Oscar Race Begins As Studios Jockey For Position

It’s that time of year in Hollywood.

No, not the holiday season.

The Oscar race.

In recent days, studios have begun sending videotapes of potential Academy Award contenders to the estimated 5,300 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Hollywood trade papers have begun running advertisements sponsored by studios promoting films and actors viewed by executives as Oscar material.

Although it’s too early to make predictions about the Oscars, which will be broadcast on network television on March 23, the consensus among executives, producers and agents is that this edition will not be a replica of the last one. Then, studios were almost shut out of the Academy Awards in favor of independents like October Films or quasi-independents like Miramax. This year, the studios seem on the verge of a comeback.

Several films seem to be possible contenders for the best-picture sweepstakes, including many that will be released in the next few weeks but have already stirred plenty of buzz - or studio hype - after early showings in Hollywood. A film must open by the end of the year to qualify for the Oscars.

One possible contender may be the 20th Century Fox/Paramount extravaganza “Titanic,” directed by James Cameron, the most expensive film ever made, costing $200 million.

The other often-mentioned possibilities include Warners’ “L.A. Confidential” (directed by Curtis Hanson); Miramax’s “Wings of the Dove” (Iain Softley); 20th Century Fox’s “Ice Storm” (Ang Lee); “Full Monty” (Peter Cattaneo); and Fine Line’s “Sweet Hereafter” (Atom Egoyan).

Films that haven’t been released yet but are being promoted by studios as their nominees are Dreamworks’ “Amistad” (Steven Spielberg); Miramax’s “Good Will Hunting”; (Gus Van Sant); Sony’s “As Good As It Gets” (James L. Brooks); and New Line’s “Wag the Dog” (Barry Levinson).

As to the best-actor nominations, the current betting centers on, among others, Matt Damon, a little-known actor, for “Good Will Hunting”; Djimon Hounsou for “Amistad”; Dustin Hoffman for “Wag the Dog”; Jack Nicholson for “As Good As It Gets”; and Al Pacino for “Donnie Brasco.”

Once again, there seems to be a paucity of choices for the best-actress awards, a fact of life each year in Hollywood, where studios generally favor male-dominated films. In fact, one top female studio marketing executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, looking over the list of potential actress nominees, said the scarcity of top roles for actresses was pathetic.

Judi Dench, the star of “Mrs. Brown,” seems a near-certain nominee. Others, though, are less certain. These include Helena Bonham Carter (“The Wings of the Dove”), Joan Allen (“The Ice Storm”), Kate Winslett (“Titanic”), Julie Christie (“Afterglow”) and Jodie Foster (“Contact”).

Nominations are mailed out in January. The contenders are announced on Feb. 10.

The countdown has begun.