Film Feature: The Best Supporting Performances of 2013

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The Best Supporting Actresses of 2013

Five Runner-ups (in alphabetical order): Amy Adams (“Her”), Kaitlyn Dever (“Short Term 12”), Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Octavia Spencer (“Fruitvale Station”), and Emma Watson (“The Bling Ring”)

Scarlett Johannson as Samantha in Her
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Discerning readers will notice that the picture above is NOT “Scarlett Johannson as Samantha in Her” and yet it conveys what her performance brings to the lead character in Spike Jonze’s masterful vision of the future. Joaquin Phoenix’s Theodore falls in love with his operating system, a more intuitive version of Siri, if you will, and said OS is voiced by Scarlett Johannson. I know that those of you that have yet to see Jonze’s film doubt this choice. I would too. Trust me when I tell you that Johannson’s vocal work here is more than deserving. It’s one of the best voice-only performances in years, maybe ever, as Johannson doesn’t overly sexualize the part or focus too strongly on the artificial aspect of her role. She becomes relatable enough that we believe the narrative foundation of the film. Without that believability in her vocal performance, the WHOLE thing falls apart. She supports all of “Her.”

Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle
Photo credit: Sony

It’s something I’ve repeated more than once in end-of-year acting pieces but seems most appropriate here — this is a performance that works because the person giving it makes decisions that other actors wouldn’t even consider. Lawrence takes a part that could have been relatively dull window-dressing and nearly walks away with the entire movie. She imbues Rosalyn with such a captivating blend of confidence and insecurity. She knows she’s the life of the party but she also doesn’t want to leave her house. She knows she’s gorgeous but still feels challenged by those around her. Especially when balanced against her work in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Lawrence proves that last year’s Oscar was no fluke. In fact, she may only be getting better.

Lea Seydoux as Emma in Blue is the Warmest Color
Photo credit: IFC

Much has been written about the controversial production process of “Blue is the Warmest Color” but one thing cannot be denied — it led to two of the most daring, fearless performances in years. I’ll be writing about one of them more tomorrow but the amazing work by Adele Exarchopoulos isn’t really possible without the support of Lea Seydoux as the blue-haired artist with whom she falls deeply in love. Seydoux shines more for what she doesn’t do than for what she does. She doesn’t steal focus. Her arc is the smaller of the two but she never pulls the film away from its protagonist as other actresses might have done. And then there’s the fight — a master class in acting that earned both stars instant spots in this feature. When years have passed, cinephiles will still be talking about Adele and Emma.

June Squibb as Kate Grant in Nebraska
Photo credit: Paramount Vantage

I’ve written a lot about truth in this feature. There’s truth in every expression of June Squibb’s charismatic face as she plays a woman forced into revisiting her past when her borderline-senile husband drags them back to their hometown. What I love so much about Squibb’s work is how much the actress refuses to cede storytelling focus to Bruce Dern, as other performers may have done. She holds her own. Kate has been dealing with a distant, alcoholic husband for DECADES and she has formed her own defense mechanisms and barriers. We see beyond those barriers ever so slightly as she glances briefly at how she got to where they are today but she’s just as willing to leave them up. Squibb is truly supporting — enhancing the work of the lead actor in the piece by not just letting him take the spotlight but playing with him in it.

Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Patsey’s face. When I think of the images of 2013 that will last for decades, the shattered face of beaten slave Patsey is one of the first that comes to mind. It can bring tears to your eyes just thinking of it. And yet I would never call Nyong’o’s breathtaking work here over-acting. She doesn’t go for melodrama, just realism. Patsey’s story is tragic enough that a lesser actress would have lost her way in the extreme horror of it all but Nyong’o never does. We cry for Patsey, we pray for Patsey, and we feel the pain that Patsey’s story wasn’t an uncommon one. It’s not just a great performance, it’s an important one to the history of the portrayals of slaves in film. We’ll never forget Patsey.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com