Final Four (Poll Closed)

Can’t believe Elijah Wood is ahead of Heath Ledger, and by that much. Bad enough he eliminated Depp the other round, now Ledger?! His Joker is in a completely different league than Wood’s performance. Too bad this poll is getting screwed by LOTR fans voting like crazy. I call it now, Wood will win this whole damn thing. What a joke.

There's a reason why Elijah is doing so well. FOTR was one of those extremely rare films that received immense critical acclaim (eg the only film of the last 20 yrs or so to make it on to the American Film INstitute's 100 best films of all time list) and was also extremely popular. The film, as Peter Jackson said, was deliberately made Frodo-centric. If Elijah's performance as Frodo had not been so successful the film would not have worked. Yet he didn't receive an Oscar nom, although he won other awards, due to the Academy's prejudice against "fantasy" films. That role, with the massive expectations riding on it, was a massive challenge for an actor, and he really delivered.

Well said Suzy!! I agree entirely with you. Elijah deserves to be recognised for his amazing performance as Frodo. Heath Ledger's fans have the same opportunity to vote as Elijah's fans ...... need I say more?

As Frodo, Elijah turned in a sensational performance. I think he is definitely worthy of a top 4 place. BUT as the Joker, Heath shifted performance standards up several notches. His portrayal was just so new and stunning that it can't be compared to anything else. Unique, and brilliant beyond description.

I agree with Jill! The only thing this poll proves is that Elija Wood fans have more time on their hands to sit around and vote over and over again. If there was only one vote allowed per person, you would see a vastly different outcome.
Donna

Donna, what exactly do you base your statement on? How could you possibly know how much time Elijah Wood fans have on their hands? Or fans of anyone else for that matter? As Annie so rightly said, Heath Ledger fans have exactly the same opportunity to vote. If Elijah wins, he will win fair and square, I don't understand why you should think otherwise.

I have no intention of debating this matter with you or anyone else. I simply agreed with Jill that this whole poll is a joke! To compare Heath Ledger with Elija Wood is ludicrous!

Donna

I'm not surprised you don't want to debate this matter - because you have no answer to my question. And your statement about comparing Heath & Elijah is just an opinion. I happen to feel very differently and, obviously, so do many others.

It's shocking Heath Ledger has even got this far. What did he do? He died. The Dark Knight was a weak film start to finish, when you are up against some of the worst cast roles for a Batman film (maybe comparable to Batman & Robin) it's no surprise such an average actor like Ledger would appear to amazing.

Needless to say that you, my dear Frank, wouldn't know brilliant acting if it hit you over the head, as Ledger’s tour de force in The Dark Knight is one for the ages. He was a fantastic actor with impressive range---anyone who has seen him in Brokeback Mountain, Candy, I'm Not There, Monster's Ball or Lords of Dogtown knows this much.

Don’t be silly, there’s nothing shocking about Heath Ledger in Final Four. I wish I could say the same about others.

I'm an avid LOTR fan, about as much so as can be (I have the JRRT insignia as a tattoo on my arm, and own upwards of 50 different editions of the masterpiece).

That said, I thought Elijah Wood was one of, if not the major reason that the movie trilogy just didn't do it for me. Peter Jackson mangled Tolkien's epic, and Wood isn't anything that I picture Frodo to be when reading the book (which I do maybe three times a year). He's just a horrible actor as an adult, and was only good when he was very young.

Now that said, I didn't see the Batman movie, but I don't believe Ledger should have all this success simply because he died. And don't mistake it - that is the reason for his critical acclaim, at least so it would seem from what others have told me and from other movies of his I've seen.

Therefore, I didn't even bother to vote for either of these guys, though I'm sure Wood will win b/c there are simply so many LOTR fans across the world and any other fan doesn't compare.

So Donna, don't act like a know-it-all and say that LOTR fans have 'more time on their hands', as it was YOU who first took the time to whine like a baby about the results of an internet poll. Seriously, if this bothers you, you need to get your head checked, and maybe a boyfriend, because YOU are the one with too much time on your hands.

Then again, maybe you just need some serious deep-dicking.

It's all a matter of opinion. I thought both characters were great, but the acting involved in both was nothing spectacular. Heath Ledger in my opinion just acted like an insane person does in a movie. I've seen a handful of crazy people portrayed in different movies, and Ledger didn't do anything that different except lick his lips and giggle. Elijah Wood in his performance was just like that of pretty much any dramatic role. Both I think nailed there roles, but since they played different types of characters, there acting can't be compared very well. If they both acted as the same character, I think that would be a fair gauge of which is the better actor. Furthermore, if the actor you think should win doesn't win, what's the big deal. It's some stupid poll that doesn't matter at all. They both will receive huge recognition for a long time for their roles. That said, I don't think the other two finalists (Iron Man and James Bond guys) will be remembered for years to come, So this should basically be the final.

Hope Elijah wins but heath is a great actor to but GO ELIJAH WOOD!!! LOVE HIM!

Personally, Elijah wouldn't be my pick from LotR for this; it'd be Ian McKellen as Gandalf. But somehow he got knocked out by RDjr in Tropic Thunder. I mean, really?
Though part of my apathy towards Elijah's portrayal is simply that the Frodo/Sam/Gollum part of both the novel and films are less interesting to me.

That being said, Heath managed to get to this round over both Javier Bardem and Philip Seymour Hoffman. So clearly the fanboys who keep creaming their pants over him have pumped up his votes without regard to merit, too. It was ultimately an above-average performance of an extremely flat character in a film that was otherwise average (though good, for a superhero/comic book character film). In 10 years time, PSH will still be one of the best actors in the world, and Heath will most likely be remembered as "oh yeah, that guy that did the gay cowboy movie and ODed"

So, stop pretending that an internet poll that is open to anyone and in which you can vote multiple times has any merit as a judgment of quality. It's just a bit of fun. It's fanboys/girls vs. geeks. My allegiance just happen to lie with the geeks.

Why So Serious LOTR Fans

Ringers calling Heath Ledger a mediocre actor are just hilarious. LMAO, pimpled geeks should stick to jerking off to their Tolkien books in their parents’ basements.

Yay for RDj knocking Ian McKellen out!

Well, I knew Heath and he did not care about stuff like this at all. He would laugh and be happy for whoever wins. They are all great actors and great movies. its stupid to narrow it all down to one. That being said, Its Heath who has the Oscar.

I'm an LotR fan through and through, but I have to say that Heath Ledger did a better job than Elijah wood BY FAR. I don't know how they can even be compared. I can't even undersatnd how Wood beat Depp earlier on...Sure, Wood was good. He was good enough that the LotR movies were able to be as great as they were, but Heath Ledger was just plain astounding.
But whatever. Heath Ledger will always be the better actor in my mind, and arguing won't change that. ^_^

Well Said Matt::::"Well, I knew Heath and he did not care about stuff like this at all. He would laugh and be happy for whoever wins. They are all great actors and great movies. its stupid to narrow it all down to one. That being said, Its Heath who has the Oscar."

Elijah Wood probably feels the same way...and anyone who thinks any of this means ANYTHING is nuts...I enjoyed Heath's work but...EW has my vote...s

As to the Tolkien "purist" Jeff...Pull your head out of the book and try to enjoy the interpretation.

Heath Ledger is only being said to have performed so wonderfully in his portrayal of the Joker because he died. Just think about it, any average actor can scream alot and act like a nut case. It is not that hard. People would have just thought, yeah, that Batman movie was fantastic but wouldn't give Heath Ledger much recognition, if he was still alive. No one would care about his role as the joker. Just because someone dies doesn't mean thay have to be considered the greatest actor in the world. Elijah Wood, plain and simple, did an absolute outstanding job as Frodo. The only information he was given about how to perform that role was from the, sometimes perceived as confusing, book. Heath Ledger had many other movies he could have studied and watched. In my opinion Elijah Wood is by far a better actor in so many ways.

Elijah Woods is the best actor of all time, Heath Ledger was a great actor and was better in Knights Tale than Batman. But face it he was promoted by sympathy because of his death. Woods gave so many years of his life to those movies and left what I believe to be the greatest piece of cinema of all time.

Yeah i agree whit you Jill,those two performances shouldn't be put togheter to compete,having said that,Heath should be winning this poll,because Hellooo this is one of the best performances of the decade..i don't understand what's so special about Wood and Lord of the Rings,maybe cause im not a fan,but anyway,Heath was a better actor and had better movies throughout his career..this poll is a scam,yes i said it..

and Rebekah,i think it's nonsense saying that if Heath was alive no one would care about his performance,i mean WTF..you think NO ONE would care? seriously,that's lame,im tired of reading that he got all the recognition and the awards because he died,that has NOTHING to do whit it,he put all his heart and soul into that role,so don't diminish his work saying stuff like that because im sure he'll be as celebrated,if not more if he was here whit us.

Stating "Heath is the better actor" is meaningless if it's not backed up by argument; it's just 1 person's opinion. And the very fact that the person just states that as though it's fact undermines the opinion (of course the same would be true of the same statement about Elijah). I think there are at least 3 reasons why I'd rate Elijah's performance in FOTR higher -

- he had to portray, at the age of 18, an incredibly famous iconic figure in one of the best read books in the world, so many people had preconceptions of Frodo

- he had to play unalloyed goodness, which could be very boring, as any actor would say, but he also had to portray a clear character arc which at the same time left room for development in the next 2 films

- the film was extremely successful in terms of awards and nominations - about 160 plus; obviously Frodo was the central character in the book, but the film relied even more on Frodo than the book did - because Frodo was the character the plot revolved round and the person the audience was intended to identify with

This is a rigged contest people. I know for a fact that hundreds of people have been voting for HL at the same time and yet it never changes. It should be changing slightly, but it stands still. Also this poll has been kept very quiet. If it was a more advertised poll we would see different actors all together. EW is not that good of an actor, he is ok. He fit the physical description of the role in question. People like Johnny Depp and Heath Ledger completely change their appearence, and play against them selves. That is true talent. The lOTR was popular and that is the only reason EW will win. Sad because while EW will win, he at the same time is not the true winner. Never will be.

TO Rebekah Bastin: Heath did not have many movies to study, The Joker has been in one. Heath did not in any way imitate Jack Nicholson or any of the older out of date Joker TV episodes. Heath said himself that he did not like comics, did not read them. The Joker was his and the director Nolan's creation. He won because of his acting. Had he been alive he would have still won. The academy does not work like that,giving out awards to people because theyare dead! He was nominated for an Oscar in 2005 for BBMountain. He brought a completely fictional character only seen in a book to life. I thought you would like that, as that's your excuse for EW. I first saw Heath in Roar in 1997, do you think I am the only one? The academy noticed too. He was nominated because he gave the best performance of 2008 in his catagory. He still has a movie due out and several other directing projects.He had a long successful career. Just because you did not notice or care for him, it does not give you the right to bash him. Move on and vote for your fav. Let Heath RIP.

There are lots of excuses here as to why Heath is not winning, the most lame being that the poll is rigged! Elijah is winning because he is getting more votes. Heath fans have exactly the same opportunity to vote.

That point about physical appearance was pretty lame too - Elijah had to wear a wig, a lot of make-up, hobbit feet, and all sorts of tricks had to be played to make the hobbit actors look 3 foot 6. They had to spend hours in make-up every day. In other films, such as Sin City, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Everything is Illuminated, he looks completely different from the way he was made to look as Frodo.

If he wins this whole poll, that would fit in with Fellowship's status as a very highly acclaimed film.

"Stating "Heath is the better actor" is meaningless if it's not backed up by argument; it's just 1 person's opinion. "

One person’s opinion? Are you for real? Let’s see---Heath Ledger Oscar nods 2 Oscar wins 1, Elijah Wood Oscar nods 0 Oscar wins 0; Golden Globes idem; BAFTA idem; SAG Award idem.

As for the rest of you using the death excuse, give me a break already, you think Hollywood cares about dead actors? Nope, because they're of no more use to them unlike the living ones. Tell me, if the reason for Heath's critical recognition for the Joker is his passing why wasn’t Brad Renfro’s (R.I.P.) performance in the Informers, his last movie, a massive success? He died too, a week before Heath did. What about James Dean? He was nominated twice for an Academy Award and lost both times. Why is Heath Ledger so special? Many other actors died before their last movies came out yet Heath is only the second one to have won an Academy Award posthumously in 81 years.

Heath was alive and well when he was widely acclaimed by critics and public for Brokeback Mountain and got a lot of nominations and awards---for playing a character based on a book!!!

Look LOTR fans, vote for your favorite, praise his acting, whatever but don't try to downplay Heath's immense talent and outstanding work in The Dark Knight. It won’t fly, kiddies. Let the man R.I.P. like Kate said, after all this is only a meaningless poll and your guy is winning so what's with the bitchiness?

Ashley - you missed the point. Quite a few people backing Heath made that statement without backing it up - so the statements were meaningless. You backed your ideas with an argument about the Oscars, so that's a start. But Oscars aren't the only measure of success. Elijah has 18 wins of awards and 27 noms. The films he's been in as leading actor or as part of an ensemble cast are of very high quality - eg FOTR being the only film from last 25 yrs the American Film Institute puts on its list of 100 ever best films.

I think Heath was a good actor but I think Dark Knight is not the same league as FOTR, and the numbers of awards they've won implies that is correct.

Btw petty stuff like 'are you for real' undermines your argument; if you've got a good argument you don't need to get so angry.

“I think Heath was a good actor but I think Dark Knight is not the same league as FOTR, and the numbers of awards they've won implies that is correct.”

I disagree, regardless, this has nothing to do with Heath’s and Elijah’s performances in the said movies or their caliber as actors, so this argument is invalid. By the way, The Dark Knight won many awards as well.

Since you mentioned it Heath had 41 wins & 33 nominations in his career.

And no, I didn't miss the point at all. Their statements are backed up enough by reality, and at least they didn't bash or downplay Elijah’s work like some of your friends did with Heath.

Anyway, I couldn't care less about the results of this poll, I know who the better actor is and no amount of arguing with LOTR fans will change my mind.

Heath Ledger's acting IS, I will admit, very good. I mean, yeah, his death probably did contribute to TDK's popularity, but in any case he is a really good actor.

However, Elijah Wood's acting is not 'terrible.' In my opinion he pulled of LoTR really well.. & as the maid lead character.. well, come on, he beats Dan Radcliffe in acting for sure & I am an avid HP fan as well.

Also, "the poll is rigged" & "he's only winning cuz LOTR fans keep voting" are quite silly excuses.. I mean, come on, Heath/TDK fans can easily "keep voting" as well.. just cuz LOTR had more fans, doesn't mean you need to get all crazy.

So in the end of the day, while I was really shocked with Elijah won over Johnny Depp - cuz I absolutely love his acting, in Pirates & his other movies - I'm going with Elijah on this one. Not just cuz he's a good actor, but because LOTR was also, in my opinion, the better movie. TDK was pretty hot, but nothing beats LOTR :D

Lastly, I completely agree with Suzy's comments.

As a preface, clearly this poll is meant to be in fun, and is being taken too seriously by people on both sides. Its not as if, if Heath loses, he loses his Oscar, or if Elijah loses, every copy of LotR will vaporize.

That said, how about something of a historical analogy? James Dean and Anthony Perkins.
If you stopped just average people on the street, how many people could identify Dean vs. Perkins? My guess is Dean would easily win.
But, if you asked those who could identify each to name films they were in, how would they fare? I'll hazard the guess that more people know Dean for his untimely death than for East of Eden, Giant or Rebel Without a Cause. Whereas they know Perkins specifically for Psycho.
Dean got Oscar nominations for 2 of his films, whereas Perkins didn't get nominated for Psycho. Yet Psycho is the more widely seen and critically acclaimed film.
Which is the better and more important performance: James Dean in Giant, or Anthony Perkins in Psycho?

Whoever wins, this poll is complete BS. If each voter was allowed ONE vote it might make sense. But since people can vote over and over, the results are both meaningless and bogus. www.film.com are simply discrediting themselves by running a poll like this.

This whole thing reminds me of Ernie Rogers, a 23-year-old guitar player in San Bernardino, who faked his popularity on YouTube back in 2006. Rogers, or lamo1234, watched more than 900-thousand videos on YouTube in about 6 months - most of them the first seconds of his own guitar solos. He watched these over and over and over to boost his view counts and get at the head of the lists. One of his solos was viewed 200-hundred thousand times—and 60-thousand of those viewings were by him.

Poor Elijah Wood - nothing for him but embarrassment over a dumb poll like this.