We’re counting down to the Oscars by introducing you to some of the best and sometimes overlooked performances of this year's Oscar contenders. Today’s episode: King of the World?

This year's leading actor category is one hell of a tough call. There are so many beloved, talented actors in the race, and not one of them has ever received an Oscar for a specific role – despite 10 previous nominations between them (and that’s just from the three who have been nominated before). Of course the real juggernaut of the race is Leonardo DiCaprio. This is his third nomination, inexplicably for the film Blood Diamond, for which some critics lambasted his performance (notably his accent), rather than The Departed, which is nominated for a slew of other awards and received across-the-board acclaim. And *cough* DiCaprio was MUCH better in. Considered to be one of the world's top-tier actors, he’s the star of the highest grossing film of all time, Martin Scorsese’s go-to guy, and has worked with (or at least turned down) almost every epic level director working today.

Essential Filmography:

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? The film that took his career from final season ratings ploy on the TV show Growing Pains to recognized actor, this is one of those that simply cannot be missed. Leo plays the younger, retarded brother of Cap’n Jack Sparrow, who would really like to fall in love … if only he didn’t have to take care of his morbidly obese mother and retarded younger brother. One of those rare, truly amazing, breakout performances. Scary good.

The Quick and the Dead. Sam Raimi’s mostly forgotten but terrific western which, if at least in assembly, proves Raimi is WAY ahead of his time as a director. This film has a cast so big that you simply couldn’t afford to make it today. While the film stars this year's nominee for Worst Actress, Sharon Stone, she stars opposite the likes of Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Gary Sinise and yes, a young and fiery Leo. This is Leo at his cockiest and seemingly having the most fun. He plays a young gunslinger hoping to outgun his overbearing and very powerful father (Hackman). Also watch for great character-actor work from Tobin Bell (the Saw series), Lance Henriksen (Aliens) and Keith David (The Thing). Probably the most fun DiCaprio film to be found.

The Basketball Diaries. Best known for its stint on television as the film most likely to be banned after the Columbine tragedy, this is a very good biopic about the life of poet/singer Jim Carroll. If you need more convincing as to why Leo is offered the big-time roles, this will do nicely.

Titanic. Had to be mentioned. If you haven’t heard of this, might I recommend installing a TV in your home? There’s also this cool new thing called daylight, which is available outside. Go there. Now. And have a conversation with another human being. Ask them about Titanic. They’ve seen it.

Why he probably shouldn’t get the gold: Growing Pains. He starred as the cute, young kid who moved in with the family late in the show in hopes of breathing new life into its last days. Can the Academy really live with giving the statue to someone who spent an entire season acting opposite Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron? Perhaps the fact that he was somehow “unavailable” for any of the subsequent made-for-TV movies reuniting the cast might pull this one out for him. And well, of the five nominees this year, this is the least embarrassing of the resumes.

This is part of Film.com's coverage of the 2007 Academy Awards. For more Oscar articles, analysis, movie and award news, and red carpet photo galleries, visit our Oscars page.

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us