Verrrrry interesting set of nominations today. I only called three of five Best Picture noms (missed Cider House Rules and Green Mile; had Ripley and Malkovich instead). Got 4 of 5 in Actor (had Damon for Penn) and Director (had Minghella for Hallstrom); no surprises in Actress or either Supporting category. (Can you tell I *live* for Oscar nomination day?)

A few disappointments throughout, though. I really wanted Jim Carrey to get a nom for "Man on the Moon". I would have loved to see Malkovich getting a supporting nomination for playing himself in a title role -- how twisted would that have been? I thought REM's song "The Great Beyond" should have gotten a nom -- surely more worthy than the latest Diane Warren ballad. And, mostly, "Being John Malkovich", best movie of the year, really deserved a nom. Ah well.

I was pleased to see Haley Joel Osment, the screenplays for "Election" and "Magnolia", the song "Save Me" from "Magnolia", and the various smaller nominations for "Sleepy Hollow".

I suspect that whatever wins Best Picture is not going to win more than three of four Oscars total. The awards are going to be *really* spread around this year. Even in the technicals, "Star Wars" will probably lose a few to "The Matrix".

Here are my early picks in the major categories, subject to change, of course (particularly in Supporting Actress and the Screenplay categories, which are the toughest to call this time). Pay attention, kiddies -- I always do *really* well in Oscar pools. :-)

PICTURE: "American Beauty".
ACTOR: Richard Farnsworth, "The Straight Story".
ACTRESS: Hilary Swank, "Boys Don't Cry".
SUPP. ACTOR: Tom Cruise, "Magnolia".
SUPP. ACTRESS: Samantha Morton, "Sweet and Lowdown".
DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes, "American Beauty".
FOREIGN FILM: "All About My Mother".
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: "Being John Malkovich".
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: "The Insider".
SONG: "When She Loved Me" from "Toy Story 2".

Also, I will rely on my time-proven "colon rule", which states: In the Short Film and Documentary categories, if only one nominee includes a colon in its title, it will certainly win. Thus, you can consider the Documentary Short Subject nominee "The Wildest Show in the South: The Angola Prison Rodeo" an almost sure thing.

-- Trip