Film critic says Oscar showdown fails to create usual buzz
The 77th annual Academy Awards will be bestowed tonight, beginning at 8 p.m. on ABC. Can you feel the excitement? Neither can I.
Last year, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” generated plenty of heat, as crowd-pleasers such as “Braveheart,” “Titanic” and “American Beauty” had in the past. This year, the best-picture category contains some worthy films, but let’s be real, no one is really buzzed about the showdown between “The Aviator” and “Million Dollar Baby” and the possible triumph of dark-horse “Sideways.”
The best news this year: Chris Rock is taking over the hosting chores from old-school comics such as Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal and Steve Martin, and his edgy humor could blow the roof off of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Kodak Theater during the Oscar telecast.
Here’s a look at all of the nominees, with my choices marked by a black box (except in some minor categories) and analysis provided for the major categories:
Picture
– “The Aviator”
o “Finding Neverland”
o “Million Dollar Baby”
o “Ray”
o “Sideways”
Clint Eastwood had to beg and borrow money when Warner Bros. would provide only half of the $30 million budget for “Million Dollar Baby,” and the actor-director’s quest to complete the film has made him a hero in Hollywood. His film could triumph, though my money is on Martin Scorsese’s old-school “The Aviator,” a rousing biography of Howard Hughes.
Director
– Martin Scorsese, “The Aviator”
o Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby”
o Taylor Hackford, “Ray”
o Alexander Payne, “Sideways”
o Mike Leigh, “Vera Drake”
Again, the battle is between Scorsese and Eastwood. My nod goes to Scorsese, who has never won an Oscar despite stunning works such as “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “GoodFellas.” Eastwood previously carried home the gold for “Unforgiven,” which hurts his chances, though the image of the 74-year-old legend as an underdog during the making of “Baby” could lift him to victory.
Actor
o Don Cheadle, “Hotel Rwanda”
o Johnny Depp, “Finding Neverland”
o Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Aviator”
o Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby”
– Jamie Foxx, “Ray”
Forget the other four nominees and bet the house on Foxx. He delivers an incredible performance as the late, great Ray Charles and has appeared on countless awards shows – including the Grammy Awards, where he sang a song from the movie – to guarantee that academy members remember to vote for him.
Actress
o Annette Bening, “Being Julia”
o Catalina Sandino Moreno, “Maria Full of Grace”
o Imelda Staunton, “Vera Drake”
– Hilary Swank, “Million Dollar Baby”
o Kate Winslet, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
Bening must feel like banging her head against the wall. In 1999, she was nominated as best actress for “American Beauty” and lost to Swank for “Boys Don’t Cry.” This year promises a repeat performance for Swank, who has become a talk-show junkie, appearing on everything – including an extended “60 Minutes” segment – to explain the rigors of playing a boxer and the joy of working for Eastwood. Bening offers a richer performance as a theatrical diva having a meltdown, but Swank seems destined to knock her out of the Oscar ring.
Supporting Actor
o Alan Alda, “The Aviator”
o Thomas Haden Church, “Sideways”
o Jamie Foxx, “Collateral”
– Morgan Freeman, “Million Dollar Baby”
o Clive Owen, “Closer”
Owen is incredible as an acid-tongued doctor lashing out verbally at his unfaithful lover, but the sentimental vote for Freeman should ensure that the always-dependable actor wins. Freeman, whose credits include “Glory,” “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Unforgiven,” certainly deserves to have an Oscar on his mantle.
Supporting Actress
o Cate Blanchett, “The Aviator”
o Laura Linney, “Kinsey”
– Virginia Madsen, “Sideways”
o Sophie Okonedo, “Hotel Rwanda”
o Natalie Portman, “Closer”
I’m sure most Oscar observers will select Blanchett for her sassy and satisfying role as Katharine Hepburn, but Madsen, whose career faded out in the 1980s, absolutely glows in “Sideways,” and academy voters love comebacks. Madsen enjoyed a triumphant screen return and gives a wonderfully detailed performance as a middle-aged woman bravely taking a chance on love.
Adapted Screenplay
oRichard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Kim Krizan, “Before Sunset”
o David Magee, “Finding Neverland”
o Paul Haggis, “Million Dollar Baby”
o Jose Rivera, “The Motorcycle Diaries”
– Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, “Sideways”
Original Screenplay
o John Logan, “The Aviator”
– Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
o Brad Bird, “The Incredibles”
o Mike Leigh, “Vera Drake”
oKeir Pearson and Terry George, “Hotel Rwanda”
Foreign Film
o “As It Is In Heaven” (Sweden)
o “The Chorus (Les Choristes)” (France)
o “Downfall” (Germany)
– “The Sea Inside” (Spain)
o “Yesterday” (South Africa)
Animated Feature Film
– “The Incredibles”
o “Shark Tale”
o “Shrek 2”
Animated Short Film
o “Birthday Boy”
o “Gopher Broke”
o “Guard Dog”
o “Lorenzo”
o “Ryan”
Live Action Short Film
o “Everything in This Country Must”
o “Little Terrorist”
o “7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Manana)”
o “Two Cars, One Night”
o “Wasp”
Documentary
o “Born Into Brothels”
– “The Story of the Weeping Camel”
o “Super Size Me”
o “Tupac: Resurrection”
o “Twist of Faith”
Documentary Short Subject
o “Autism Is a World”
o “The Children of Leningradsky”
o “Hardwood”
o “Mighty Times: The Children’s March”
o “Sister Rose’s Passion”
Art Direction
– “The Aviator”
o “Finding Neverland”
o “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”
o “The Phantom of the Opera”
o “A Very Long Engagement”
Cinematography
– “The Aviator”
o “House of Flying Daggers”
o “The Passion of the Christ”
o “The Phantom of the Opera”
o “A Very Long Engagement”
Film Editing
– “The Aviator”
o “Collateral”
o “Finding Neverland”
o “Million Dollar Baby”
o “Ray”
Costume Design
– “The Aviator”
o “Finding Neverland”
o “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”
o “Ray”
o “Troy”
Makeup
– “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”
o “The Passion of the Christ”
o “The Sea Inside”
Original Score
o “Finding Neverland”
– “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
o “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”
o “The Passion of the Christ”
o “The Village”
Original Song
o “Accidentally In Love” from “Shrek 2”
o “Al Otro Lado Del Rio” from “The Motorcycle Diaries”
– “Believe” from “The Polar Express”
o “Learn To Be Lonely” from “The Phantom of the Opera”
o “Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)” from “The Chorus (Les Choristes)”
Sound Editing
o “The Incredibles”
o “The Polar Express”
– “Spider-Man 2”
Sound Mixing
– “The Aviator”
o “The Incredibles”
o “The Polar Express”
o “Ray”
o “Spider-Man 2”
Visual Effects
o “Harry Potter and the Prince of Azkaban”
o “I, Robot”
– “Spider-Man 2”
For more Academy Awards information, go to www.oscar.com.