hey all - today i am blogging on my second great love - movies. as all of you i'm sure know the oscar nominations came out today. i'm sure you were all waiting with baited breath at 8:30am EST this morning too :) and i'm sorry this post is so delayed, given that the nominees have been known for like 3 hours now - sorry! here's my take on each of the categories:

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA
Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND
Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR
Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Jamie Foxx - RAY

Jamie Foxx will probably win - although Don Cheadle should win. I'm surprised the Paul Giamatti (sideways) isn't here, i would have traded him for leo or clint. leo is a given since he won the golden globe -i guess he should at least get a nod (although i don't think he deserved it, but whatever - that's my own beef with dicaprio). I love clint, but his best role in million dollar baby was as it's director - although it's no suprise he was also fabulous as an actor.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR
Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS
Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL
Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Clive Owen - CLOSER

couple surprises here, in the forms of Alan Alda and Jamie Foxx for Collateral. I like Jamie in collateral, but an oscar nomination? come on. and honestly, the only award aviator should get is for cat blanchett - alan alda - give me a break.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Annette Bening - BEING JULIA
Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE
Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE
Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

big suprise here with catalina sandino moreno - maria full of grace was a hbo (may showtime?) movie that was a small indie hit - about a young girl smuggling coccaine from mexico to america - she was supposed to be amazing and i think it's nice oscar chose to recognize her. I'm also personally thrilled that kate winslet got a nod for eternal sunshine - as it was one of my favorite movies this year. i hope annette bening wins - but i need to see being julia first. this is a tough category for me, as i'm basically pulling for everyone in it :)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR
Laura Linney - KINSEY
Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS
Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA
Natalie Portman - CLOSER

i totally agree with this category - they totally got it right. i'm in a fierce inner battle between cate, sophie and natalie. we'll see. . .

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

THE INCREDIBLES
SHARK TALE
SHREK 2

sherk 2 will win, the incredible should win. did anyone see shark tale? a finding nemo come too late.

ART DIRECTION

THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

i think it'll be between phantom and engagement, from what i've heard engagement should win.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE AVIATOR
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

my vote is with house of flying daggers, but again phantom and engagement could win too. again - i was not a fan of the aviator.

COSTUME DESIGN

THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
RAY
TROY

i'm going with finding neverland, but i think lemony snicket has a chance here too. troy? come on . . . brad pitt's muscles are NOT costume design . . .

DIRECTING

THE AVIATOR
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS
VERA DRAKE

million dollar baby - has to be. it was INCREDIBLE. after that sideways. the only good thing about ray was jamie foxx's performance - the editing was esp. shitty.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

BORN INTO BROTHELS
THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL
SUPER SIZE ME
TUPAC: RESURRECTION
TWIST OF FAITH

tupac!? i want this to win for the sole reason of bringing tupac out of hiding on his private island. didn't that kid die like 10 years ago?? i will be pissed if super size me wins. born into brothels should. big notice is what is not nominated here - anyone missing a little michael moore? yup - no farenheit 9/11 . . .

FILM EDITING

THE AVIATOR
COLLATERAL
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY

my picks are million dollar baby, finding neverland or collateral. ray's editing (like i said before ) was shit. i think i'd vote collateral.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
THE CHORUS
DOWNFALL
THE SEA INSIDE
YESTERDAY

to be honest, i haven't seen many of these - but form everything that i've read and heard the sea inside is amazing - mainly due to javier bardeem - it takes a true actor to create an incredible performace using only your neck up.

MAKEUP

LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE SEA INSIDE

i vote for lemony. mainly because i don't think there was a lot of makeup involved in the sea inside, and passion of the christ - past all the personal issues i have with this movie - that make wasn't really all that good - it was very bad actually.

MUSIC (SCORE)

FINDING NEVERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE VILLAGE

all these had good scores - so anything's a winner here. i'm a huge harry potter fan - so i'll throw my hat in with them, but i think finding neverland will take it.

MUSIC (SONG)

"Accidentally In Love" - SHREK 2
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
"Believe" - THE POLAR EXPRESS
"Learn To Be Lonely" - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - THE CHORUS

if it's believe from the polar express i will vomit. the song from phantom will probably win, as it should because andrew lloyd weber wrote it - and most people consdier him a decent songwriter. also - think back to evita days - didn't that song win?

BEST PICTURE

THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS

million dollar baby. i'd be ok with finding neverland and sideways. i'll be pissed if it's the other 2. i feel like finding neverland was everyone's favorite until million dollar baby came out and stole the show. poor johhny depp.

SOUND EDITING

THE INCREDIBLES
THE POLAR EXPRESS
SPIDER-MAN 2

polar express. speaking of which, why the hell wasn't polar express nominated in animated feature? i think it should have won that - the animation is better than anything else i've seen.

VISUAL EFFECTS

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
I, ROBOT
SPIDER-MAN 2

i vote hp3 - but where is sky captain and the world of tomorrow? those were the best visual effects i've seen this year . . .

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

BEFORE SUNSET
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
SIDEWAYS

sideways will probably win this one, which is good - but i can't help but feel bad for finding neverland.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
HOTEL RWANDA
THE INCREDIBLES
VERA DRAKE

aviator will probably win, hotel rwanda should win - and i would be happy as a clam if eternal sunshine won - charlie kaufman is a god.

well that's all folks - congrats if you made it all the way! there are, of course, more categories, but a girl can only have so many opinions! what do you all think? any predictions? is there anyone out there who liked the aviator??