Quindecim

Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Hollywood undoubtedly outdid itself in the year of 2004.

A-listers who have been waiting in the wings for the perfect roles burst out on the scene again, teaming up with some of the best fellow actors and directors in the business.

As a result, not only has there been an overwhelming amount of exceptional films coming out back-to-back, but there also just are not enough awards to recognize everyone. This should make for a very apprehensive Oscar night.

With that in mind, the academy, while obviously having very big decisions to make, had no problem finding the perfect host to ease the tense mood that will surely be in the house. And if anyone can do it, it is the absolutely hilarious Chris Rock.

But even he warns of leaving the show if his longtime friend Jamie Foxx does not take home the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the music legend Ray Charles in Ray.

However, that will not be the only possible spoiler in the room that night. Once again, Annette Bening (Being Julia) and Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) are neck and neck for the Best Actress title. Both women gave outstanding performances, but will seniority and due time win over undeniable deservedness?

The best scenario would be if they cancelled each other out and Kate Winslet took it home for her portrayal of the quirky and sometimes manic Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Or maybe something really upsetting can happen and Oscar rookies Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) or Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full Of Grace) will take it. Okay, highly doubtful, but it would probably make a lot of torn people breathe a sigh of relief.

Another nail biter, and maybe even the most anticipated category of the night, will be the Best Actor award. There has never been a category of more deserving men to be recognized as the best. But unfortunately, there can only be one.

The frontrunner appears to be Jamie Foxx (Ray), but there is another actor who creates the same conflict of due time vs. this is the time, and that is Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator).

Oscar rookie Jamie Foxx is vying against one of the greatest young actors of our generation with an impressive résumé. Both brilliantly portraying historic figures, this by far will have to be the hardest decision for the academy to make.

This also goes beyond DiCaprio and Foxx; this, in essence, becomes a competition between the iconic figures, Ray Charles and Howard Hughes as well.

Another heartbreaker in this category is the fact that our beloved Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland) along with Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) and Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) are also nominated.

This could possibly be the last and/or only nomination for all of them. Let's hope not, but the odds of so many Oscar-worthy roles come few and far between for most actors.

If the Golden Globes really foreshadow the big night, then the Best Supporting Actor/Actress will again go to the two most disturbing characters of the movie Closer, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen.

If they are not, and the Golden Globes were just a way of dividing up awards among breakout stars, then Virgina Madsen (Sideways), Laura Linney (Kinsey), Cate Blanchett (The Aviator), or Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) could very well be taking home the golden man for the actress category.

Jamie Foxx could be taking home two trophies on Oscar night, as he is also nominated for his performance in Collateral. Thomas Hayden Church is nominated for his role in Sideways, Alan Alda for The Aviator, and Morgan Freeman for his role in Million Dollar Baby.

In the category of Best Director, Clint Eastwood could snag his second award of the night (Million Dollar Baby). Joining him in one of the most prestigious categories of the night are the directors of Sideways, The Aviator, Vera Drake, and Ray.

Four of these directors also have snagged the nods for Best Picture: The Aviator, Sideways, Million Dollar Baby and Ray, and joining them is Finding Neverland.

So after an exhaustive analysis of the nominees, you now have your guide to the Oscars! You can now officially cross your fingers and bite your nails on the big night too!

My Predictions
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Actress: Hilary Swank
Best supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx,
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchet
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Aviator
Best Picture: The Aviator

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