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And the 2002 nominees are... Glenn's Oscar Nod Predictions WGA Nominations Announced

Click here for 2002 Academy Award nominees

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February 11, 2003

And the 2002 nominees are here

Glenn's Oscar Nod Predictions

Finally after a about a dozen final choices in my head I think I have weeded them all down to one final end all prediction.  With the buzz being extremely hard to read, especially in the last week and a half, this has been one of the most difficult decisions I've made all year (well if you don't count the choice as to whether to have white wine or red wine with fish at last night's dinner).  I think this is going to be another year that the Academy will pick the crowd favorites, rather than those who they feel haven't been recognized enough for their body of work.  With that in mind here are my Oscar nomination predicts.

Best Picture:
CHICAGO
ADAPTATION
THE HOURS
THE PIANIST
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

THE PIANIST is a sneak in due to the nature of the film, not to mention the underdog efforts of WEDDING.  ADAPTATION is almost a sure thing with CHICAGO and THE HOURS a lock.

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese
Rob Marshall 
Stephen Daldry
Peter Jackson
Roman Polanski 

Somehow for the first time in I don't know how many years, this was the easiest one for me to pick.  Scorsese is the buzz favorite so he will be a lock.  Jackson was overlooked last year so I think he's as good as in.  Marshall and Daldry...I mean, WOW!  And with all the controversy that surrounds Polanski I think he's a bit of a shoe in.  Though, it might hurt him too.  

Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis
Jack Nicholson
Nicholas Cage
Richard Gere
Michael Cain

Cain is my long shot.  I chose to forgo Adrien Brody because he doesn't fall in the realm of Academy favorite, not to mention the little momentum the film got out of the gate.  As I said above, THE PIANIST will squeak by with a Picture nod but that might be all I'm afraid.  Richard Gere next to the bottom of this list due to the character he portrays.  A crowd favorite but not enough depth to the character for a win.  Lewis, Nicholson, and quite possibly Cage are locks.

Best Actress:
Nicole Kidman
Julianne Moore
Renee Zellweger
Diane Lane 
Salma Hayek

Kidman and Moore have it in the bag.  Zellweger is likely a lock as well.  Lane will probably be included for going out on a limb and giving herself over to the role.  Hayek is the underdog.  But I had to go with her over Nia Vardalos in WEDDING merely for the fact that I really think her character struck too close to home therefore not making it too far of a stretch.  

Best Supporting Actor:
Chris Copper
Dennis Quaid
Christopher Walken
Ed Harris
John C. Reilly

Cooper all the way.  I can't believe they'd even bother to nominate anyone else except that they HAVE to fill the other four positions.  Quaid really deserves the nod for his roll and the voters will agree.  Harris is a recent favorite, and Reilly gets the award for the shear number of projects (albeit one being a whole year late).  Walken is guess here, just because the Academy more often than not love roles about real people.

Best Supporting Actress:
Meryl Streep
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Kathy Bates
Julianne Moore (HOURS)
Susan Sarandon

I think I just hope to see a real surprise in this category (since everything else seem too cut an dry in the rest).  I'm going to go with Sarandon just because she outshined everyone in this category and I just can't imagine the Academy not seeing that, too.  Moore might be a little off since many voters might not want to nominate her in two categories, but it's certainly not unheard of.  Streep, Zeta_Jones, and Bates are all but already decided.  

WGA Nominations Announced

    Original Screenplay

  ANTWONE FISHER, Written by Antwone Fisher; Fox Searchlight

  BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, Written by Michael Moore; United Artists/Alliance Atlantis/Salter Street Films/Dog Eat Dog Films

  FAR FROM HEAVEN, Written by Todd Haynes; Focus Features

  GANGS OF NEW YORK, Screenplay by Jay Cocks and Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, Story by Jay Cocks; Miramax Films

  MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, Written by Nia Vardalos; Gold Circle Films/HBO/MPH Entertainment/Playtone

     Adapted Screenplay

  ABOUT A BOY, Screenplay by Peter Hedges and Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz, based on the novel by Nick Hornby; Universal Pictures/Studio Canal/Working Title Films/Tribeca Productions

  ABOUT SCHMIDT, Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, based on the novel by Louis Begley; New Line Cinema

  ADAPTATION, Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman, based on the book The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean; Columbia Pictures

  CHICAGO, Screenplay by Bill Condon, based on the musical play, book by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb and the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins; Miramax Films

  THE HOURS, Screenplay by David Hare, based on the novel by Michael Cunningham; Paramount Pictures/Miramax Films

Marisa Tomei to Join Academy President Frank Pierson for Oscar(R) Nominations

Beverly Hills, CA - Nominations for the 75th Anniversary Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, February 11, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Frank Pierson and Oscar winner Marisa Tomei.

Pierson and Tomei will unveil the nominations in ten of the 24 categories at a 5:30 a.m. news conference, which will be attended by media outlets from around the world.

Nominations in all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards Web site, www.oscar.com.

In 1993, Tomei received an Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny" at the 65th Academy Awards Presentation.  She received her second Oscar nomination last year for her "In the Bedroom" supporting role.  Tomei will next be seen in "Anger Management" opposite Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler.

Official screenings for Academy members of all pictures with a nomination are scheduled to begin February 15 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.  Screenings in certain categories also will be held in London, New York and San Francisco

Swart Designs Commemorative 75th Anniversary Academy Awards(R) Poster

Beverly Hills, CA - Graphic designer Alex Swart has created this year's official 75th Anniversary commemorative Oscar(R) poster.

AMPAS

The poster features the word Oscar across the top with long, gold bands trailing from it.  Next to the bands of gold, an Oscar statuette stands backlit against a black background.

"It was an honor to design the 75th Oscar poster," said Swart.  "My design looks back to the past, as well as towards the future.  The gold bands represent the 75 year history of the Academy Awards while the black, silver and gold tones evoke an elegant "black tie" mood befitting this anniversary."

This is Swart's second Academy Awards poster design.  He previously designed the poster for the 73rd Academy Awards.  He also designed the Academy's retrospective 70th Anniversary "Best Picture" poster in 1997.

AMPAS

In 1996, Swart opened SwartAd, an entertainment marketing design agency based in Glendale, California.  His work includes marketing campaigns for television and movie studios.

In a nationwide promotional campaign, 50,000 Oscar posters will be distributed beginning February 1.  The commemorative poster will be available for purchase from today until April 7 on the Academy's website at www.oscars.org/publications or via phone at 1-800-554-1814.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2002 will be presented on Sunday, March 23, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland(R) and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST.  A half-hour arrival segment will precede the presentation ceremony at 5 p.m.

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