Oscar field wide open: See if you can pick a winner

Wed., Feb. 2, 2005

DNA Smith King Features Syndicate

The Oscar field is wide open this year. It wasn’t a stellar year for movies in 2004, and there isn’t a single film like last year’s juggernaut “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” to gobble up all the nominations and trophies.

Although the nominations for the Academy Awards have yet to be announced as of this writing, here are my picks for who I think should get the nod from the Academy and take home Oscar this year.

BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.” DiCaprio has been overlooked by the Academy for too long, and he consistently delivers great performances. I think this will be his year. Runner Up: Jamie Foxx, for his turn as Ray Charles in “Ray.”

BEST ACTRESS: Kate Winslet for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Like DiCaprio, Winslet has never taken home the Oscar, even though she’s been nominated three times. Runner Up: Julia Roberts for her performance in “Closer.”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jamie Foxx, for his role as the cabbie taken hostage by Tom Cruise in “Collateral.” Runner Up: David Carradine’s performance in “Kill Bill Vol. 2.”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Natalie Portman in “Closer.” Traditionally, the Best Supporting Actress Oscar goes to the hottest-looking starlet. Consider these past winners: Mira Sorvino, Kim Basinger, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Connelly, Catherine Zeta-Jones … . You get the picture. Runner Up: Cloris Leachman for “Spanglish.” True, Cloris hasn’t been hot for several centuries, but there’s another rule for the Supporting Actress category: If it doesn’t go to a hot starlet, then the award usually gets tossed to an aging actress who gives a brilliant character performance.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: “The Incredibles” should win, even though I think the Academy will give it to “Shrek 2.” Runner Up: “Team America: World Police.”

BEST DIRECTOR/BEST PICTURE: Traditionally, if a film wins the Best Director category it also takes home Best Picture. My pick: Martin Scorsese for “The Aviator,” which should also take home the Oscar for Best Picture. Runner Up: “Closer,” directed by Mike Nichols.