The 2013 RyMickey Awards - Best Ensemble

Although a few of my best ensembles below are from Best Picture-nominated films, what I like about my choices below is the variety of genres represented.  You've got horror, comedy, action, drama -- they're all represented below.  Sometimes you need to look past the obvious (I'm looking at you Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Award) to find some interesting choices for a well-rounded cast.

Best Ensembles of 2013

Honorable Mentions

#10 - Red 2

(Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Byung-hun Lee, and Catherine Zeta-Jones)

#9 - The Conjuring

(Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston)

#8 - In a World...

(Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Ken Marino, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Alexandra Holden, and Nick Offerman)

#7 - Saving Mr. Banks

(Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzmann, and Rachel Griffiths)

#6 - Enough Said

(Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone, Tracey Faraway, and Tavi Gevinson)

And the Top Five...

#5 - We're the Millers

(Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, and Kathryn Hahn)

Comedy is never easy.  The entire cast of We're the Millers brought much (raunchy) humor to their scenes, with nary a weak actor in the bunch.

#4 - Nebraska

(Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, and Stacy Keach)

While the above five actors were the main quartet, Nebraska also showcases many other less "well-known" actors who I hope to represent with this award as well.  Scenes around the dinner table with various brothers or sisters play as real as any scenes with the more "seasoned" actors above.

#3 - The Wolf of Wall Street

(Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin, Cristin Milioti, and Joanna Lumley)

The cast list for The Wolf of Wall Street ensemble could probably be two more lines at least.  I had to draw the line somewhere.  Needless to say, Scorsese got great performances from everyone -- from those who were in the film for just one scene (a la McConaughey) to those who were in nearly every frame (Mr. DiCaprio).

#2 - August: Osage County

(Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Misty Upham, and Sam Shepard)

I'm very surprised I enjoyed this flick as much as I did seeing as how I hated the play.  I thought for sure that this fantastic cast would simply trample all over one another, but despite the gravity of such a strong ensemble, each member always was willing to take a back seat to let someone else have their "moment."  Scenes like the dinner table sequence above -- in which every cast member is onscreen -- are perfect examples of the cast's ability to never grandstand one another.

#1 - Short Term 12

(Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Keith Stanfield, Kaitlyn Dever, Alex Calloway, and Rami Malek)

A cast of relative unknowns, Short Term 12 showcases a talented cast of up-and-coming Hollywood actors.  For the entire ensemble to elicit so many emotional moments for an audience at such a young age is a testament to their talent.  I look forward to seeing all of them in the future.

Previous Best Ensemble Winners
2012
2011
2010
2009