As the countdown to the 77th Annual Academy Awards reaches fever pitch, countless predictions are being made on the possible faces that could be seen on the podium tonight.
The 2005 Oscar competition is set to be a nail-biter, with mouth-watering range of films up for Best Motion Picture Of The Year. The nominees are three biopics, a comedy & a boxing drama. It is being felt that the award is a run off between "The Aviator" & "Million Dollar Baby".
Producer Gil Cates has promised an improved showing on the TV charts this year. He has roped in Chris Rock as the presenter.” I am a huge fan of Chris Rock," said Cates. "He always makes me laugh and he always has something interesting to say. Chris represents the best of the new generation of comics. Having him host the Oscars is terrific."
Against a backdrop of pomp & gaiety is a small note of worry: Pope John Paul II's Health. Cates and the awards show's director, Louis J Horvitz, "have a lot of plans in place" in case the pope should die before Sunday night's Oscar telecast on the ABC network.
"If, God forbid, that would happen, obviously, we've discussed what we would do," Cates said on the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre.
"It's really not appropriate to talk about it now because we all hope it won't happen. Let us indeed pray so."
To recap on the nominations in various categories:
BEST ACTOR
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda.
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland. Not his time. Yet.
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator.
Clint Eastwood - Million-Dollar Baby.
Jamie Foxx - Ray.
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening - Being Julia.
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace.
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake. .
Hilary Swank - Million-Dollar Baby.
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Alda - The Aviator.
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways.
Jamie Foxx - Collateral.
Morgan Freeman - Million-Dollar Baby.
Clive Owen - Closer.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator.
Laura Linney - Kinsey.
Virginia Madsen - Sideways.
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda
Natalie Portman - Closer.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Aviator.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Hotel Rwanda.
The Incredibles.
Vera Drake.
BEST-ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Before Sunset.
Finding Neverland.
Million Dollar Baby.
The Motorcycle Diaries.
Sideways.
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator.
Clint Eastwood - Million-Dollar Baby.
Taylor Hackford - Ray.
Alexander Payne - Sideways.
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake.
BEST PICTURE
The Aviator.
Finding Neverland.
Million Dollar Baby.
Ray.
Sideways.
