However, a twelfth Oscar for The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King seems to be missing. This missing Oscar is for Best Supporting Actor.
As you may know, no one in the cast received an Oscar nomination for the 2004 Academy Awards. This is understandable, since everybody was so mind-blowingly amazing and it would be impossible to pick just one nominee. However, I felt that one actor was a shoo-in for the Supporting Actor Oscar. This actor is Elijah Wood.
Unbelievably, I have found reviews that are negative about Wood's performance. Those reviewers must have been watching a different Return of the King. Seriously, I don't see how people can criticize Wood.
As far as I am concerned, Wood assumed what was by far the most difficult role to have: Frodo Baggins. I say this role is so difficult because any actor could put too much into the performance. There needs to be that delicate balance of emotion and believability, and considering what Frodo has to endure, that balance is especially delicate.
I do not use this word lightly, so it means a lot when I say that Wood was perfect. I was only ten years old when I saw The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King for the first time, and I quickly noticed Frodo's deterioration throughout the movie. His emotional stability wavers more and more with each passing scene, and by the film's climax, his stability has completely vanished, and it has been replaced with madness and strain of will.
Like I said earlier, any actor could easily take this deterioration and make it over-the-top in a bad way. But Wood avoided that completely. Frodo's gradual descent into madness and loss of hope is very clear in every scene, and I cannot help but feel crushing pity for him.
Then, of course, are Wood's famous blue eyes. Wood uses those eyes to a full extent, and they add so much to Frodo's change. For example, take a look at this promotional poster.
Look at those eyes! Look at them! Can't you just feel Frodo's despair and madness just by looking into those eyes?!
To possess that kind of talent at such a young age (Wood was seventeen when he was cast as Frodo Baggins and twenty-two when The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King debuted in theaters) is unheard of.
In short, Wood gave a once-in-a-lifetime performance as Frodo Baggins, especially in the last Lord of the Rings film. Why was he not nominated for an Oscar? Beats me.
Although The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King has "officially" won eleven Oscars, I consider the movie the winner of twelve because of Wood. So if some time in the future, some movie wins twelve, I will calmly recall that The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King beat them to the punch.
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