You can see the full scene here.

During the break between the fourth and fifth season of The West Wing, creator and show runner Aaron Sorkin, who wrote almost every episode in the first four season, was forced out by NBC and replaced with John Wells. This led to cast shakeups and a tone change that lasted through seasons five and six before season seven returned to a more populist message, despite not focusing on The White House.

LOST introduced time travel during the shows fifth season to put the characters into a new and unique situation. Fox’s House introduced three new doctors in the shows fourth season, limiting time of past regulars while creating new dynamics to keep the shows formula unique. Before the fourth season of 24, the producers introduced a whole new cast, and slowly reinvented itself throughout the fourth and fifth seasons. Following a critcally panned sixth season, the show reinvented itself again for the seventh season.

Of course this is nothing new. Happy Days began to focus more and more on The Fonz as the series progressed. Shows have forced minor characters into the light as major characters have passed on. Jon and Kate’s divorce is merely giving the people what they wanted: new situations for a tired old formula.

10. William Fichtner - A classic that guy, but one on the constant verge of being William Fichtner and not just that guy. However, he makes the top ten now because he was in last years The Dark Knight completely due to his that guy status. The director, Christopher Nolan, wanted to cast someone in the role of the bank manager as a tribute to the movie Heat, and settled on William Fichtner. How did he settle on Fichtner over DeNiro, Pachino, Jon Voight, Val Kilmer and other that guys like Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert and Tom Sizemore? I think it’s because Fichtner is so recognizeable and yet so unknown that, rather than saying “Hey it’s the guy from Monk (Levine), 24 (Haysbert),  who was arrested for beating up his girlfriend (Sizemore)”, they just recognize Fichtner as that guy.

William Fichtner can currently be seen on Fox’s Prison Break.

9. Clark Gregg - Clark Gregg is a ‘that guy’ who is breaking out. He wrote and directed Choke, a movie starring Sam Rockwell, who is too much of a non-that guy to be on the list, but only because he’s moved on to a starring role ‘that guy’. Gregg’s big role in 2008, however, was in Iron Man, basically playing the same role as he did on The West Wing. He played the by the books agent who repeats a gag line twice that sets up the brillent S.H.I.E.L.D. punchline to close the film. With any hope he’ll be in Iron Man 2.

Clark Gregg can currently be seen on CBS’s The New Adventures of Old Christine

8. Glenn Morshower - Glenn Morshower is a classic that guy, always appearing as a military officer, secret service agent. Something about his Texas accent oozes credibility, even when he’s on the wrong side of the fight, such as in Good Night and Good Luck. Morshower has been working since 1976, and constantly lending credibility to minor roles as law enforcement, military or other authority figures. In 2008 he wasn’t seen much onscreen, with the exception of his brilliant and critically lauded guest stint on Friday Night Lights. But he was busy off screen, returning to 24, signing up deals to appear in Men Who Stare at Goats, which stars a who’s-who of Hollywood, and Transformers: Rise of the Fallen, a who’s-who of Michael Bay/Stephen Spielberg movies. And yes, he also had a recurring role on The West Wing.

Glenn Morshower can currently be seen on Fox’s 24.

7. David Morse - In 2007, David Morse would have topped this list. He was fresh off an Emmy-worthy run on House, was the best thing about the unexpected hit Disturbia, and seemed to be on the verge of breaking out after years and years of lower billing. People were actually starting to learn the name David Morse. And then–nothing. He released two movies in 2008, neither of which got any attention. His biggest role in 2008 was as George Washington on John Adams. Morse will probably remain in his role as the possibly untrustworthy guy for the rest of his days, though he will play it with cunning skill.

6. Clifton Collins, Jr. - You know that face, don’t you? Maybe it’s from his stunning turn in Capote. Maybe it’s from his recurring roles on Alias, Thief or The Shield. Maybe it’s because he sort of looks like someone you know, only with sadder eyes. Collins Jr. didn’t exactly have a huge 2008, but he would have if Star Trek had been released on schedule. Collins, Jr. has nine movies scheduled for release in 2009, and is bound to be noticed in at least one of them (though he may be behind heavy make up in Star Trek). My guess is the fanboys will eat him up in Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

5. Xander Berkeley - I understand that in real-life, Xander Berkeley is a nice guy. However, in every single role he’s ever been in he’s been some kind of asshole, from the mild-and-understandably-prick he plays in Taken to his traitor, Gary Oldman aiding secret service agent uber-jackass in Air Force One. Berkeley makes the list because Taken was a hit worldwide, and is still racking in the dough in America (it led the best February in the history of the movies). Berkeley has six movies coming out in 2009 and is a shoe-in to be playing a jerk in all of them.

4. Bruce Greenwood - No ‘that guy’ list would be complete without Bruce Greenwood. He is so big of a that guy that he makes the list despite the fact that the only thing anyone really saw him in last year was the Star Trek trailer. He regularly plays historical figures or people pretending to be historical figures, including the President of the United States in the latest National Treasure movie. I suggest that he next develop a biopic of Franklin Pierce, so that way he’s a that guy playing a ‘that President’.

3. Don S. Davis - To be fair, Don S. Davis probably didn’t have a year deserving to be on this list. But this long time character actor and ‘that guy’, who you might recognize from The West Wing, Stargate, Twin Peaks, A League of Their Own, the Look Who’s Talking movies, and countless other roles as high ranking military officers and local law enforcement officers died on June 29th of last year, and earns a spot for his overall body of work rather than his specific work for the year. His final theatrical role in The Uninvited, is still playing in a few movie theaters across the country.

2. Mark Strong – He’s so much of a ‘that guy’ that I almost forgot to include him on the list. He stunned as Hani in Body of Lies, becoming the only credible part of a movie directed by Ridley Scott and featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. That’s right. Mark Strong out-acted Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, by leaps and bounds. While the movie felt flat and two-dimensional, he was well rounded and believable. Over the last two years he’s also appeared in Stardust, Sunshine, Babylon A.D., RocknRolla and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Not only did Mark Strong have a terrific 2008 on-screen, but off-screen he penned deals for major supporting roles for Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, and Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood adaptation. If things go right, in a couple years Mark Strong could go from “Who?” to “Who’s Who.”

1. Richard Jenkins – How much of a that guy is Richard Jenkins? Well, when they had actors talk about the nominees during this years ceremony, Adrian Brody started his speech on Richard Jenkins with “if you google Richard Jenkins resume”… (you can see it here). That’s right, not only is Adrian Brody an idiot for including how he figured out who the hell Richard Jenkins is in his speech, but he also used Google when he could have easily typed Jenkins name into imdb. Ah, but Richard Jenkins had quite the 2008! He was in a Coen Brothers movie, a Will Ferrell movie and was nominated for an Oscar over Clint Eastwood.  He’s currently working on five movies and if Hollywood has it’s way people might actually learn his name and stop having to google or imdb him. But for now, he remains a ‘that guy’, which is not as dubious as it seems, unless Adrian Brody decides that ‘googling you’ is the best way to honor you.

Who did I overrank? Who did I miss? Sound off in the comments.

Of course, one of the best writers of those speeches (and in no way related to Field of Dreams is Aaron Sorkin. Most of our readers are probably aware of the man-crush (or regular crush) we have on Aaron Sorkin. His writing is some of our favorite, and, at it’s best, what every writer should aspire to write like. It is witty, powerful, and has a point. Sorkin understood the way people talked and hired actors who could talk in the way they wrote. While people have criticized him for putting his voice into every character, he does subtly change the way each character speaks. And, while I personally think his best work is in one-liners and exchanges that end with a simple “kay”, there’s no denying that he’s a pretty amazing speech writer in his own right. So much so that pundits for Obama have repeatedly compared his speeches to Sorkin’s writing, or using the phrase Sorkin-esque. Obama even told Sorkin he plans on stealing a lot of his lines, which Sorkin enjoyed. (See No. 1 for more on the Obama-Sorkin connection).

So, I present to you the ten best Aaron Sorkin speeches. I have left out speeches he clearly wrote for Bulworth and other movies where he served as an uncredited script doctor, and left only those written by the man himself.

10. “Break’s over.” – The West Wing

The first part of this speech is missing. Among that which is cut is “My youngest grand daughter Annie gave me this newspaper clipping. Seems these theologians down in South America were very excited because this little girl from Chile had sliced open a tomato, and the inside flesh of this tomato had actually formed a perfect Rosary. The theologians commented that they thought this was a very impressive girl. Annie commented that she thought it was a very impressive tomato” and then includes the set up for the punch that he had–recaping the story point that Cubans had come to the US and are seeking asylum. It is among my favorite speeches in the West Wing, and was the point I knew I was going to love this show. The ending to the pilot is only No. 10 on this list, which means that there’s still some great Sorkin to come.

9. “I am God” – Malice
Alec Baldwin is no Martin Sheen. While a good actor, he is nowhere near some of the actors on this list. However, this is a well written and good-if not awkwardly-delivered speech from Sorkin’s second and worst received film. In the hands of someone who knew how to read Sorkin it might have been even better, but in Baldwin’s, it’s only so-so. If you want to see a good Baldwin speech, watch his one from Glengary Glen Ross

8. “You should vote for someone else.” – The West Wing “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen”
This is the speech that convinced Josh Lyman to stop working for Hoynes and start working for Bartlet. It’s hard to see why not. The Shadow of Two Gunmen is one of the best episodes as far as writing goes in the history of television, and this speech is just a small part of that. However, it’s a candidate giving an actual good reason to vote for him, which is something I’ve never heard. It’s not about policy, it’s about children. God, I wish more people in Washington talked like this.

7. “You’re my guys.” – The West Wing “War Games”
In another role reversal, the usually brash Toby makes a calm, cool, collected speech to his staff. Even Sam can’t help but say how unexpected it was. It isn’t one of those wow moments that sticks with you like some of the other speeches, but looking back at the Sorkin years, this is one of my favorites, because it works and doesn’t draw attention to itself.

6. “It’s not even good pornography!” – Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Sorkin’s best moment on Studio 60 was also his first. The opening 10 minutes of the program are some of the most dramatic, exciting, well written and well shot moments in television history. It’s a shame the show didn’t last longer, because we could have had more moments like this. However, it seems like Sorkin lost his anti-TV balls after the first episode, so maybe it wouldn’t have. Either way, this will be one of the best speeches in television history, and you don’t even hear all of it.

5. “I’d like to take a moment to review the several ways in which you’re a douche bag.” – Charlie Wilson’s War
This one is great because it’s angry, course, and it’s to an idiot. Sorkin always likes talking above somebodies head and going on long winded rants where some things are not relevant. He even throws in the ‘Never ever sick at sea’ line again, which works better here that it did in Malice (see No. 9). And, when you have an actor like Philip Seymour Hoffman reading your work, it’s hard for it not to be good. Really it’s two mini-speeches and a little in the middle, but it’s some of Sorkin’s best work.

4. “Because that’s what a man does.” – The West Wing “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet”
I think that it’s interesting that the top two speeches I chose from the West Wing are not only both not read by Martin Sheen, but that they are both John Spencer. Spencer is a great-fantastic actor-but he’s not the person you think of when you think speeches from the West Wing. You think of Bartlet, Sam Seaborn, Josh Lyman, and Toby before you get to Leo. And yet the two best speeches (the second is No. 2) are his. Maybe because he didn’t turn them into speeches. It didn’t feel like it was reading, lecturing, it felt real. This one is so good, he doesn’t need to say the punctuating point, he only has to write it.

3. “You can’t handle the truth!” – A Few Good Men
It doesn’t hurt when you have someone like Jack Nicholson reading your words to make it good. Probably Sorkin’s most famous speech, it falls at No. 3 on here because, while it’s not as great as the first two, it’s shows Sorkin’s ability to write a speech that he clearly does not agree with. It is, however, powerful and a little scary. And Nicholson totally sells it.

2. “Whole houses, clear off the ground.” – The West Wing “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen”
Everyone got speeches in the West Wing. Usually they’re for some policy, or quickly rebuked by another long winded speech. But sometimes they just make you sit back and watch. This speech isn’t for anything but having quality people in a Presidential race, but more than that it’s about the friendship between Leo and the future President. John Spencer delivers the lines in what is probably the finest delivery of any speech Sorkin has written. One tops this one due to length, importance, and sheer amazement, but if you’re looking for the best scene on this list, it’s right here.

1. “My name is Andrew Shepard, and I am the President.” – The American President
LA Weekly named it the best fake Presidential speech of all time. Bloggers have cited it’s influence on Obama here, here and here. Oh yeah, and Sorkin wrote a meeting between Jed Bartlet and Obama for Maureen Dowd (whom he may or may not be rolling in the rose garden with). This speech is the climax of the movie, where a President who has been pushed around all movie finally gets the balls to fight back and does so in a speech at a press conference. It works better in the movie than it would in real life, but this is clearly Sorkin’s best work, and he finishes it with a bang.