Bridges is one of my favourite actors but for the most of part his best work has gone unrecignised by the Academy. He’s good in Starman, but I think he was lucky to get the nomination. Albert Finney was the best of the nominees, followed by winner Abraham. Jeff would be third for me but there are several unnominated actors who I would have preferred to see before him.

He was robbed of nothing. His surprise nomination was his win that year, in an exceptionally strong year for male leads. Abraham gave a splendid performance in
Amadeus
and deservedly won.
Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Ryan O'Neal was a good actor in this movies, hana.

I'm watching right now and it's amazing how much he stays in character throughout the entire movie

I assure you I'm confusing nothing. Actors who appear in Biopics are usually awarded for the effort. It happened just this year in fact.
Zzzzzzzz..!!!!!

Biopics ALWAYS seem to net the accolades and leave the more creative efforts in the dust. It may have been good, but I feel creating the aspects of an Alien being, and modulating a touching story of love and communication by far beats anybody who can put on a powdered wig and scream for 3 hours4 hours. However long the Amadeus film was.
You're confusing a Best Actor Oscar with Best Picture.
Jeff did
great
in this, but to compare his performance with Abraham's is another matter.
As far as Best Picture, I would vote for Amadeus over Starman if I were a voting member of the Academy. Not even close.
It is bad to drink Jobus rum. Very bad.

Jeff was indeed robbed. Amadeus was a Biopic. Biopics ALWAYS seem to net the accolades and leave the more creative efforts in the dust. It may have been good, but I feel creating the aspects of an Alien being, and modulating a touching story of love and communication by far beats anybody who can put on a powdered wig and scream for 3 hours4 hours. However long the Amadeus film was.
Oh well, at least he eventually got credit where it was due in the long run.

I am truly surprised about the praise Jeff Bridges is getting here for his performance in Starman. I thought it was just over the top stupid. The whole movie I was thinking: why does he have to act like he was feeble minded or something, why can't the alien be more restrained? And now I learn he was even nominated for Oscar for this! What am I not getting here?

No way was he robbed. I am a big Jeff Bridges fan and I also believe this is his best performance. F. Murray Abraham earned that Oscar. I watched that Oscar show and was ticked off Starman went home without the trophy. But Amadeus deserved the accolades that year. And Abraham simply gave a career performance. See Peter O'Toole's nomination history. For every great performance he earned a nod for, he lost to an actor in a signature role. That's what happened, I believe, to Jeff that year.

I also agree. He eventually did win one though. He has always been one of my favorite actors.

Abraham was good but he was basically playing an angry, entitled guy.
Wow just wow.
I like Bridges in this film, but to say that his performance even came close to Abraham's in Amadeus is astounding. If Bridges had won that year, there would have been an uproar.
It is bad to drink Jobus rum. Very bad.

I have always thought that Bridges should have received the Oscar. Abraham was good but he was basically playing an angry, entitled guy. There are lots of those around to serve as role models. Bridges created an entirely new creature, experiencing a new planet. There are so many nuances to his portrayal of this being he originated.
I think the Academy was too elitist to award Jeff Bridges based on the perception that John Carpenter is not a "serious" filmmaker. Sad!
I am not young enough to know everything.
-Oscar Wilde

I agree. This is among his finest performances and the film in general deserved more praise than it got.

Krista McCool???

1984 was a tough year for the Best Acting nominations.
Its that man again!!

I agree, Bridges was terrific in this and deserved an oscar.

Of his six nominatins its his best peformance.
However 1984 was one of the highest quality years for actors in leading roles.
F Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce are astonishing in AMADEUS
Albert Finney and Sam Waterson also gave career best performaces
Haing Ngor gave perhaps the best leading performance of 1984 - but he was "demoted" to the supporting actor category even though he is clearly the leading character in THE KILLING FIELDS.
Bridges said the nomination for this film was the one he enjoyed the most as it was totally unexpected.
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=32397724