And the Award for Most Stacked Oscar Category Goes to: Best Supporting ActorAll things considered, the Academy did pretty well this year. The nominations for the 96th Oscars, which will be handed out during a televised Hollywood ceremony this Sunday, are less embarrassing than usual. Some of that is the uncommonly strong crop of mainstream movies released in 2023; it’s harder to mess up, in that vintage AMPAS way, when the most award-friendly films are on the level of Oppenheimer or Poor Things. But credit where it’s due: A quick scan of the full list reveals several highly respectable lineups. Look at the Best Picture slate, which has a record three movies in a language other than English! Or a Visual Effects race that pits a frugally realized Godzilla against the jaw-dropping spectacle of an underrated sci-fi flop. Still, there’s one Oscar category in particular that’s absolutely stacked with worthy nominees this year, and that’s Best Supporting Actor. Within this single competition, we have a reliable character actor finally being recognized for his scene-stealing vitality; a movie star going hilariously big in the biggest hit of the year; a screen legend tapping into a new kind of aged, insinuating menace; and two former Marvel company players emerging from the superhero trenches to rediscover their zeal for acting via respectively measured and flamboyant turns. Each of these five performers is doing some of the best work of his career. Each would make a great winner. | 