OSCAR NOMINEES

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***** So good I wept | **** That's Entertainment | *** Has its merits | ** Better than a root canal | * So bad I wept

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ABOUT SCHMIDT ****½ (R/2:05/12-13-02) Nicholson justifies his existence by playing a man who doesn’t.

Nominated for: Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates).

 

ADAPTATION ***** (R/1:54/12-6-02) Writer Kaufman is forced to adapt, adopt, & improve.

Nominated for: Best Actor (Nicolas Cage), Best Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper), Best Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman).

Won: Best Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper).

 

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN **** (PG-13/2:20/12-25-02) Two former beachcombers unite to seek treasure.

Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken), Original Score.

 

CHICAGO ****½ (PG-13/1:53/12-27-02) Zellweger razzles, Gere dazzles, Zeta-Jones delivers all that jazz.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Renée Zellweger), Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Best Supporting Actress (Queen Latifah), Best Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly), Directing (Rob Marshall), Adapted Screenplay (Bill Condon), Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Editing, Sound, Original Song ("I Move On," written by John Kander and Fred Ebb).

Won: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Art Direction, Costume Design, Editing, Sound.

 

8 MILE **** (R/1:50/11-8-02) Eminem introduces a new color into the chocolate world of rap music.

Nominated for: Original Song ("Lose Yourself," written by Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto).

Won: Original Song ("Lose Yourself," written by Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto).

 

FRIDA ***** (R/1:58/11-8-02) Salma Hayek proves she’s not just another hot tamale.

Nominated for: Best Actress (Salma Hayek), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Original Score, Original Song ("Burn It Blue," written by Elliot Goldenthal and Julie Taymor).

Won: Makeup, Original Score.

 

THE HOURS ****½ (PG-13/1:54/12-27-02) Three stories, eight decades, nine nominations, all in just a few Hours.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Nicole Kidman), Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore), Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Directing (Stephen Daldry), Adapted Screenplay (David Hare), Costume Design, Editing, Original Score.

Won: Best Actress (Nicole Kidman).

 

ICE AGE **** (PG/1:26/3-15-02) Three mammals and a baby—haven't we seen this somewhere before?

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature.

 

LILO & STITCH ***½ (PG/1:25/6-21-02) Blue Hawaii girl gets All Shook Up by arrival of Teddy Bear.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature.

 

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS ***** (PG-13/2:59/12-18-02) Part 2 towers above competition.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Won: Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

 

MINORITY REPORT ***** (PG-13/2:20/6-21-02) Like the majority of Spielberg's films, this one's in the minority.

Nominated for: Sound Editing.

 

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING ****½ (PG/1:36/8-16-02) Man converts for love of woman and her souvlaki.

Nominated for: Original Screenplay (Nia Vardalos).

 

THE PIANIST ***** (R/2:28/12-27-02) Polish musician survives Holocaust; Polish director doesn’t soft-pedal it.

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Directing (Roman Polanski), Adapted Screenplay (Ronald Harwood), Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing.

Won: Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Directing (Roman Polanski), Adapted Screenplay (Ronald Harwood).

 

ROAD TO PERDITION **** (R/1:59/7-12-02) Sam Mendes trying desperately to find the road back to Oscarville.

Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor (Paul Newman), Cinematography, Art Direction, Original Score, Sound, Sound Editing.

Won: Cinematography.

 

SPIDER-MAN **** (PG-13/2:01/5-3-02) Another arachnid gets his start in pro wrestling.

Nominated for: Sound, Visual Effects.

 

SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON ***½ (G/1:22/5-24-02) Horse story won't exactly induce a stampede.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature.

 

STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES ****½ (PG/2:22/5-16-02) Lucas pops another gem out of the mold.

Nominated for: Visual Effects.

 

THE TIME MACHINE ***½ (PG-13/1:35/3-8-02) Man travels 800,000 years in a New York minute.

Nominated for: Makeup.

 

TREASURE PLANET ***½ (PG/1:35/11-27-02) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, many rocks farther from the sun.

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature.

 

UNFAITHFUL ***½ (R/2:04/5-10-02) Does he know that she knows that he knows?

Nominated for: Best Actress (Diane Lane).

 

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(All reviews copyright John R. McEwen and The Republican)

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