The nominees for the 75th annual Academy Awards will be announced February 11th. To generate a little discussion in anticipation, anybody have any thoughts about who and what will be nominated?

I'm thinking the following Best Picture list is likely:

The Two Towers
Far From Heaven
Gangs of New York

Plus two of:

- About Schmidt
- Adaptation
- Chicago
- Gangs of New York
- The Hours
- Minority Report
- The Pianist

If Minority Report had been released in December, I would think it a sure bet for a nomination, but the Academy has that short memory thing going.

Candidates I'm counting out:

- Catch Me If You Can
- Road To Perdition (released too long ago; overshadowed by the director's previous effort, American Beauty, and Tom Hanks' latest film, Catch Me If You Can)

For Best Director:

- Peter Jackson, The Two Towers
- Steven Spielberg, Minority Report
- Todd Haynes, Far From Heaven

The remaining two will come from:

- Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York
- Roman Polanski, The Pianist
- Steven Daldry, The Hours
- Spike Jonze, Adaptation
- Alexander Payne, About Schmidt


I won't speculate as thoroughly on the acting awards, but figure, for the Best Actor/Actress categories:

- Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt
- Michael Caine, The Quiet American
- Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
- Nicole Kidman, The Hours

And maybe:

- Daniel Day Lewis, Gangs of New York
- Adrien Brody, The Pianist
- Nicolas Cage, Adaptation
- Salma Hayek, Frida
- Michelle Pfeiffer, White Oleander
- Meryl Streep, The Hours


Anyone?