As some of you may know, I was essentially the committee chairman of this bracket. What you probably don't know is that because of my lunch routine I was a member of the committee for this bracket. It's the second bracket that I'd like to focus on. For those of you that are too lazy to click on my links it's a bracket of actors. The goal of this so-called "Hollywood Bracket" is to find out who the best actor is. The criteria is a bit hazy because it's not the best actor of all time. And it's not the best actor of this very moment. For my purposes, I will make it the best living actor. I've re-seeded the bracket, adjusted the name of one of the regions, and here's what I've come up with.
Marlon Brando Region
1- Jack Nicholson
16- Scarlet Johansson
8- Robin Williams
9- Warren Beatty
5- Sean Penn
12- Angelina Jolie
4- Johnny Depp
13- Jeff Bridges
6- Glenn Close
11- Edward Norton
3- George Clooney
14- Michael Caine
7- Tim Robbins
10- Mark Wahlberg
2- Morgan Freeman
15- Reese Witherspoon
The Humphrey Bogart Region
1- Meryl Streep
16- Kevin Costner
8- Philip Seymour Hoffman
9- Colin Firth
5- Will Smith
12- Ryan Gosling
4- Kevin Spacey
13- Jamie Foxx
6- Gene Hackman
11- Julianne Moore
3- Al Pacino
14- Judi Dench
7- Michael Douglas
10- Russell Crowe
2- Leonardo DiCaprio
15- Natalie Portman
The John Wayne Region
1- Denzel Washington
16- Kevin Bacon
8- Javier Bardem
9- Halle Berry
5- Julia Roberts
12- Paul Giamatti
4- Brad Pitt
13- Hilary Swank
6- Anthony Hopkins
11- Tommy Lee Jones
3- Matt Damon
14- Ben Affleck
7- Harrison Ford
10- Christian Bale
2- Clint Eastwood
15- Michelle Williams
The Jimmy Stewart Region
1- Tom Hanks
16- Anne Hathaway
8- Samuel L. Jackson
9- Bruce Willis
5- Daniel Day-Lewis
12- Daniel Craig
4- Tom Cruise
13- Nicole Kidman
6- Robert Redford
11- John Malkovich
3- Kate Winslet
14- Liam Neeson
7- Dustin Hoffman
10- Penelope Cruz
2- Robert Deniro
15- Benicio Del Toro
I'm sure there were plenty of snubs (some were probably egregious). Feel free to let me know who I unintentionally slighted. I skew young and towards actors instead of actresses. Deal with it. Either way, it's now time for my picks. In some matchups I attempted to briefly explain why one actor/actress should advance. In others I simply used a famous movie quote from either participant. Hopefully you'll be able to follow along.
Marlon Brando Region
First Round
1- Jack Nicholson over 16- Scarlet Johansson- Jack’s taking ScarJo down to Chinatown (1975)
8- Robin Williams over 9- Warren Beatty- Williams’ non comedy acting career is wildly underrated (4 Oscar noms, 1 win).
5- Sean Penn over 12- Angelina Jolie- Jolie might outdo him when it comes to humanitarian efforts (although then again she might not) and media fanfare, but Penn has a lot more range and more accolades. Speaking of humanitarian efforts, if they made a movie about U2 Penn would be a lock to play Bono, right?
4- Johnny Depp over 13- Jeff Bridges- Bridges has been better of late (back to back Best Actor noms in 2010-11), but Depp will Blow (2001) by him.
11- Edward Norton over 6- Glenn Close- They both have outstanding performances, but I like Norton’s (Primal Fear (1996)) more than Close’s (Fatal Attraction (1987).
3- George Clooney over 14- Michael Caine- Caine has the edge in credentials, experience, and longevity, but Clooney has the star power that Caine’s never possessed.
7- Tim Robbins over 10- Mark Wahlberg- Wahlberg is a very successful producer as well as a respected actor, but at his core he’s a wanna be rapper from Boston. Guess what Tim Robbins was doing when he was young? Acting.
2- Morgan Freeman over 15- Reese Witherspoon- Witherspoon has one great performance (Walk the Line), but Freeman has more depth and experience.
Second Round
1- Jack Nicholson over 8- Robin Williams- Closer match up than you’d think, but, “Heeeeerrrrre’s Johnny!” is a little more iconic than, “Gooooooooood Morninggg Vietnam!”
5- Sean Penn over 4- Johnny Depp- Since 1995 Sean Penn is the only man to win Best Actor twice (Mystic River, Milk) and he leads all actors with 5 nominations.
3- George Clooney over 11- Edward Norton- I love me some Ed Norton, but Clooney was outstanding in The Descendants, Up in the Air, and Michael Clayton. How he didn’t win Best Actor for any of those roles just baffles me.
2- Morgan Freeman over 7- Tim Robbins- I have to give Freeman the edge in the Shawshank showdown because not only was he the one nominated for Best Actor, but I think it also launched his voice-over career.
Regional Semi-Finals
1- Jack Nicholson over 5- Sean Penn- Penn is outstanding, but Nicholson is a legend and he delivered one of my favorite lines in the history of cinema. In As Good as it Gets (1997) Nicholson plays a writer suffering from a severe case of OCD. He’s asked how he writes women so well and he says, “I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability.”
3- George Clooney over 2- Morgan Freeman- You could argue that Freeman has been the better actor (I’d still lean toward Clooney), but Clooney gets the edge because of how well he’s taken to writing/directing. Need evidence? Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and The Ides of March (2011) both garnered Oscar recognition.
Regional Finals
1- Jack Nicholson over 3- George Clooney- You’re God damn right he ordered the Code Red!
The Humphrey Bogart Region
First Round
1- Meryl Streep over 16- Kevin Costner- She has the most Academy Award nominations of all time. Plain and simple.
8- Philip Seymour Hoffman over 9- Colin Firth- They both have Best Actors Oscars, but Hoffman steals the show in just about everything else that he’s in.
12- Ryan Gosling over 5- Will Smith- Will Smith is definitely a more talented entertainer, but Gosling is clearly the better actor.
4- Kevin Spacey over 13- Jamie Foxx- Spacey was the suave badass in LA Confidential (1997) long before Jamie Foxx came around.
6- Gene Hackman over 11- Julianne Moore- Julianne Moore doesn’t get the credit she deserves, but there’s no way that she’s knocking out Norman Dale.
3- Al Pacino over 14- Judi Dench- Dench actually has a great resume, but I know her best as M in James Bond films. Pacino is best known as Michael Corleone and Tony Montana. Simple as that.
7- Michael Douglas over 10- Russell Crowe- “The point is ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for the lack of a better word, is good,” against, “What we do in life echoes in eternity,” and “Are you not entertained?” Close, but I have to go with Douglas.
2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 15- Natalie Portman- Portman is an Israeli minx with a Best Actress Oscar on her resume, but I like Leo in a rout. Do you concur?
Second Round
1- Meryl Streep over 8- Philip Seymour Hoffman- I was rooting for the upset here, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger on it. I hate Streep (she’s very pretentious) and love Hoffman, but it’s really not even close.
4- Kevin Spacey over 12- Ryan Gosling- “What sick ridiculous puppets we are / and what gross little stage we dance on / What fun we have dancing and fucking / Not a care in the world / Not knowing that we are nothing / We are not what was intended”
3- Al Pacino over 6- Gene Hackman- “Hooah!”
2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 7- Michael Douglas- “When you kill a king, you don't stab him in the dark. You kill him where the entire court can watch him die.”
Regional Semi-Finals
4- Kevin Spacey over 1- Meryl Streep- Sorry Meryl, but Keyser Soze isn’t going down to a female.
2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 3- Al Pacino- I’m obviously biased because I’m only 26 and didn’t get to enjoy Pacino in his prime, but Leo’s performance as Billy Costigan in The Departed (2005) is legendary.
Regional Finals
2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 4- Kevin Spacey- “Well dreams, they feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up that we realize how things are actually strange. Let me ask you a question, you, you never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on.”
The John Wayne Region
First Round
1- Denzel Washington over 16- Kevin Bacon- “King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”
9- Halle Berry over 8- Javier Bardem- All she wants is someone that can “make me feel good.”
5- Julia Roberts over 12- Paul Giamatti- Paul Giamatti is brilliant, but he can’t hang with this Pretty Woman.
4- Brad Pitt over 13- Hilary Swank- “Fight Club was the beginning, now it's moved out of the basement, it's called Project Mayhem.”
6- Anthony Hopkins over 11- Tommy Lee Jones- Hopkins polishes him off with “some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
3- Matt Damon over 14- Ben Affleck- Just like in Good Will Hunting (1997), Damon is the one with all the talent.
10- Christian Bale over 7- Harrison Ford- I'm already bracing myself for some venom coming from my friend Frank, but let me attempt to explain. This is clearly an upset. If logic prevailed Ford would advance in a heartbeat. Here's the thing though, logic doesn't always prevail in the NCAA Tournament. That's why they play the games. Harrison Ford has had a much better career (I mean, he’s Indiana Jones and Han Solo), but he’s never had a performance like Bale’s in The Fighter (2010).
2- Clint Eastwood over 15- Michelle Williams- “Get off my lawn.”
Second Round
1- Denzel Washington over 9- Halle Berry- The first African-American male to win Best Actor against the first African-American female to win Best Actress? I gotta go with “My man.”
4- Brad Pitt over 5- Julia Roberts- She was good in Ocean’s 11, but he was better. “You look down, they know you're lying and up, they know you don't know the truth. Don't use seven words when four will do. Don't shift your weight, look always at your mark but don't stare, be specific but not memorable, be funny but don't make him laugh. He's got to like you then forget you the moment you've left his side.”
3- Matt Damon over 6- Anthony Hopkins- “You’re right Teddy. The ace didn’t help. I flopped the nut straight.”
2- Clint Eastwood over 10- Christian Bale- “You’ve got to ask yourself one question. “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya, punk?”
Regional Semi-Finals
1- Denzel Washington over 4- Brad Pitt- “We the only two people up. Me, you and Michael Jordan. That's the only people. Everybody else in the world is asleep.”
2- Clint Eastwood over 3- Matt Damon- “Go ahead. Make my day.”
Regional Finals
1- Denzel Washington over 2- Clint Eastwood
The Jimmy Stewart Region
First Round
1- Tom Hanks over 16- Anne Hathaway- “Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” Well, in this matchup Hanks got a cupcake.
9- Bruce Willis over 8- Samuel L. Jackson- Who’s the one that figured out the water puzzle in DieHard with a Vengeance? That’s right, John McClain.
5- Daniel Day-Lewis over 12- Daniel Craig- Day-Lewis’ (My) Left Foot (1989) is a better actor than the current version of everyone’s favorite British agent.
4- Tom Cruise over 13- Nicole Kidman- Ah, the battle of the exes. Kidman is taller and more talented, but Cruise has a better track record and puts the fannies in the seats.
6- Robert Redford over 11- John Malkovich- Hard to compete with Redford who played the Sundance Kid, started the Sundance Film Festival, and starred in two of my favorite movies of the 2000s (Spy Game (2001), The Last Castle (2001).
3- Kate Winslet over 14- Liam Neeson- Liam Neeson plays the same character in every movie that he’s in. Sure he’s a bad ass, but Winslet is extraordinarily gifted.
10- Penelope Cruz over 7- Dustin Hoffman- Hoffman’s most famous role is in The Graduate (1967) where he has an affair with his neighbor and then falls in love with her daughter. The notion that a girl would run off with a guy that had an affair with her mother is so incomprehensible to me that I’m giving the nod to Cruz.
2- Robert De Niro over 15- Benicio Del Toro- In case you were wondering, De Niro improvised one of his most famous lines (from Taxi Driver (1976), "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"
Second Round
1- Tom Hanks over 9- Bruce Willis- Hanks knows the tournament motto. Survive and advance, “I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that’s what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing.”
5- Daniel Day-Lewis over 4- Tom Cruise- You “want the truth”? There Will Be Blood (2007) in this one because Day-Lewis slaughters Cruise in a Best Actor competition.
3- Kate Winslet over 6- Robert Redford- “Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours.”
2- Robert De Niro over 10- Penelope Cruz- “Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.”
Regional Semi-Finals
5- Daniel Day-Lewis over 1- Tom Hanks- “Houston, we have a problem.” They don’t call him “The Butcher” (Gangs of New York) for nothing.
2- Robert De Niro over 3- Kate Winslet- If you mess with the (Raging) Bull (1980) you get the horns.
Regional Finals
2- Robert De Niro over 5- Daniel Day-Lewis- They are both supremely gifted actors, but Day-Lewis can’t touch De Niro’s portrayal of a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II.
Final Four
2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 1- Jack Nicholson- I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't think I've seen a better acted scene than this one. I'm not sure how much credit goes to Leo and Vera Farmiga, how much credit goes to Scorsese, and how much credit goes to whoever chose the absolute perfect song to complement it all, but it's outstanding.
2- Robert De Niro over 1- Denzel Washington- They've both played a boxer (Raging Bull/The Hurricane), a gangster (Good Fellas (to pick one)/American Gangster), a concerned father (A Bronx Tale/John Q), and a neurotic, self-possesed man who thinks he's invincible (Taxi Driver/Training Day). De Niro was better in all of them.
Finals
2- Robert De Niro over 2- Leonardo DiCaprio- "Every man... every man has to go through hell to reach paradise." De Niro's just been through the wars and Leo hasn't. Guess how many Oscars Leo's has? Zero. De Niro has endured the snubs by the academy (Taxi Driver being the most notable) and has persevered. We're still waiting for Leo to completely break through.
