1. Philadelphia - Andrew Beckett
Tom Hanks went against all odds when he took on the role of Andrew Beckett, a gay man dying from AIDS in Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia. Hanks was now a bankable leading man and was enjoying success with much more lighthearted fare. He went against type, losing weight, undergoing numerous make-up changes and laid his cards out on the table when he decided to play Andrew Beckett. Beckett is a lawyer who is wrongfully terminated from his firm because it is discovered he is gay and has contracted AIDS. Beckett decides to take the firm to court, creating not only a firestorm for himself, but also putting his closeted homosexuality and disease for all to see in court. Hanks plays Beckett with such proud nobility, not only aware that he is ready to die, but the hopes that this case will change the face of discrimination about gays and AIDS. His performance of a man willing to die for a cause he believes in and a legacy he can be proud of is a marvel to watch, the affable Hanks disappears in the role and we watch as Beckett's body slowly fades, but his spirit grows stronger. There is never a moment during his performance that Hanks is not believable in the role, and he doesn't hold back either remorse or shame in Beckett and his condition. In the film's finest scene, Hanks delivers a brave move that he pulls off brilliantly in a heartbreaking scene where Beckett sorrowfully interprets a Maria Callas opera, a scene about facing death and walking towards it. What Philadelphia achieved was not only becoming one of the first Hollywood films to tackle the AIDS epidemic, but it also gave us the opportunity to appreciate the work of Tom Hanks and take him seriously as one of the best actors of his generation. This is the performance that not only won Hanks his first of 2 Best Actor Oscars, but also made audiences and critics alike stand up and take notice of a track record of great work that few can match. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojKKCRLEdYM