BEST PICTURE

Travis's Prediction:
What Will Win: This year the best picture category is the easiest to pick. American Beauty has a momentum that can't be matched by any of the other contenders. It's designed to appeal to the academy's main demographic--white, middle-aged males--and it's got some serious star-power behind an art-house fascade. On top of that, I think Kevin Spacey is about to enter the house that Tom Hanks built, and he'll probably pull 2-3 feature films in with him.

What Should Win: 1999's The Truman Show, just because it was so damn stiffed last year.

Brandon's Prediction:
Will Win: Unfortunately, Travis is right. American Beauty will win best picture, and there isn't a movie in sight that will come close. While Miramax will surely bribe the academy with hookers, cars and their very own islands, the voters know that if anything Miramax wins best picture, they will be forced inside a small cell with Charlie Manson.

Should Win: The Talented Mr. Ripley. Why wasn't this movie nominated? Why? It had everything the academy usually goes for - serial killer, lush, beautiful locations, an award winning director attached and it was partly owned by Miramax. What kept it from getting nominated? Que Sera... I guess if Ripley can't win, then the award should go to my photograph of a day when it when it was raining. It was all perty outside and the rain was coming down hard. And then I got my camera wet, but the picture came out anyway.

BEST ACTOR

Brandon
Will Win: Washington. He's black, he's still angry about his Malcolm X snub, he plays a character that was wrongfully imprisoned for thirty or so years, and he got his own segment on "60 Minutes." The next Sydney Poitier? Hopefully not. The next Tom Hanks? I hope so.

Should win: I would have no problem with the St. Louis Ram's Kurt Warner winning this award, too. After all, God obviously favors him over all others.

Travis
Will win: While I know Denzel's got the goods, I think Hollywood is still too old school for him to win based on the Hurricane. I've got a feeling that Kevin Spacy is lined up to give the best actor acceptance speech for the next few years, and sadly, he's got the skin color Hollywood prefers. (not to mention the fact that Denzel did absolutely ZERO on-screen mastrubation. Come on people! We've got to work if we want to win an Oscar!)

Should Win: The monkey from Being John Malkovich. That's right. The scene where he watched helplessly while his mother was tied up in a net was one of the best I saw all year.

BEST ACTRESS

Travis
Will win: Hillary Swank. With a name like Swank, she can't miss. Hillary stole our hearts and then she fed them to us on a silver platter. Actually, I haven't seen this movie, but I wanted to sound all metaphorical.

Should Win: The monkey's mother.

Brandon
Will Win: The best story of this year's awards is Swank, who's biggest roles previous to Boys Don't Cry was on Beverly Hills 90201 and being "The Next Karate Kid." Swank will win, even though half the academy probably hasn't seen the movie. "I just do what everyone else is doing." Can anyone think of an actress from so far out of left field winning an award like this?

Should Win: At some point in time, a cartoon character has to be nominated for an acting award. I think this is the year. Let's give the oscar to Tourguide Barbie for her hilarious performance in "Toy Story 2." What timing! She knew when to deliver the punchline and when to let the other characters do their deed. I was so impressed that after the movie I took out an old barbie doll and played doctor.

Next Page: Supporting Actors and Actresses, Directors, Porn Stars