FEATURE COLUMN

The 76th Annual Academy Awards - Nomination Preview

Oscar Anyone?

In a Year of Riches, Nominations Up in the Air

By Sara Michelle Fetters

The Golden Globes stink – not that we didn’t all know that already. They’re picked by a bunch of pseudo-journalists no one has ever heard of and their – um – choices (“Love Actually” for best picture comedy? Puh-lease) always seems to be made more on a whim than with any actual intimation to quality. All that said, with their coming and with other critics groups making their choices as to the best of 2003 known that only means one thing: Oscar time is nigh.

Needless to say, with Academy Award nominations a few weeks away and the award ceremony itself moved up a month to the end of February now is the time for every critic and entertainment columnist worth their salt to try their hand at a little prognostication. Granted, for any of you placing bets or thinking you’re going to do your Hollywood Stock Exchange NomiOptions buying based on my guesses, you might want to think twice. While I’m great at picking the eventual Oscar winners, I’m flat-out terrible at trying my hand at presupposing the nominations - just look at last year’s column for proof there.

No matter. Here are some thoughts, ramblings and other musings on what might be on Academy Award ballots come end of the month.

Best Picture

The Contenders: “21 Grams,” “Big Fish,” “Cold Mountain,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Girl With a Pearl Earring,” “The House of Sand and Fog,” “In America,” “The Last Samurai,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Lost in Translation,” “Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Mystic River,” “Seabiscuit”

Thoughts: Unlike recent years, the 2003 race for best picture is wide open. Well, four slots are at least. It is a given that “The Lord of the Rings” is a shoe-in to become the first trilogy since “The Godfather” to have all three of its pieces nominated for Oscar’s highest honor. But what about the rest? I’m pretty sure you can count indies “The Girl With a Pearl Earring” and “In America” out. As good as both are, they just aren’t getting the across the boards kudos little films like these need. “21 Grams” and “The House of Sand and Fog” are getting just those kinds of responses, but both are so unrelentingly bleak that they’re likely going to turn off voters. No, the bleak slot will almost surely be filled by Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River,” which is not only a box office hit but was also named the year’s best picture by the National Board of Review.

That leaves three slots and five contenders. You can count “Finding Nemo” out, mainly because “The Triplets of Belleville” has stolen most of its thunder what with various critics groups naming it the year’s best animated film. Peter Weir’s epic “Master and Commander” has gotten some of the best reviews of the year, unlike Tom Cruise and “The Last Samurai” which has underwhelmed both critics and audiences alike, so expect the former to get the nod over the later. You can also never count out Miramax and their marketing muscle, so despite the movie’s less-than absorbing love story you can pretty much figure on the studio’s “Cold Mountain” making the list for the final five.

The final slot is anyone’s guess, but my hunch is that Sofia Coppola’s acclaimed “Lost in Translation” will be the last film standing. But don’t count out either Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” or Gary Ross’ “Seabiscuit.” Both are critical darlings, the later receiving huge box office as a summer-released drama. Still, if it comes down to those two I’d put my money on “Big Fish.” Academy voters’ memories are typically short, and the December-released fantastical drama has been warming hearts across the country and is sure to be doing even more of that upon its wide release later this month.

Shoe-Ins: “Cold Mountain,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Mystic River”

Put Money On It: “Master and Commander”

Could Happen: “Big Fish,” “Lost in Translation”

Borderline: “In America,” “The Last Samurai,” “Seabiscuit”

Not a Chance: “21 Grams,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Girl With a Pearl Earring,” “The House of Sand and Fog”

What About: “American Splendor,” “Whale Rider”

“American Splendor” is one of the best movies of the year – just ask both the Broadcast and Seattle Film Critics Associations whom named if best picture – and features one of the most original and daring story structures of any film out there. I’d love to see this little indie sneak into the list of five. Same goes for New Zealand favorite “Whale Rider,” a dynamite film that lifts the spirit like few pictures can. Both awesome, both worthy, and neither getting the recognition they deserve.

>>continued on page 2.

TOP