MOVIES: Best of 2010 -- Supporting Actor

The runners-up:

• Matt Damon, True Grit
• Guillermo Francella, The Secret in Their Eyes
• Bob Hoskins, Made in Dagenham
• Ian McShane, 44 Inch Chest
• Owen Wilson, How Do You Know

The nominees:

• Pierce Brosnan, The Ghost Writer -- A lovely portrait of a man led into foolish things by love, who's forced to deal with the realization of how badly he's been played.
• Andrew Garfield, The Social Network -- A wide-ranging role, and Garfield gets all of the moments right -- giddy optimism, the pain of betrayal, the incredible patience it takes to be Zuckerberg's friend.
• Ewan McGregor, I Love You Phillip Morris -- A performance of incredible sweetness, providing a level of emotional grounding that is much needed to balance out Carrey's more manic comedy.
• Bill Murray, Get Low -- A marvel of quiet restraint and droll humor that was far more interesting than the overpraised performances by the bigger names in the cast.

The winner:

• Justin Timberlake, The Social Network -- It's a high-energy movie, but the manic jolt that Timberlake's arrival brings is still a welcome change; and its impact on the Eisenberg-Garfield dynamic drives the last part of the movie.