal enemy and things roll from there.

More than anything else, "Perfect Harmony" is a red-state/blue-state clash of values and the sentimental highs it hopes to produce are from people overcoming their differences and meeting in the middle. The show portrays the small-town characters as eccentric, the viewer loyalty generally leans towards the red state mannerisms of the locals as they are portrayed as far more emotionally open and genuine.

Recent Emmy winner Brad Whitford is far too grumpy to be interesting. Like Danny and Matt in
"Studio 60", Whitford's Dr. Cochran's genius is portrayed as something that goes hand-in-hand with being a 40-year-old trapped in an 80-year-old curmudgeon's body. In truth, it just comes off as annoying.  

Sadly, the show does have a star in Anna Camp who is somewhat of an original character with her perkiness, Spring beauty, and an internal battle between restrained Southern charm and frustration-driven id. Sadly, the show puts too much emphasis on Whitford who doesn't have much going for him. So far, the show pedals in broad characters with friends/roommates Dwayne and Wayne serving as a redneck tweedle-dee/tweedle-dum of sorts (though Dwayne has hidden dimensions), diva Adams Adams who owns the local restaurant. I have a soft spot for Rizwan Manji who has alternately played genuinely nice people and passive-aggressive social climbers ("Outsourced" "Arrested Development") in equal measure.

Not sure where the show is going, but let's hope it doesn't get cancelled as well. (Although, good news! Sunnyside got picked up by Hulu)

Norma Rae (1979) Review: Films and Capitalism

In preparation for a discussion I’m leading for the DC Film Society's Cinema Lounge on films and capitalism, I decided to watch “Norma Rae.” The 1979 Best Picture nominee tells the tale of a North Carolina town that successfully unionizes against a steel mill company thanks to the partnership of a Jewish union organizer and an uneducated single mother.


To call this a passion project for star Sally Field and director Martin Ritt would be an understatement. Field, stuck in the dungeon of sitcom-land (things I learned in my research here: Sally Field once was a bikini-clad sex symbol as the surfer chick “Gidget”; cover your eyes Forrest!), had just gone to the Actor’s Studio and studied under Lee Strasberg and was starting to get attention for the made-for-TV film “Sybil.” After nearly every other actress turned down the part (including two of the actresses she would defeat in the Oscar race that year), Field jumped on the part as a chance to prove herself. Her director, Martin Ritt, had been black-listed in the 1950s and was devoted more than before to make films with something to say. Ritt found a kindred spirit in Field who first met him at an anti-nuclear rally. Field, in turn, would call working under Ritt the best acting experience of her life and collaborate with him twice more.

The film is also enhanced by DP John Alonzo's grainy photography as most of the film (particularly the factory scenes) were shot on a hand-held camera.

The film’s authenticity was enhanced through location shooting. While the crew wasn’t able to film at the actual location of the strike in North Carolina, Alabama was trying to attract film productions at the time, which happened to be a serendipitous stroke as they settled on the small Alabama town of Opelika which had been dealing with its own labor issues at the time after the town had gone from a largely agricultural center to a primarily industrial base. While some extras came from nearby Auburn University, many of the factory workers appeared as background and Field said that in her climactic holding-up-the-sign scene (as shown above), that she could feel their energy and sorrow as she was walking to her arrest.

The film’s narrative is largely constrained to the events of real life but that doesn’t mean that real life was particularly disappointing. The film teases out a romance between Norma and organizer Reuben but, in real-life, the age difference was too big for it to enter either of their minds. At least we’ll always have the skinny dipping.  Norma instead is paired romantically with a good-natured guy (Sonny, played by Beau Bridges) who is …um, how shall I say this delicately without feeding into southern stereotypes… a simpleton who seems a little slow for a woman who’s suddenly reading books and might be the first person in town who can answer the trivia question “Do Jews have horns?”

Because that’s how they do in the South, apparently, the two get married one date into their courtship, and it’s genuinely unclear midway through the movie if Beau Bridges is her true love (although, really, why marry Beau when his brother is such a stud?) or simply a distraction en route to a certain loud-mouth union organizer from way up north. It’s a convincing enough misdirect that when their marriage is at a breaking point and Sonny makes the perfect gesture to let her know he’ll be by her side through thick and thin, it’s the emotional high point of the movie. Sonny's politically apathetic about the union issue and it’s not exactly George and Kelly Anne Conway levels of political division, but much of the movie’s conflict is about how the people at the top try to sow divisions at the bottom, so it'll do.

The bad guys who run the factory try promoting Norma to give her a taste of power in hopes she’ll forget about the people she’s supposed to be helping and pretty much admit that this is their evil plan. Then they try sowing discontent among various groups along racial and socio-economic lines. Isn’t this pretty much what Karl Marx warned about?

I originally classified films that critique capitalism with the subgenres of films that might posit their villain as someone who perverts capitalism; films that attack an entire industry; or films that attack the institution of capitalism itself. The third category, which I believe is the most damning critique of capitalism, suggests that human nature devolves under the pursuit of money over material wealth.

There’s a lot to stylistically admire and Sally Field’s portrayal of Norma Rae (or rather the real-life activist Crystal Lee Sutton composited with approximately four other characters due to issues with Sutton not selling her life rights) is quite a firecracker of a performance. But as a film that explores the root of capitalistic evils (or just plain evil in general), “Norma Rae” is a film about the triumph of the human spirit, though it certainly flattens its villains and suffers thematically in its efforts to paint capitalists one way and those who seek to resist it in a more heroic light. .

Why exactly are the factory foremen determined to not change with the times? The degree that their hostility is determined by historic inertia, religious prejudice (the Jewish union organizer is so loud about his religious affiliation, it’s not really clear whether he’s asking people to hate him for being Jewish and if that’s part of his baiting), or a desire to protect their wealth (that’s the root of capitalism) is pretty variable here. That would be worth answering but the general principles are worth exploring here.

Pursuit of Happyness review

The tagline of "Pursuit of Happyness" was basically "story of a poor guy trying to get a job" when it came out which seemed a little (as the millennials say) basic.

After watching it, it hit me that there aren't that many movies about a guy who desperately needs a job trying to make something happen. Even if this was an actual film genre that had been steadily populated throughout the years, this story would stick out for its specificity.


The protagonist Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a father weighed down to the breaking point with bills to pay and a son to care for. His backstory isn't filled in that well which might be intentional because little of it adds up. How did he get the job where he sells obscure medical equipment and why doesn't he impress his bosses enough to ask for a raise with that? Why didn't he take advantage of the free education that came with his service in the navy? Why did he choose to live in the country's most expensive city? In real life, Chris Gardner's first wife came from a wealthy family and she introduced him to high society life where he was mingling with Danny Glover and Samuel L Jackson. Why didn't he try to use some of that social capital?


Nitpicking aside, we're asked to accept that Gardner is an unexplained sort of poor which sort of works if we consider that we likely won't know the backstories and explanations behind every homeless person who approaches on the street for a spare dime.


In order to invest us in this character (much like a positive-leaning biopic), the film wants us to identify with his greatness primarily through his bravery. In reality, Gardner made a cost-benefit analysis and might have even came to the wrong conclusion for all we know: Sacrifice six months of pay for a 1 in 20 chance of landing a job as a broker when you have a kid to support and a landlord on your back? In reality, Gardner had a small stipend ($1000 a month in 1983 which would probably be more by present-day standards) and the training program at Dean Witter offered jobs to almost anyone who passed the test. And while the movie is enhanced by seeing a guy go against such odds, there's already plenty of natural drama built into the man's situation. He has to go homeless, attempt to sweet talk clients when he has no experience making sales, and play nice with his bosses who don't understand his stresses.

The film is primarily known for Will Smith's Oscar-nominated performance and the moment when his son Jaden was introduced to the world (as Chris's son). But it deserves quite a bit more credit than that.

I watched this film in preparation for a talk I'm leading in a week about capitalism and movies. My thesis was originally that there are some films that have standard pro-capitalist bents and some films that challenge the assumptions of capitalism as the best possible distribution system of wealth.

From the synopsis I assumed that this would simply be spreading the gospel of capitalism. This is a story, after all, about a guy who analyzes his options, and ultimately decides that doing flawless work in subservience to his bosses would be the best way to rise to the top. From a standpoint of the main character's narrative, yes, the film is an allegory for the benefits of working your way up the corporate ladder and buying your time.

However, reading this film through a more modern-day lens where critical race theory and privilege (whether socio-economic or other) is a big factor in how we talk (not that I agree with all of it), the film doesn't shy away of the ways in which Gardner is held back from a system that penalizes him from the cyclical pattern of poverty he was born into. Wherever you stand on the "race explains everything" line, it's undeniable that if he was born into better circumstances, he would have better been prepared to deal with his employers. Everything from his arrest for parking tickets to the discomfort he might have with his array of bosses who were born into wealth highlights it's not a particularly fair meritocracy despite the fact that he succeeds anyway.

With Gardner's happy ending, the film has its cake and eats it too. Or does it?

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Season 2: A very belated review

As someone who has historically not been an enthusiastic novel reader, Douglas Adams stands as one of the few people to open me up to the delights of the form. Whether it’s the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series or Dirk Gently, his delightful absurdity is sprinkled nearly everywhere in the book whether it’s the larger plot points (the answer to life, the universe and everything being 42, an alien race torturing people through bad poetry readings) or clever dialogue (“flying is throwing yourself at the ground and missing”).

The idea of “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” (I’ll have to add an IIRC caveat, I’m too lazy to look this up) is that the protagonist is a thoroughly amoral and lazy detective who calls himself a “holistic detective” so that he can bill anything he does to the case. Since everything’s related to everything, there’s no telling that anything he does isn’t related to the case.

He manages to capture the whimsical absurdity of Douglas Adams’ book series. The TV series takes on a more mystical approach while keeping the absurdity confined largely to the character of Dirk character himself (Samuel Barnett). Gently is a classic cuckoolander with recently-fired bellhop named Todd (Elijah Wood, hitting the same beats of schlubby directionless as “Wilfred”) as the straight man keeping him in check. Both series have been populated with a wide array of characters with the most Dirk-like being a female holistic assassin named Bart (Fiona Dourif) who takes casual violence to such extremes that the gore is placated by (what TV Tropes refers to) as crossing the line twice. Others like black wing officer Hugo Friedkin (Dustin Milligan of “Schitt’s Creek”) have the lone character trait of being a little dense. Mildly humorous but mostly blah. At least there’s a variety of tonal flavors in this awkward-yet-charming character stew.

The key emotional relationship is between Todd and his sister Amanda (Hannah Marks) and while two young adult siblings bonded by their shared directionless (“Casual” and more recently “Lodge 49” have done it well), the two have an affable chemistry. It also helps that the relationship is complicated by random chronic illness and Amanda having superpowers making her more than just another audience surrogate.

Both seasons of the show are serialized and zany but don’t necessarily match the profound zaninesss, say, of the source material. The second season, which I saw recently, revolves around a traumatized child in rural Montana (as ideal for a fish-out-of-water vibe as any Western state) with telekinetic powers who creates an entire imaginary world that has been operating on its own for thirty years.

The mystery unravels gently enough for the slower viewers (AKA me) not to get lost in all the technobabble. As such, there’s some catharsis when the loose strings get tied together at the end, but it’s mostly about watching zany characters navigate tight situations in a way that’s a bit more fun than the average serialized crime story.   

The second season’s chief villain, Suzie Borden (a nod to Lizzie, perhaps?), is a bored housewife with a rebellious teenage son, who gets a little taste of supernatural power and goes to town. She’s curiously sympathetic at first: One can easily see her as the mildly put-upon housewive trope getting her revenge against society for putting her into a box and stripping her (and perhaps all domesticated women) from their dreams. However, our audience sympathies cleverly switch when we learn that while Suzie sees herself as Carrie (a movie I recently reviewed), her peers see her as more in line with a plastic from Mean Girls.

Like many ensemble series, the level of interest in what’s on screen changes with whether we’re following a good character and a good storyline. Suzie’s one of the bigger draws here.

The series’ first season was such a freaky lightning in a pan that it’s pretty impressive for lightning to strike twice as it did here.

Megalist: All movies over the last 20 years which starred 3 Oscar Winners or More

I've started to notice that the formula for a good movie is to have two stars in it. Very not often do you see films investing beyond that unless it's a mega-ensemble film like Bobby, Murder on the Orient Express or something along those lines. 

I did one of those megalists where I made the criteria films with three Oscar winning actors in the cast excluding Oscar recipients (although honorary recipients are just as worthy, and I will die along those lists). This is not a 100% accurate measure of stardom, and I included people before they won the Oscar or in films for which they won their Oscar (i.e. Shakespeare in Love, A Beautiful Mind) so Larry Crowne (which has a small role for Rami Malek) is essentially a two-star film with a break out star. Lastly worth nothing, a handful of Oscar winners (Judi Dench, Jon Voight, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Chris Cooper) are not particularly selective with their roles and don't demand (or maybe simply aren't afforded) top roles, so they normally squeeze into casts in all sorts of places.

Still it's (slightly) interesting to read.

1998:

Shakespeare in Love: Gwyneth Paltrow*, Colin Firth, Geoffery Rush, Judi Dench*
Great Expectations: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Robert DeNiro, Chris Coooper

Enemy of the State: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King, Jason Robards

Primary Colors: Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates, Allison Janney

Antz: Gene Hackman, Anne Bancroft, Christopher Walken

One True Thing: Meryl Streep, Rene Zellweger, William Hurt

Big Lebowski: Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

A Thin Red Line: Sean Penn, George Clooney, Adrian Brody
Meet Joe Black: Anthony Hopkins, Brad, Marcia Gay Harden

Midsummer Nights Dream: Kevin Kline, Sam Rockwell, Christian Bale
Elizabeth: Cate Blanchett, John Gielgud, Geoffery Rush

1999:

Talented Mr Ripley: Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

American Beauty: Kevin Spacey,* Chris Cooper, Allison Janney

Cider House Rules: Michael Caine*, Charlize Theron, JK Simmons, Kieran Culkin

Insider: Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer
Magnolia: Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards

Tea with Moussilini: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Cher

Music of the Heart: Meryl Streep, Chloris Leachman, Kieran Culkin
Any Given Sunday: Al Pacino, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Charlton Heston

8 MM: Nicolas Cage, Robert Duvall, Joaquin Phoenix

2000:

Traffic: Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro*, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Viola Davis
Quills: Geoffery Rush, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine, Joaquin Phoenix

Finding Forrester: Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin

Almost Famous: Frances McDormand, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin

Nurse Betty: Rene Zellweger, Morgan Freeman, Allison Janney

Men of Honor: Cuba Gooding Jr, Robert DeNiro, Charlize Theron

Requiem for a Dream: Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto
Gone in 60 Seconds: Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall
Dr T and the Women: Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Lee Grant

Legend of Bagger Vance: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jack Lemmon

Wonderboys: Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr.

2001:

Royal Tenenbaums: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow

Shipping News: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench

Beautiful Mind: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly*, Christopher Plummer

Ocean’s 11: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt

Miss Congeniality: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Regina King

Iris: Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent*, Kate Winslet

Hannibal: Julianne Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman
Bridget Jones Diary: Rene Zellweger, Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent

I Am Sam: Sean Penn, Dianne Weist, Laura Dern, Mary Steenburgen
America's Sweethearts: Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Christopher Walken
Captain Corelli's Mandolin: Penelope Cruz, Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale
The Pledge: Jack Nicholson, Benicio del Toro, Helen Mirren

2002:

Adaptation: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper*, Tilda Swinton

Hours: Nicole Kidman*, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Allison Janney

Catch Me If You Can: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken

Gangs of New York: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jim Broadbent

Insomnia: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hillary Swank

Banger Sisters: Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Geoffery Rush

Nicholas Nickelby: Anne Hathaway, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent

Panic Room: Jodi Foster, Forrest Whitaker, Jared Leto
Moonlight Mile: Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Holly Hunter

Spiderman: Cliff Robertson, JK Simmons, Octavia Spencer

2003:

Cold Mountain: Nicole Kidman, Rene Zellweger*, Natalie Portman, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Cillian Murphy

21 Grams: Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Melissa Leo

Legally Blonde 2: Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Regina King

Mystic River: Sean Penn*, Tim Robbins*, Marcia Gay Harden

Runaway Jury: Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Rachel Weisz

Intolerable Cruelty: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffery Rush

Something’s Gotta Give: Jack Nicholson, Dianne Keaton, Frances McDormand

Gothika: Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr. 

2004:

Ocean’s 12: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck
Alexander: Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Christopher Plummer, Jared Leto
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Marlon Brando

Finding Neverland: Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, Julie Christie

National Treasure: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Christopher Plummer

Manchurian Candidate: Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Jon Voight
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: Rene Zellweger, Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth

The Village: Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix

The Terminal: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Zoey Saldana

2005:

Batman Begins: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman

Bewitched: Nicole Kidman, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine

Miss Congeniality 2: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Regina King
North Country: Charlize Theron, Francis McDormand, Sissy Spacek

Syriana: George Clooney*, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Christopher Plummer, Viola Davis

Robots: Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Dianne Weisz, Jim Broadbent

[Empire Falls: Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward]

2006:

Good Shepard: Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro, Eddie Redmayne, Joe Pesci, William Hurt

Prairie Home Companion: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones

Superman Returns: Kevin Spacey, Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando

All the King’s Men: Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet

Inside Man: Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer

Ant Bully: Meryl Streep, Nicholas Cage, Julia Roberts, Regina King

2007:

I’m Not There: Cate Blanchett, Chrstian Bale, Heath Ledger, Julianne Moore

National Treasure 2: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren

Elizabeth the Golden Age: Cate Blanchett, Geoffery Rush, Eddie Redmayne

Darjeeling Limited: Adrianne Brody, Anjelica Huston, Natalie Portman

American Gangster: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Cuba Gooding Jr

Charlie Wilson’s War: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

In the Valley of Elah: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon

Ocean’s 13: Al Pacino, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck
Assassination of Jesse James: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell

Hot Fuzz: Olivia Colman, Jim Broadbent, Brad Pitt

2008:

Four Christmases: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight

Dark Knight: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger*, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy

Burn After Reading: Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, JK Simmons

Revolutionary Road: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCpario, Kathy Bates

Doubt: Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Iron Man: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges
Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton

Righteous Kill: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Melissa Leo

Tropic Thunder: Robert Downey Jr, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Voight

2009:
Nine: Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench

Brothers Bloom: Adrian Brody, Rachel Weisz, Maxmillan Schell

Men Who Stare at Goats: Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges

Everybody’s Fine: Robert DeNiro, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo

State of Play: Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis

Soloist: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr,  Octavia Spencer

2010:

Valentine’s Day: Anne Hathaway, Jamie Fox, Shirley MacLaine, Kathy Bates, Julia Roberts

Red: Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dreyfuss

Inception: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy

Little Fockers: Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, Barbara Streisand

Conviction: Hillary Swank, Melissa Leo, Sam Rockwell

Eat Pray Love: Julia Roberts, Viola Davis, Javier Bardem

Iron Man 2: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell

2011:

The Help: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer*, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Jessica Chastain

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis
New Year's Eve: Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry, Hillary Swank 

Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides: Penelope Cruz, Geoffery Rush, Judi Dench

Carnage: Jodi Foster, Kate Winslet, Christophe Waltz

Midnight in Paris: Marion Cotillard, Adrian Brody, Kathy Bates

Crazy Stupid Love: Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei

The Ides of March: George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei

Larry Crowne: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Rami Malek

Iron Lady: Meryl Streep*, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman
Contagion: Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard

Tree of Life: Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn

Cars 2: Michael Caine, Vanessa Redgrave, Whoopi Goldberg

King Fu Panda 2: Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh

2012:

Dark Knight Rises: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman

Django Unchained: Jamie Foxx, Christophe Waltz*, Leonardo DiCaprio

Lincoln: Daniel Day-Lewis*, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones

Amazing Spiderman: Emma Stone, Sally Field, Chris Cooper

Les Miserables: Anne Hathaway*, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne

The Company You Keep: Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Chris Cooper
The Master: Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Dern

2013:

Last Vegas: Roberto De Niro, Michael Douglas, Mary Steenburgen, Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman

The Butler: Forrest Whitaker, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr, Vanessa Redgrave

American Hustle: Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro

Wolf of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jean DuJardin, Matthew McConaughey

Stand Up Guys:  Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Al Pacino
Red 2: Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones
The Big Wedding: Robin Willliams, Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon, Dianne Keaton
The Counselor: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz

August Osage County: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper

Movie 43: Emma Stone, Kate Winslet, Kieran Culkin

2014:

Interstellar: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine

Grand Budapest Hotel: F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Adrian Brody

Night at the Museum 2:  Robin Williams, Rami Malek, Ben Kingsley

X-Men Days of Future Past: Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin

Hunger Games Mockingjay 1: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman,            Amazing Spiderman 2: Emma Stone, Sally Field, Chris Cooper

Noah: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins
Monuments Men: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Jean DuJardin

The Homesman: Tommy Lee Jones, Hillary Swank, Meryl Streep

Inherent Vice: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro

2015:
Youth: Michael Caine, Jane Fonda, Rachel Weisz

Big Short: Christain Bale, Marissa Tomei, Melissa Leo, Brad Pitt

Hunger Games Mockingjay 2: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Magic in the Moonlight: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden

2016:

Bridget Jones Baby: Rene Zellweger, Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson

Hail Caesar: George Clooney, Francis McDormand, Tilda Swinton

Jungle Book: Ben Kinglsey, Lupita Nyongo, Chrisopher Walken

Suicide Squad: Jared Leto, Will Smith, Viola Davis

Knight of Cups: Christain Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman

Captain America Civil War: Robert Downey Jr, William Hurt, Marissa Tomei

2017:

Murder on the Orient Express: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Olivia Colman

Kingsman 2: Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges

Tulip Fever: Alicia Vickander, Christophe Waltz, Judi Dench

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales: Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz

2018:

Mamma Mia 2: Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Cher

Book Club: Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Keaton, Jane Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss
The Favourite: Olivia Colman*, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone

Black Panther: Forest Whitaker, Lupita N'yonga, Juliette Whitaker
Avengers Infinity War: Benicio del Toro, Gwyneth Paltrow, William Hurt, Brie Larson

Ocean's 8: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway

Widows: Robert Duvall, Viola Davis, Dan Kaluuya

2019:

Little Women-Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Mikey Madison

Avengers Endgame: Tilda Swinton, Michael Douglas, Marisa Tomei, William Hurt, Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr

Addams Family: Charlize Theron, Allison Janney, Mikey Madison

Irishman: Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin

2020:

Prom-Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Ariana DeBose

Dolittle-Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Marion Cotillard, Jim Broadbent

Little Things-Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, Rami Malek

Top 30 Actresses in Moviedom circa around 2016

I was digging through some old files and noticed I ranked the top 30 actors and actresses:

There were four clear contenders for the top spot. The two Cates (Blanchett and Kate Winslet) are the go-to actresses for auteurs and in nearly twenty years of high-profile acting  have displayed a seemingly endless range for Oscar-caliber projects. Blanchett is penalized a little because she’s so chameleon-like and doesn’t have any star persona. Winslet is penalized a little because she wasn’t on any particular hot streak before Steve Jobs (which got her an Oscar nomination but which no one really saw) as evidenced by the disaster that was Jason Reitman’s Labor Day.

Lawrence is on fire, as Alicia Keys wrote a song to attest, with two franchises she’s successfully helmed and more Oscar nominations than any  25-year-old really needs. However, she could be in danger of being ghettoized if she chooses to do all her tentpole films with David O Russell. For non-DOR fans, she is soon to fall off their radar as the lack of success Joy had in finding an audience showed. There’s also some debate about whether she can master an older woman but that’s based on whether you think she pulled Joy of f (she mostly did).

That leaves Charlize Theron, who is acertifiable action star. She’s been recognized as a high-caliber actress for a dozen years now, has the hardware to show for it, and has a certain edge to her screen persona that sells. With sheer talent and appeal, I’m comfortable naming her #1.

1.      Charlize Theron

2.      Cate Blanchett

3.      Jennifer Lawrence

4.      Kate Winslet

5.      Meryl Streep-Universally considered the best actress of her generation, Streep continues to take risks and interesting choices while also doing broad appeal films like Mamma Mia, Lemony Snicket, It’s Complicated, Prime, and some might say Ricki and the Flash (in theory, this film should have broad appeal). She’s aging gracefully and is a threat to get an Oscar nominated nearly every year

6.      Scarlett Johansson-Although she’s never been Oscar-nominated, she’s come close enough a few times that she’s considered high-calliber. She also has several Golden Globe and BAFTA nominees and has been an established actress for a dozen years. She’s a certifiable action star, and on the art side, has made boundary-pushing choices whether Lucy, Her or Don John’s Addiction. It says a lot that a younger director like Joseph Gordon-Leavitt thought she could handle a mature role.

7.      Julianne Moore-She’s obviously hot because she just won an Oscar and consistently brings in great preformances. She’s been in romantic comedies, art house films, and adaptations BUT she’s #7 and not in the top 5 because occasionally her best performances are for obscure films. She won an Oscar for Still Alice but did anyone see Still Alice? Free Held, Maps to the Stars and, in the past, The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio didn’t even get widescale distribution.

8.      Amy Adams-The female answer to Leonardo DiCaprio. She has the make and temperament of a character actress but she has shown the ability to hold her own as a lead (she outacted Jennifer Lawrence  in American Hustle) and her filmography is so full of good films, she brings John C Rilley or Phillip Seymour Hoffman  to mind.  Man of Steel brings Tentpole Credentials and going back to 2007, so does Enchanted. She also has done comedy like Talladega Nights or The Muppet Movie pretty aptly.

9.      Naomi Watts-How often she appears in film is relative but her talent alone groups her in the top tier. Like Nicole Kidman, she’s chameneon-like in accents and although this is three years ago, The Impossible was very Dicaprio-like in the rigor of the shoot.

10.  Rooney Mara-Although her filmography is relatively short (not as short as Hailee Steinfeld or Soisre Ronan), she has made strong marks in everything she’s in. Even small supporting roles in Social Network or Her garnered her attention. She has about a 50% chance of winning an Oscar for Carol but even if she doesn’t, she’ll likely be back.

11.  Keira Knightley-Authentic English actors and actresses always get a boost in bankability because so many period pieces (even things not explicitly set in England like Troy or Merchant of Venice) that require an English thespian. On top of that, Knightley is hip and cool and has a modern sensibility. She could easily fit into a Diablo Cody or Noah Bombauch work (Begin Again or Seeking a Friend for the End of the World might not have been written explicitly by those two but they were in that mold). Plus, she can swashbuckle AND sing.

12.  Anne Hathaway-An Oscar winner at the right age to play a wide range of parts, her public persona is a bit polarizing. She did do action in Get Smart and sang in Les Miserables. Even though she’s been on SNL, her comic chops are not particularly strong IMO.

13.  Rachel McAdams-Introduced to Hollywood in a villainess role in Mean Girls, she’s tackled a wide range of parts working with Terrence Malick, Woody Allen, Thomas McCarthy and kicked ass in Sherlock Holmes and a Most Wanted Man. Turned a best supporting actress nomination in a competitive field. She’s also a very strong romantic lead.

14.  Sandra Bullock-The female counterpart to Matthew McConaughey in that she was seen mostly as a romcom type of actress with a bubbly personality but her 2009 Oscar gave her a makeover and the follow-up Oscar nod in Gravity gave her a lot more leverage in being taken seriously.

15.  Emma Stone-This might just be me  but I have trouble not seeing her as a teeny-bopper sor tof star even though we’re apparently 5 years removed from her high school roles in Easy A and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. She’s had a respectable turn in the Help, starred in two of Woody Allen’s most invisible films and her big Oscar-nominated turn in Birdman (which I’m pretty sure would not have materialized if she wasn’t acting in the eventual BP winner) was still that of a teenager. I think it might still be a while until she’s taken seriously as an actress who can play 30+.

16.  Judi Dench-If you need a senior citizen, she’ll work in nearly every film, but IIRC, she’s getting to the age where she might have to stop acting soon. I believe I’ve heard her eyesight is going.

17.  Jessica Chastain-Two Oscar noms in the past five years and a very close call last year for a nominaion as well. Not to mention she’s been in four Best Picture nominees-The Martian, Zero Dark Thirty, Help, and Tree of Life- in that time period as well. She’s also won a Golden Globe and two NBR awards. With Interstellar, The Martian, Zero Dark Thirty, and a Most Violent Year, she has a very good track record of interesting film choices

18.  Helen Mirren-Very versatile actress and  not as old as she looks (she’s 70), but she gets relegated to senior citizen parts even though she gives those senior citizen roles a surprising sex appeal. She still gets awards buzz here and there (Woman in Gold and Trumbo in this year alone). Also worth noting, Woman in Gold got $33 million domestically  at the box office. Extremely impressive for a film no one’s ever heard of.

19.  Alicia Vikander-It’s hard to properly rate someone who’s been in the public spotlight for exactly one year. Man from Uncle, Ex Machina, The Danish Girl ere all great performances and she could even win an Oscar and just won a SAG award, but it’s just one year. The longer you’re in the public eye the better chances you have of working up a fan base.

20.  Nicole Kidman-The first time I wrote a list like this in 2009, she was #1 and she’s still just as good but a lot of her films are not wide-release. Her best role in the last half-decade, Paperboy, was mostly enjoyed ironically by people. The Oscar campaign for that role was something along the lines of  “Let’s give an Oscar nom to someone in a bad movie for once!”

21.  Soisre Ronan-I tend to group her, Haile Steinfeld and Carey Mulligan together in the same boat. Women who got Oscar noms at young ages and subsequently got set up with expectations as the next big thing. Of the trio, Ronan has had the biggest cult. Carried Brooklyn to a BP nom this past year.

22.  Kristen Wiig-Some might disagree but she wasn’t as well-known on SNL as Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Those three were known as Hollywood royalty. Wiig had the most screentime of anyone on SNL in her later years, but there was a good chance if you didn’t watch SNL during those years, you wouldn’t have known she was on. Since leaving, she’s had a game-changing megahit in Bridesmaids, has taken value-added supporting roles in nearly every comedy to come out, and has won critical acclaim in a wide variety of indie films.

23.  Emily Blunt-This is more wishful thinking because somehow I don’t think Blunt is quite A-list yet, but I see no reason why she shouldn’t. I don’t even understand why she wasn’t nominated for Sicario. She can play a brooding, introspective star, she can do dramedy (Sunshine Cleaning, Devil Wears Prada), she did period (Young Victoria), and she has edge.

24.  Reese Witherspoon-Wild was one of the best performances of any actor last year IMO and she deserved an  Oscar, but she’s so ingrained as the ingénue that it’s sometimes hard to see her outside of that typecast. Even Walk the Line had her playing a version of that Southern Ingenue. It’s also been well over a decade since she became a tentpole star with Legally Blonde.

25.  Claire Danes-Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, James Gandolfini and Kyle Chandler have enjoyed extremely successful movie careers since their star-making TV roles have ended. I predict when Homeland ends, Danes will be an A-lister in the movies.  As far as I can gather, she’s only been in one film in the 2010s (a Sundance entry) but that should change when Homeland ends. Anna Faris and Kerry Washington are two others I believe will explode in film when their TV shows end.

26.  Carey Muligan-Her casting in the Great Gatsby when it was hyped up in the pre-production phase says a lot about how prized she is among casting directors. She’s the right age to be cast in young women roles.

27.  Marion Cotillard-Being from England is a big plus. Being from nearly every other country is an impediment, but Cotillard has done extremely well for herself acting in such high profile films as Public Enemies, Midnight in Paris, and Inception and shone in MacBeth this year.

28.  Kerry Washington-She had a long career as a character actress (Ray, Mr and Mrs Smith, Last King of Scotland) before being cast in a highly visible TV show which should give her a big boost when Scandal ends. She’s even done great work in the movies while on Scandal (Django Unchained)

29.  Rosario Dawson-She’s been consistently in good roles for the last 13 or 14 years and has done multiple genres.

30.  Ellen Page-Has a hip and cool edge (Whip It, Juno) but could use a better agent.

If I picked the Emmys 2018-2019 (Comedy categories)

Comedy Shows: 
AP Bio
Arrested Development
The Good Place*
Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Miracle Workers
Trial and Error
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Arrested Development" concluded their runs this year with the back halves of seasons that ran over two years. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" is a more episodic show that lives or dies based on the quality of the episodic plot and it had a pretty high hit-to-miss ratio as it approached the end. "Arrested Development" started off clunky and didn't have as much stunt casting to rely on. Some might have even preferred the up-in-the-air status of things at the end of the fourth season, but the show managed to really focus on the labyrinthine plotting and organically earn its happy ending. Right after watching "The Good Place", I felt like the season dilly-dallied too long in Australia but looking back that seems like a minor blemish. The show world-builds like an adderrol-addled toddler playing with legos but it has such a plethora of quotable lines and pretty much every character on screen is memorable in some way.

Actor:
Adam Clayton-Holland, Those Who Can't
Daniel Radcliffe, Miracle Workers
Glenn Howerton, A.P. Bio*
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Tim Robinson, I Think You Should Leave

Howerton's transition from ensemble player in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to headlining his own show is the epitome here of how to retain popular elements of your screen persona and do something fresh with them: He's still a bit psychopath and unfeeling and is every bit the know-it-all as Dennis Reynolds but somehow it's just different. My runner-up here would be a close call between the TV veteran Danson and Ramy Youssef. Even though Youssef is playing a version of himself reading his own script (something that could lower the degree of difficulty) there's a lot that's affecting about his performance.

Actress:
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtt
Geraldine Viswanathan, Miracle Workers
Kristen Bell, The Good Place
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll*
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Rachel Brosnahan, Marvelous Mrs Maisel

It's hard to ignore Bloom, Brosnahan, Kemper or Bell because those shows are great female-driven comedies that put those actresses front and center. Brosnahan has had an incredible journey from the lower rungs of comedy actor obscurity so she's been quite rootable. Allison Brie is another great pick and I might have included here but I felt the second season of "Glow" was a fast turn towards boring and I'm not sure if she did anything new. Bell is a close-runner up here but Natasha Lyonne really dos an excellent job of channeling her low-filter id-driven screen persona and creating a comic lead out of it. Lyonne's character is so simultaneously kind-hearted and rude, watching her is an examination of  the more superficial elements of typical cordiality.

Supporting Actor:
Chris Redd, SNL
David Cross, Arrested Development
Mikey Day, SNL
Rob McElhenney, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Steve Buscemi, Miracle Workers*
Tony Shalhoub, Marvelous Mrs Maisel

One of my favorite characters on TV is Jason Mendoza but I think it's the way the character is written more than the actor. In contrast, Shalhoub is being fed the most stereotypical blather by Amy Sherman-Palladino and he still finds a way to turn it into something substantive. SNL nominations typically award people for having a hit political impression that catches but Redd and Day really deserve a lot of praise for doing a lot of the grunge work and carrying their weight so early in their careers. It's kind of a six-way tie between the four non-SNL guys with Buscemi taking it by a nose.


Supporting Actress:
Alia Shawkat, Arrested Development
Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek
Kristin Chenoweth, Trial and Error
Juliette Lewis, Camping*
Lyric Lewis, AP Bio
Meredith MacNeill, Baroness von Sketch Show

This is a wealth of talent in this category with a wide range of variation. O'Hara has long been a fan favorite (and a real Emmy nominee this year) and you either love her or hate her snooty character on "Schitt's Creek" which is a testament to the actress. MacNeill is one of a very talented quartet but she really sticks out for her knack for physical comedy. Shawkat was the most dynamic character on "Arrested Development" this past season and you have to give it up for anyone who can simultaneously hold the affections of a septugenarian AND their first cousin. Lyric Lewis is one of a murderer's row of characters on "AP Bio" including a trio of teacher friends whose banter is so well-established they could convince the audience that pizza slapping is a thing. Lewis has slightly more sass than the others and plays best off of Durbin (Patton Oswalt). However, I'm going with Juliette Lewis who has been chugging along since getting Oscar nominated as a teenager, is wicked fun as a thorn in Jennifer Garner's side on "Camping."

Guest Star Actor:
Adam Scott, The Good Place
Jason Matzoukas, The Good Place
Jerry Minor, Those Who Can't
Joel McCrary, Trial and Error
Michael McKean, The Good Place*
Norm Lewis, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Norm McDonald, The Orville

Lest you think Jason was a Season 2 presence, he appeared in the Season 3 finale to show off his refinement and help pump out babies. His delivery on the line "Hi, I'm Derek" is pretty much all he needs to be placed in this category. For those who need a refresher, McCrary was a judge with a prominent singing voice whose accident got him reduced to a near mute that only Peckers can here; Norm Lewis was the Broadway performer who introduced Titus to the Cats hoax; and McDonald is a member of the Orville's engineering staff who also happens to be an amorphous blob of slime (not making that up). Generally, a good one-off guest star is one who makes an immediate comic impression with something off-kilter that sticks out and McKean's worrisome apologeticness lends itself to some very good scenes.

[Update: Luke Kirby of Marvelous Mrs Maisel won this category]

Guest Star Actress:
Amy Sedaris, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Elizabeth Alderfer, AP Bio
Maria Bamford, Arrested Development
Maya Rudolph, The Good Place*
Mindy Kailing, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Susie Essman, Those Who Can't
Tami Sagher, Russian Doll

I was so happy for Tobias to be able to hold on to DeBrie a little longer and I practically fell in love with Elizabeth Alderfer myself, so there are a lot of appealling choices. For those who can't recall, Susie Essman is a loud-mouthed hustler at Smoot High and Tami Sagher was the secretary to an Orthodox Rabbi who somehow manages to withstand Natasha Lyonne's patience for a good while. In terms of omissions, SNL hosts often go in guest categories but I didn't really think this was a stand-out season with any highlights in terms of who they bought in. Perhaps Emma Stone would be closest if this category weren't so packed. Maya Rudolph takes the cake here because not only is she a distinct comic character whose every line is quoteworthy, she looks like she's having tremendous fun being there.

[Update: Jane Lynch of Marvelous Mrs Maisel won this category]

Dialogue/Writing:
Arrested Development
BoJack Horseman
The Good Place*
Miracle Workers
Trial and Error*
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

I'm going to throw a bone to "Trial and Error" considering it didn't get picked up for Season 3 (who knows, it might get life elsewhere?) and give it a co-win. The sheer absurdity of East Peck really works itself nicely into much of the loopy dialogue (particularly Dwayne) and the show enjoys a lot of fun play off the motiffs. I can't leave "The Good Place" behind: I likely can take any random line and throw it in my twitter feed because it's just that consistently good. For "BoJack", I wasn't fond of the "Free Churro" episode and i thought the season didn't have as much significant movement, but the dialogue is always sharp and there were a few ambitious episodes like the one with four Halloweens or the Henry Fondle episode.


Theme Song/Title Sequence:
Baroness von Sketch Show*
The Big Bang Theory
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Lodge 49
Man in High Castle
Orange is the New Black

I didn't see the new "Man in High Castle"  or even know that the show was still running until I checked so that's nice for the theme song. "Lodge 49" is appropriately psychedelic. "Baroness von Sketch Show" just encapsulates who the four women are to the soundtrack of "Dancing Underwater" by Brave Shores

If I picked the Emmys 2018 to 2019 (Drama)

Drama Shows (in order):
1. Daredevil
2. Maniac
3. Lodge 49
4. Sneaky Pete
5. Orange is the New Black
6. Dead to Me
7. Ozark

Actor:
Charlie Cox, Daredevil*
Giovanni Ribisi, Sneaky Pete
Jonah Hill, Maniac
John Krasinski, Jack Ryan

In truth, I wasn't that impressed by anyone in this category except for my across-the-board admiration at the "Daredevil" cast and that extends to Cox who doesn't come off as an action star but channels the ferocity needed for the emotional climaxes when he faces King Pin. Though not a humongous fan of "Jack Ryan", I think Krasinski's doing great work and part of the reason to tune in to the show is that it's interesting to watch Krasinski do that same screen persona . Jason Bateman was considered but he deserves more credit for creating and directing the show than he does for doing an extremely slight variation of Michael Bluth.

Actress:
Emma Stone, Maniac
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sonya Cassidy, Lodge 49
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Linda Cardinelli, Dead to Me*

Linda Cardenelli's Judy is so needy and desperate to connect, she's possibly the clingiest character on TV and it's hard to take your eyes off her.

Supporting Actor:
Wilson Bethel, Daredevil
Brian Cox, Succssion
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Nick Sandow, Orange is the New Black*
Brandon Flynn, 13 Reasons Why
Vincent D'Onofrio, Daredevil

I'm gonna go with Nick Sandow here because it's not easy to love Caputo on paper and yet you end up with such admiration for the guy because he's credibly the very definition of a dynamic character. Justin Foley's arc (coming back from heroin addiction, facing his actions as a bystander to rape, abusive parents, etc) is definitely a demanding role for a teen (or 25, whatever) actor and Flynn's a close second. I didn't even know D'Onofrio could get that big, what a physical transformation!

Supporting Actress:
Julie Garner, Ozark
Sally Field, Maniac
Deborah Ann Woll, Daredevil
Danielle Brooks, Orange is the New Black*
Libe Bearer, Sneaky Pete
Kelly Reilly, Yellowstone

Woll and Garner have been great among multiple seasons, but Brooks had the best character arc and proved once and for all this past season that Taystee is the show's lead character. Libe Bearer plays 16-year-old Carla who has a guarded skepticism well beyond her years. She's on a show with Margo Martindale and supplanted her. I was tempted to put Parker Posey from "Lost in Space" but it was a competitive category.

Guest Actor:
Matt Peters, Orange is the New Black
Michael Lee Kimmel, Lodge 49
Ethan Embry, Sneaky Pete*
Jacob Pitts, Sneaky Pete
Michael Mosley, Ozark
Trevor Long, Ozark

I couldn't even think of that many guys here and certainly not a lot of names. On Ozark, Michael Mosley was the pastor who went psycho on and Trevor Long is Ruth's absuvie dad. Michael Lee Kimmel was the good-looking Asian guy who kept trouncing Ernie in the sales department on Lodge 49, Matt Peters is the iconic source of comic relief on OitNB known as Luscheck, and Jacob Pitts is Marin's oily ex-husband Lance. Ethan Embry, the category winner, is the original Pete Murphy. 

Guest Actress:
Allison Wright, Sneaky Pete
Jordana Spiro, Ozark*
McKenzie Phillips, Orange is the New Black
Henny Russell, Orange is the New Black
Emily Tarver, Orange is the New Black
Jocelyn Towne, Lodge 49

Spiro plays a fiesty bar owner who starts to get entangled between multiple forces wanting different things from her in the same way that all characters in hyper-tense dramas do these days. She makes a romantic spark that's mostly off-limits between Jason Bateman and herself halway believable and her few scenes tell a story of a woman trapped by circumstances I wanted to know more of. Emily Tarver (Artesian McCulloch) is such a tragic character I want to jump into the TV to give a hug to (and that's saying something since the prisoners are so much more in need of help) but her biggest arc is Season 7. Russell and Phillips played the two feuding sisters in OitNB. Jocelyn Towne is the executive in the empty office who looks like Angela Kinsey that had a May-September romance with Dud.

Best Dialogue:
Dead to Me*
Maniac
Orange is the New Black
Lodge 49
Succession

Writing for characters with more inner monologue than outer monologue is the kind of challenge that Lodge 49 and Maniac (with Jonah Hill and Justin Thoreaux's characters face primarily) face the most. Orange is the New Black has to cover a lot of different dialects and subsets of people and Succession is pretty much all dialogue and no plot. Dead to Me has a lot of misdirects layered in the dialogue to keep the mystery secure and there's a lot of nuance in the way Jen and Judy express themselves

Best Dramatic Art Direction:
Umbrella Academy
Maniac*
Daredevil
Supergirl
Lodge 49

Umbrella Academy gets the most points for effort but it's a bit too much of a sensory overload pastiche to feel organic. In contrast, Maniac doesn't go overboard in its sleek and overly sterlized futuristic world but conveys the visuals well. Daredevil is probably at its best in Season 1 establishing the claustrophobic spaces of its universe and, I give Lodge 49 points for the unenviable task of trying to portray a general spirit of abandonment.


Best Dramatic Cinematography:
Yellowstone
Lodge 49
Ozark*
Jack Ryan

Yellowstone is scenery porn but Ozark feels like the camera and its subjects are a labor of love.