> > 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)
>
> You explain your reasoning for excluding Road to Perdition, but why is Catch Me If You Can counted out? I mean, you know me - I'm slow to see new movies, and chances are strong that, in any given year, I've not seen any of its films before the Academy Awards come around. The same is true this year (the most recent film I've seen is The Fellowship of the Ring). So I'd like to hear your thoughts on why that film won't get a nomination, since all I've heard about it is how great it supposedly is.

I'm not Sam, but I have seen "Catch Me if You Can" and I find it unlikely it will be nominated. Granted, I haven't seen many of the potential Oscar films, but I don't think "Catch" is one. Here's why:

1) It's Spielberg and it's not about World War II. Nobody really wants to admit they like Spielberg unless the movie is about WWII.
2) It's not at all serious. It's total escapism and light-weight entertainment. A good movie, but not a great one (of course, "Gladiator" won Best Picture).
3) The movie has no message, no real moral, nothing to take from it. This is what really sinks its chances, I believe.

Stephen