And the nominees are…

Hollywood came out with its standard list of safe Oscar nominations this morning. Look at what the Academy considers the five Best Pictures: “Chicago,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Hours,” “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” “The Pianist.”

OK, I like some of these movies. In the case of “Chicago” and “The Pianist,” I may even love them. But, really, could the list have been any more mainstream?

No matter how good it is, “Chicago” is still just a musical. All the nomination for “Gangs of New York” proves is that as he gets older, and less adventurous, director Martin Scorsese gets more attention from the Academy. “The Hours”? Every year needs its nod to literary introspection. Besides being a well-made fantasy, “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” made lots and lots (and lots) of money. “The Pianist” tells the story of a Jewish musician surviving World War II. Hollywood always rewards Holocaust tales (call it the “Schindler’s List” syndrome).

Compare the Academy’s list to those compiled by critics: Where are the nominations for films such as “Adaptation” (Best Picture), “Punch-Drunk Love” (Best Original Screenplay), “The 25th Hour” (Barry Pepper for Best Supporting Actor), “Auto Focus” (Greg Kinnear for Best Actor), “Ararat” (Elias Koteas for Best Supporting Actor), “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” (Best Adapted Screenplay)?

Some of the biggest oversights are acting nominations for Sam Rockwell (Best Actor for “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”) and Goldie Hawn (Best Supporting Actress for “The Banger Sisters”), and Best Director nominations for Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”) and Spike Jonze (“Adaptation”).

I wonder what the MTV movie awards list will look like?