If the Oscars Were Handed Out Today … Best Actor: Jamie Foxx, The Soloist
Prior to The Soloist’s half-year delay (which really didn’t help the mediocre film any), Foxx’s umpteenth real-life portrayal was already generating Oscar buzz in 2008, and for good reason: Foxx mastered the complex nuances of Nathaniel Ayers—including his violin abilities—without turning the musical prodigy-turned-homeless man’s mental struggles into anything cartoonish. If the movie itself had been a little better and, yes, released during “Oscar season,” both Foxx and his co-star Robert Downey Jr. would probably be in line for Academy recognition. KEEP READING: If the Best Actress Oscar Was Handed Out Today ...