Not many surprises, some big snubs and bitching at the Academy Awards
By Matt Goldberg

Best Actor
Adrien Brody — The Pianist
Nicholas Cage — Adaptation
Michael Caine — The Quiet American
Daniel Day-Lewis — Gangs of New York
Jack Nicholson — About Schmidt

Like last year, this category is gonna be a close race (Washington vs. Crowe). However, this time it’s between Day-Lewis and Nicholson (even though Day-Lewis is really in a supporting role). However, there’s the possibility that the close race between the two actors could split the vote and leave the door open for Cage or Brody. I don’t even know why Michael Caine got a nomination.

Who Will Win: Day-Lewis
Who Should Win: Nicholson
Who Got Screwed: Edward Norton (25th Hour) and Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)

Best Actress
Salma Hayek — Frida
Nicole Kidman — The Hours
Diane Lane — Unfaithful
Julianne Moore — Far From Heaven
Renee Zellweger — Chicago

Kidman’s really a supporting role but she’ll get the win by virtue of being Nicole Kidman, which is just how Julia Roberts won a few years ago with Erin Brockovich. Of course, if Kidman gets the win, I’ll expect her to thank her nose which made her disappear more than actual acting ability.

Who Will Win: Kidman
Who Should Win: Renee Zellweger
Who Got Screwed: Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary)

Best Supporting Actor
Chris Cooper — Adaptation
Ed Harris — The Hours
Paul Newman — Road to Perdition
John C. Reilly — Chicago
Christopher Walken — Catch Me If You Can

The nominations of Reilly and Walken are a really nice surprise. While Cooper is a lock for the win, I never found his performance all that amazing. Paul Newman gave an incredibly sub-par performance in Road to Perdition.

Who Will Win: Cooper
Who Should Win: Reilly or Harris
Who Got Screwed: Ray Liotta (Narc), Andy Serkis (The Two Towers), and Richard Gere (Chicago)

Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates — About Schmidt
Julianne Moore — The Hours
Queen Latifah — Chicago
Meryl Streep — Adaptation
Catherine Zeta-Jones — Chicago

In what is usually a worthless category, five great performances all get the attention they deserve. I was especially happy to see Latifah get a nomination. However, the award will go to Streep even though her performance is far from being the best of the bunch. I predict Streep will get the award because A) she’s Meryl Streep; B) It is a kooky performance; and C) she’s Meryl Streep. Bates should take it home for giving one of the year’s funniest and most frightening performances.

Who Will Win: Streep
Who Should Win: Bates
Who Got Screwed: No one, really.

Best Director
Rob Marshall — Chicago
Martin Scorcese — Gangs of New York
Stephen Daldry — The Hours
Roman Polanski — The Pianist
Pedro Almodóvar — Talk to Her

Not only did The Two Towers direct itself, it did a damn fine job of it. I feel bad for Peter Jackson because he’s probably looked over the nominations at home and thought, “Wow…they’d rather nominate a pederast.” Scorcese will win it as an apology to the previous three times the Academy screwed him.

Who Will Win: Scorcese
Who Should Win: Marshall
Who Got Screwed: Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) and George Clooney (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind).

Best Picture
Chicago
Gangs of New York
The Hours
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist

(Yawn.) Gangs of New York deserves this nomination as much as I deserve to have sex with any woman of my choice (it’s really that horrific, folks). While Chicago seems like a lock with 13 nominations, The Hours seems more up Oscar’s alley. Besides, I always bet that the Academy will piss me off. I’m usually right.

What Will Win: The Hours
What Should Win: Chicago
What Got Screwed: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

The Good
Best Documentary – Bowling for Columbine. One of the best films of the year doesn’t get the snub like Moore’s previous film, Roger & Me.

Best Animated Feature – Spirited Away. Again, this is one of the best films of the year. However, I fear Disney will push Lilo & Stitch rather than the film that has actual artistic merit.

Best Song – “Lose Yourself.” This means that Eminem will get to perform at the Academy Awards. However, this is just a ploy to get viewers (a la “Blame Canada”) on awards night. Expect the award to go to something a bit tamer.

The Bad and the Ugly
The only two nominations for make-up will make the category a joke for the next few years at least. Their reasons for ignoring films are absolutely ridiculous. Two Towers? “Well, we already saw that in the first film.” Funny, I don’t remember Theoden or Wormtongue from the first film. Chicago? “It didn’t accurately portray the make-up of the 1920’s.” Ah, but Moulin Rouge was a bastion of realism. So we’re left with the Selma Hayek’s amazing moustache in Frida and Jeremy Irons looking like he could use a little sun for The Time Machine. Absolutely pathetic.
The foreign film nods are a joke. Where’s Y Tu Mama Tambien? Where’s Bloody Sunday? Where’s Talk to Her? Oh, that’s right. Worthless Academy rules prevent these films from even a nomination. What a joke.
Every year I get more pissed off and every year I come crawling back. And the most painful aspect? We know it could be better. Oh well. I know I’ll still be watching the four hour plus show on March 23