My Picks

CINE-BITES PICKS 'EM

Sunday Night, March 5th, ABC

BEST PICTURE

Winner: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

The Hollywood demiurges have decreed it

Who Should Win: CINDERELLA MAN or even THE CONSTANT GARDENER
But neither were nominated, so GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK should for its sheer concise depiction of a fear-scape endured by this country long ago that casts an interpretive light into our present culture and the dead-on performance of David Straithairn as Edward R. Murrow.

BEST ACTOR

Winner: PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN

He does a good Capote and he is a fine actor and may get the notice because Heath Ledger would probably line up the nod if it weren't for all the other attention Brokeback is getting.

Who Should Win: JOAQUIN PHOENIX or DAVID STRAITHAIRN

Phoenix nailed Cash and sang his stuff on film. Straithairn, as mentioned, was straight-on with Murrow.

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: JUDY DENCH

It doesn't matter what the woman is in, the Academy loves her.

Who Should Win: REESE WITHERSPOON

She was solid in Walk the Line, performing musically as well.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Winner: PAUL GIAMATTI

Maybe because he was overlooked for Sideways in 2004.

Who Should Win: PAUL GIAMATTI

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Winner: MICHELLE WILLIAMS

Because she was in Brokeback Mountain, although her performance was decent enough.

Who Should Win: MICHELLE WILLIAMS

...but just barely.

BEST DIRECTOR

Winner: ANG LEE

Brokeback will break the bank in takeaways this year.

Who Should Win: PAUL HAGGIS or GEORGE CLOONEY

Haggis had to balance a frenzy of subplots and weave them into something meaningful with Crash. Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck wasn't a Clooney-fest and moved clearly with intention.

BEST SCREENPLAY, DIRECTLY FOR SCREEN

Winner: PAUL HAGGIS, ROBERT MORESCO for CRASH

Good character development that maintains interest.

Who Should Win: PAUL HAGGIS, ROBERT MORESCO

BEST SCREENPLAY, PREVIOUS MATERIAL

Winner: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN by LARRY MCMURTRY, DIANA OSSANA

Gotta climb the mountain this year to win anything.

Who Should Win: MUNICH

The character progression is too compelling to miss out.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN by RODRIGO PRIETO

Cinematography is exquisite at times, but this is the year of the mountain.

Who Should Win: Probably BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN or THE NEW WORLD

EDITING

Winner: CRASH: HUGHES WINBORNE

Again, Crash was a masterful weave of several compelling subplots.

Who Should Win: Tough Call: Between CRASH and WALK THE LINE, but CRASH wins out.

ART DIRECTION

Winner: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA: JOHN MYHRE and GRETCHEN RAU

The exotic locale and exquisite detail to the location and inhabiting characters makes this a shoe-in.

Who Should Win: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Winner: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

The perfect project for costume design.

Who Should Win: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

BEST ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE

Winner: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Catchy riffs and pineful melodies saturate a heavy melodrama.

Who Should Win: Probably BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Winner: DOLLY PARTON, "TRAVELIN THRU" TRANSAMERICA

Probably a sentimental favorite and an acknowledgement to the only trans-gender flick amongst Oscar's year for alternative lifestyles.

Who Should Win: CRASH, MICHAEL BECKER, KATHLEEN YORK, "IN THE DEEP"

BEST MAKEUP

Winner: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

A challenging wide range of critters to bring to life.

Who Should Win: Probably CHRONICLES, but close call with STAR WARS: EPISODE THREE

BEST SOUND

Winner: WAR OF THE WORLDS

Fantastic soundscapes, but since it'll be nixed for Special Effects by KONG, this will be the consolation, though KONG might clean up here too.

Who Should Win: WAR OF THE WORLDS

BEST SOUND EDITING

Winner: WAR OF THE WOLRDS

Lots of slices, cuts in challenging on-screen scenarios create a fantastic, other-worldly alien nightmare.

Who Should Win: WAR OF THE WORLDS

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Winner: KING KONG

Utilizing the same cutting edge techiniques in bringing Gollum alive in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, an ape will bring home the gold, but only by the slimmest of margins over WAR OF THE WORLDS.

Who Should Win: Probably KONG, but could easily be WAR OF THE WORLDS

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Winner: HAURU NO UGOKU SHIRO

We've seen CORPSE BRIDE's stuff before.

Who Should Win: Don't really know.