Thursdya, 23 December, 1999

THE OSCAR® RACE AS OF TODAY

Okay, gang. The critics, for the most part, have spoken. The Tarnished Globes are busy shining themselves up to a golden sheen. And unfortunately, not much has changed as far as the Oscars go. It's still a mess.

BEST ACTRESS:

• Locks: Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry)
  
• Likely: Julianne Moore (The End of The Affair), Meryl Streep (Music of the Heart)
  
• Possibles: Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds), Gwyneth Paltrow (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Sigourney Weaver (A Map Of The World), Reese Witherspoon (Election), Someone from All About My Mother
  
• No Longer Likely At All: Susan Sarandon (Anywhere But Here)
  
• Once Possible, Now Unlikely: Frances O'Connor (Mansfield Park), Sarah Polley (Go or Guinevere), Someone from Tea With Mussolini
  
• Late Entries Likely Out Of The Race: Jodie Foster, Emily Watson, Christina Ricci, Winona Ryder,Kate Winslet

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

• Locks: None.
  
• Likely: Chloe Sevigny (Boys Don't Cry)
  
• Possibles: Cate Blanchett (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Cameron Diaz (Being John Malkovich), Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted), Samantha Morton (Sweet & Lowdown), Natalie Portman (Anywhere But Here), Thora Birch or Mena Suvari (American Beauty)
  
• No Longer A Lock Or Likely At All: Toni Colette (The Sixth Sense)
  
• Once Possible, Now Unlikely: Someone from All About My Mother, Someone from Tea With Mussolini, Gloria Foster (The Matrix)
  
• Never Likely Despite The Golden Globes: Sharon Stone (The Muse)

BEST ACTOR:

• Locks: Russell Crowe (The Insider), Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Denzel Washington (The Hurricane)
• Likelies: Jim Carrey (Man on the Moon), Sean Penn (Sweet and Lowdown)
• Possibles: Matt Damon (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story)
• Much Less Likely Then Before Release: Tom Hanks (The Green Mile) and Terrence Stamp (The Limey)
• Late Entries Very Likely Out Of The Race: Robert Carlyle (Angela's Ashes), Chow Yun-Fat (Anna & The King)
• Late Entries Completely Out Of The Race: Robin Williams (Bicentennial Man)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

• Locks: Christopher Plummer (The Insider)
• Likelies: Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules), Tom Cruise (Magnolia), Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense)
• Possibles: Wes Bentley (American Beauty), Rupert Everett (An Ideal Husband), Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley), John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich), Jason Robards (Magnolia)
• Remotely Possible: Chris Cooper (October Sky), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Geoffrey Wright (Ride With The Devil)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

• Locks: Michael Mann & Eric Roth (The Insider), Armyan Bernstein & Dan Gordon (The Hurricane)
• Likely: Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Neil Jordan (The End of the Affair)
• Possible: Frank Darabont (The Green Mile), Alan Parker & Laura Jones (Angela's Ashes), Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor (Election)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

• Locks: Alan Ball (American Beauty), Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich).
• Likely: Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski (Man On The Moon), M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense)
• Possible: Woody Allen (Sweet and Lowdown), Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia), Lem Dobbs (The Limey), Kimberly Pierce and Andy Bienen (Boys Don't Cry), Tim Robbins (Cradle Will Rock)

BEST DIRECTOR:

• Locks: Michael Mann (The Insider), Sam Mendes (American Beauty)
• Likely: Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Norman Jewison (The Hurricane)
• Possible: Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia), Frank Darabont (The Green Mile), Milos Forman (Man On The Moon), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), David Lynch (the Straight Story), Alan Parker (Angela's Ashes), M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Steven Soderbergh (The Limey), Julie Taymor (Titus) and Andy & Larry Wachowski (The Matrix)

BEST PICTURE:

• Lock: American Beauty
• Likely: The Green Mile, The Insider, The Talented Mr. Ripley
• Possible: The End of The Affair, The Hurricane, Man On The Moon
• Remotely Possible: All About My Mother, Being John Malkovich, Toy Story 2
• Once Possible, Now Unlikely: Magnolia
• Late Entries Very Likely Out Of The Race: Angela's Ashes, Anna and the King, Girl, Interrupted, Sleepy Hollow, Snow Falling On Cedars
• Late Entries Completely Out Of The Race: Any Given Sunday, Bicentennial Man

PAGE TWO: "ROTD reviews Fantasia 2000, live at Albert Hall"