THIS SUNDAY, THE WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED

By Steven Snyder
Televised this Sunday on ABC, the 75 th annual Academy Awards promises to be one of the more unpredictable of recent memory. While the movie musical “Chicago” is clearly the front-runner for the Best Picture statue, the night’s smaller categories, from Best Actor to Best Original Song, are as unpredictable as any in recent years.
Listed below are ten things to watch for this Sunday night and, as always, my top ten predictions for who will walk home with Oscar gold.

Top Ten Things To Watch For

1. “Chicago” clearinghouse. Nominated for thirteen awards, “Chicago” is poised to win almost all of them. Watch just how many statues director Rob Marshall and company take home for Miramax.

2. Will “Bowling” strike out? The Best Documentary category has not exactly earned a reputation for credibility. In past years, notable works have been forgotten or snubbed. This year, with the controversial and hysterical “Bowling For Columbine,” will the documentary committee finally reward a deserving work?

3. It’s Jack! Whether Jack Nicholson wins the Best Actor award for his subdued performance in “About Schmidt,” it’s always a riot to see his quite demeanor dominate a room. And look for those sunglasses. I’m sure he’ll be wearing them.

4. Clash of the Cartoons. In the second year of the Best Animated Feature category, Japan’s “Spirited Away” has been fighting head-to-head against DreamWorks’ “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” with each studio putting up substantial resources towards winning the award. On Sunday, the duel comes to an end.

5. Scorsese’s Hour? Last week, Roger Ebert declared that Scorsese deserves the Oscar, and it’s hard to disagree with him. Will the acclaimed director of “Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas” finally get what’s coming to him?

6. Eminem vs U2 vs Paul Simon. Talk about a strange year! The Best Original Song category is up for grabs between three shockingly different styles. There is Eminem’s desperate “Lose Yourself” from “8 Mile,” Paul Simon’s sweet “Father and Daughter” from “The Wild Thornberries,” and U2’s soaring “The Hands That Built America” from “Gangs of New Work.” Each will be performed and only one will be crowned champion on Oscar night.

7. A Wild and Crazy Guy! Steve Martin returns as host of the Oscars, and you never know what to expect from this master comedian. Look for some sarcasm, some improvisation, and some nice jabs at the entertainment industry from one of its own.

8. What’s That Your Wearing? No Oscar night would be complete without the fashion competition. Tune in to see who’s hot, who’s not, and whose outfit everyone will be talking about at work Monday.

9. A Catchy Tune. Best Original Score is not typically a dramatic category. But this year, with John Williams’ jazz take on “Catch Me If You Can” and Thomas Newman’s pensive score for “Road To Perdition,” anything goes!

10. War. Many artists used the Grammy’s as a venue for expressing their political beliefs regarding a possible U.S. incursion into Iraq. With military action looming on the horizon, expect more outbursts during this celebration.

Top Ten Predictions For 2003

1. Best Picture. Nominees: “Chicago;” “The Hours;” “Gangs of New York;” “The Pianist;” “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

Winner: “Chicago,” by a long shot. It’s the front-runner, it’s entertaining, it’s popular…it’s a sure thing!

2. Best Actor. Nominees: Adrien Brody, “The Pianist;” Jack Nicholson, “About Schmidt;” Nicolas Cage, “Adaptation;” Michael Caine, “The Quiet American;” Daniel Day-Lewis, “Gangs of New York.”

Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis. Such a difficult category, but given the other recognition Day-Lewis has received, his outstanding performance and his long absence from the silver screen, I think the Academy will choose to reward him with the statue.

3. Best Actress. Nominees: Salma Hayek, “Frida;” Nicole Kidman, “The Hours;” Diane Lane, “Unfaithful;” Julianne Moore, “Far From Heaven;” Renee Zellweger, “Chicago.”

Winner: Nicole Kidman. An exceptionally difficult category, but given the difficulty of Kidman’s role and her good standing with the Academy thanks to last year’s “Moulin Rouge,” this will likely be Kidman’s year.

4. Best Director. Nominees: Rob Marshall, “Chicago;” Martin Scorsese, “Gangs of New York;” Pedro Almodovar, “Talk To Her;” Roman Polanski, “The Pianist;” Stephen Daldry, “The Hours.”

Winner: Martin Scorsese. The rising support for this unrecognized artist cannot be ignored. He will win this award not for his nomination this year, but for all his past works that somehow slipped through the cracks.

5. Best Supporting Actor. Nominees: Chris Cooper, “Adaptation;” Ed Harris, “The Hours;” John C. Reilly, “Chicago;” Paul Newman, “Road To Perdition;” Christopher Walken, “Catch Me If You Can.”

Winner: Chris Cooper. Everything about his performance is perfect. It was a difficult part, he did it extremely well, and he made himself ugly—always a plus with the Academy.

6. Best Supporting Actress. Nominees: Kathy Bates, “About Schmidt;” Julianne Moore, “The Hours;” Queen Latifah, “Chicago;” Meryl Streep, “Adaptation;” Catherine Zeta-Jones, “Chicago.”

Winner: Catherine Zeta-Jones. A Best Actress nominee hidden in the Best Supporting Actress category, Zeta-Jones should have little difficulty standing out with her starring role as Velma in “Chicago.”

7. Best Animated Feature Film. Nominees: “Ice Age;” “Lilo and Stich;” “Spirited Away;” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron;” “Treasure Planet.”

Winner: “Spirited Away.” This brilliant Japanese film, resembling “Alice In Wonderland,” towers above its childish competitors.

8. Best Foreign Film. Nominees: “El Crimen Del Padre Amaro;” “Hero;” “The Man Without A Past;” “Nowhere In Africa;” “Zus and Zo.”

Winner: “Nowhere In Africa.” The story of German Jews who immigrate to Kenya during World War II, “Africa” has amazing performances and breathtaking scenery.

9. Best Original Screenplay. Nominees: “Far From Heaven;” “Gangs of New York;” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding;” “Talk To Her;” “Y Tu Mama Tambien.”

Winner: “Talk To Her.” A brilliant and complex film about love and life, “Talk To Her” is a success largely due to the poetry and sensitivity of its screenplay.

10. Best Adapted Screenplay. Nominees: “About A Boy;” “Adaptation;” “Chicago;” “The Hours;” “The Pianist.”

Winner: “Chicago.” Although “The Hours” would be a close second, the ingenious reconstruction of the musical for the screen by Bill Condon is just too good to pass up. Yet another award for the “Chicago” treasure trove.

Tune in next week for my analysis of the night’s winners and losers!