1. Christian Bale - Empire of the Sun
It's not every child actor who can carry a three hour Spielberg war epic on his back. What Christian Bale accomplishes in Empire of the Sun is nothing short of a revelation. He's in nearly every scene of the movie, and a lot of the time he's alone. There's no seasoned adult actors for him to hide behind. There's no room for him to be anything other than spectacular. The depth Bale shows is remarkable, as his character transitions from a spoiled little boy to a young man scarred by his war experiences. Logically, we know that the actor had only aged a few months over the course of the film shoot. But when we see his exhausted eyes at the very end of the movie, he somehow seems years older.