Can Rourke out-wrestle Penn in Milk?
Nominees: Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon, Sean Penn in Milk, Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler Two-way match: Penn took a break from a string of often unpleasant characters as the upbeat, people-loving gay politician Harvey Milk, and it might pay off with his second Oscar after his vengeful father in 2003’s Mystic River. “Milk needs to win something,” reasons Anne Thompson, Variety’s online deputy editor, “and this might be the one. Penn channels this guy who was so well-liked and beloved, and it’s well known in Hollywood that he isn’t that way. He’s an actor’s actor.” But former bad-boy Rourke, whose career comeback in The Wrestler was one of the cinematic high points of last year, has been duly putting in public appearances. He also won charm points when he thanked his dogs for their support at the Golden Globes. Still, there are hurdles in his path to a win. “He might come off like he wants it too bad,” Sto
