3. Gary Sinise in Forrest Gump
I think the surprising and astonishing success of Forrest Gump (#27 highest grossing film of all-time and #22 adjusting for inflation) has to do with the film's iconic nature. In fact, I can not recall a film that is as self-consciously iconic as Forrest Gump. The film basically inspires to be the fairy tale of the Baby Boom generation, and given the response of audiences and critics (including a Best Picture win from the Academy), it appears to have succeeded in its mission. Now the film does require a pretty hefty suspension of disbelief (according to the movie, a semi-mentally handicapped man is the catalyst for important 20th Century American events ranging from Elvis Presley's dance moves to the uncovering of the Watergate break in), but the key figure that allows us to swallow the sugar-coated, Disney-style pap while still retaining a semblance of dignity and self-respect is the unforgettable character of Lt. Dan, portrayed by the one and only Gary Sinise. The reason why Sinise's performance is so good, and so vitally important to the film, is that Lt. Dan's complex, emotionally guarded personality is the needed counterpoint to Gump's straightforward simplicity. The benign sweetness of the surprisingly insightful Gump would quickly tire without an anchor into a more realistic tableau of human emotions, which is provided by the often feisty and angry, but secretly caring, Lt. Dan. Sinise understands this perfectly, and for every note of Hanks' sweet tea sayings, Sinise responds in kind with the frustrations of a suffering man who knows that Gump can not relate to his feelings, even though his quaint ideas may have more wisdom than he would like to admit. It's really tough to pull off the kind of schmultz that Forrest Gump successfully gets away with, and as good as Hanks' performance is, without the humanity of Sinise's performance, the movie would likely be a laughable farce instead of an instant classic.