Oscar Nominations Announced

Best Picture

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
RAY (Universal Pictures)
SIDEWAYS (Fox Searchlight)

Good start for me as I was 4 of 5 predicting this category. I had "Ray" and "Hotel Rwanda" down to a coin flip and picked the wrong one. Too bad for "Hotel Rwanda" as it is a very deserving film. No real suprises here. Glad to see "The Passion" didn't get a token nomination to appease the bible thumpers like many seemed to think it would.

Achievement in Directing

Martin Scorsese for THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
Clint Eastwood for MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
Taylor Hackford for RAY (Universal Pictures)
Alexander Payne for SIDEWAYS (Fox Searchlight)
Mike Leigh for VERA DRAKE (Fine Line Features)

3 of 5 in this tough to predict category. I picked the same 3 right that I'm sure everyone else did as well. Mike Leigh being nominated is maybe the biggest suprise of all the categories. Too bad Michel Gondry or Mike Nichols couldn't squeak in. Hopefully they will finally give a long overdue Oscar to Marty Scorsese.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Don Cheadle for HOTEL RWANDA (United Artists)
Johnny Depp for FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
Leonardo DiCaprio for THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
Clint Eastwood for MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
Jamie Foxx for RAY (Universal Pictures)

I was 4 of 5 here and very suprised I am not 5 of 5. Paul Giamatti being left off is not only suprising but also sad to see. He gave a great performance in "Sideways" and if someone had to be left off to make room for the juggernaut that is "Million Dollar Baby" then it should have probably been Depp. That said, this is the deepest category of the year, with Giamatti, Neeson and Bardem all giving Oscar quality performances that didn't make the cut.

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Alda for THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
Thomas Haden Church for SIDEWAYS (Fox Searchlight)
Jamie Foxx for COLLATERAL (Dreamworks SKG)
Morgan Freeman for MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
Clive Owen for CLOSER (Columbia Pictures)

My predictions are looking very strong this year, with another 4 of 5 in this tough category. I took Alan Alda when no one seemed to be predicting him. I would have picked Foxx too if he hadn't already been up for another award. Oh well, I guess the academy likes Jamie Foxx as much as I do. Hopefully this is the year that the great Morgan Freeman get the Oscar he has deserved so many other times.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening for BEING JULIA (Sony Pictures Classics)
Catalina Sandino Moreno for MARIA FULL OF GRACE (Fine Line Features)
Imelda Staunton for VERA DRAKE (Fine Line Features)
Hilary Swank for MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
Kate Winslet for ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Focus Features)

5 of 5. Ding, ding. ding. Perfect category. Nothing real suprising here as I felt this was a pretty easy category to predict. Glad to see Catalina Sandino Moreno get the recognition even though not many saw her film. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a rent. Too bad they could't find a spot for Uma Thurman who was great in "Kill Bill: Volume 2".

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett for THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
Laura Linney for KINSEY (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Virginia Madsen for SIDEWAYS (Fox Searchlight)
Sophie Okonedo for HOTEL RWANDA (United Artists)
Natalie Portman for CLOSER (Columbia Pictures)

Wow, 5 of 5 again. Maybe I should turn pro at this. This seemed to me to be a tough category to predict. It certainly will be tough to predict a winner. All 5 are very deserving.

Best Original Screenplay

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Focus Features)
HOTEL RWANDA (United Artists)
THE INCREDIBLES (Disney/Pixar)
VERA DRAKE (Fine Line Features)

After 2 perfect categories I guess there was nowhere to go but down. 3 out of 5 as this category really didn't go like I had expected. With all the love for "Ray" you would have thought it a virtual lock for a screenplay nod. I figured "Vera Drake" or "The Incredibles" might sneak in, but not both. I guess we needed some suprises.

Best Adapted Screenplay

BEFORE SUNSET (Warner Independent Pictures)
FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Focus Features)
SIDEWAYS (Fox Searchlight)

4 of 5. Much more predictable than Original Screenplay was. Which is odd since Original Screenplay seemed to have more quality scripts to choose from. Glad to see "The Motorcycle Diaries" got a nomination even if Patrck Marber's great screenplay for "Closer" did not.

Best Foreign-Language Film

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN - Sweden
THE CHORUS - France
DOWNFALL - Germany
THE SEA INSIDE - Spain
YESTERDAY - South Africa

This is one of the categories I did not predict because even I haven't heard of most of them. Very suprised that "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "House of Flying Daggers" didn't make the cut.

Best Animated Feature Film

THE INCREDIBLES (Disney/Pixar)
SHARK TALE (Dreamworks SKG)
SHREK 2 (Dreamworks SKG)

2 of 3 here in my predictions. "Shark Tale" over "The Polar Express"...wow.

Achievement in Art Direction

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (Paramount Pictures)
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Warner Bros.)
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT (Warner Independent Pictures)

Achievement in Cinematography

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (Sony Pictures Classics)
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (Newmarket Film Group)
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Warner Bros.)
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT (Warner Independent Pictures)

3 of 5. Very good looking films here, but where the hell is "Collateral"? It was beautifully shot and made the city of LA a real character in the film. Looks like they threw the average "Phantom of the Opera" a bone here.

Achievement in Costume Design

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (Paramount Pictures)
RAY (Universal Pictures)
TROY (Warner Bros.)

Best Documentary Feature

BORN INTO BROTHELS (ThinkFilm)
THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL (ThinkFilm)
SUPER SIZE ME (Roadside Attractions / Samuel Goldwyn Films)
TUPAC: RESURRECTION (Paramount Pictures)
TWIST OF FAITH

I don't care about the rules. "Farenheit 9/11" should be on here. It is 1000 times more deserving than "Tupac: Resurrection".

Best Film Editing

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
COLLATERAL (Dreamworks SKG)
FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Warner Bros.)
RAY (Universal Pictures)

Achievement in Makeup

LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (Paramount Pictures)
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (Newmarket Film Group)
THE SEA INSIDE (Fine Line Features)

Best Original Score

FINDING NEVERLAND (Miramax)
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Warner Bros.)
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (Paramount Pictures)
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (Newmarket Film Group)
THE VILLAGE (Touchstone Pictures)

"The Village" over "The Incredibles"...hmmm.

Original Song

"Accidentally In Love" - SHREK 2 (Dreamworks SKG)
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Focus Features)
"Believe" - THE POLAR EXPRESS (Warner Bros.)
"Learn To Be Lonely" - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Warner Bros.)
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - THE CHORUS (Miramax)

What a mess this category is. No Mick Jagger from "Alfie", no Damien Rice from "Closer". Glad I didn't try to predict this category.

Achievement in Sound Mixing

THE AVIATOR (Miramax)
THE INCREDIBLES (Disney/Pixar)
THE POLAR EXPRESS (Warner Bros.)
RAY (Universal Pictures)
SPIDER-MAN 2 (Columbia Pictures)

Achievement in Sound Editing

THE INCREDIBLES (Disney/Pixar)
THE POLAR EXPRESS (Warner Bros.)
SPIDER-MAN 2 (Columbia Pictures)

Best Visual Effects

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Warner Bros)
I, ROBOT (20th Century Fox)
SPIDER-MAN 2 (Columbia Pictures)

1 of 3. At least I got "Spiderman 2" right. Suprised "The Aviator" got no love here.

Best Documentary Short

AUTISM IS A WORLD
THE CHILDREN OF LENINGRADSKY
HARDWOOD
MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH
SISTER ROSE'S PASSION

Best Animated Short Film

BIRTHDAY BOY
GOPHER BROKE
GUARD DOG
LORENZO
RYAN

Best Live-Action Short Film

EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY MUST
LITTLE TERRORIST
7:35 IN THE MORNING
TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT
WASP

I finished with a very solid 38 out of 51 right from my predictions. That is over 75% ladies and gentlemen. Please hold your applause. Can't wait to see if I can predict the winners as well.

Big winners (aside from the obvious): Ray, Jamie Foxx, The Aviator, Vera Drake, Catalina Sandino Moreno.

Big losers: Paul Giamatti, Patrick Marber's Closer screenplay, The Polar Express, The cinematography of Collaretal.