I really, really hope Blanchett wins. [-o<

All of the choices are worthy this year.

Unlike the winner last year

Zellweger was good and I don't think that the Academy would nominate a bad actress three years in a row

Well, it's down to Madsen vs. Blanchett with Portman being the dark horse. Having seen all three, I am personally rooting for Blanchett and strongly hoping for Madsen not to win (despite loving Sideways).

Yeah, the acting in Sideways is good, but it's not at the level of great acting that many films have. I thought she was passable, but nothing award winning about her performance at all. I don't see Madsen as having a real chance at all, and would think Portman would be ahead of her.

Have you seen Million Dollar Baby yet? That's more of an actor's showcase, with great dialogue and performances.

No, not yet, looking for a good screener, the previous one didn't work.

As for acting in Sideways, I don't know how good Morgan Freeman is in M$B, but I already saw two amazing supporting performances this year, by Clive Owen and Thomas Haden Church. These two were some of the best performance of the entire last year and I wonder if Freeman can impress me even more.

It's Morgan Freeman. He comes off very natural as always, and funny at times, with a good heart. If I were to rate his top 5 performances...

1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Million Dollar Baby
3. Unforgiven
4. Driving Miss Daisy
5. Lean On Me

You'll be plenty impressed.

Se7en is not on your list!

[-X

It comes it at #7, ironically. :razz:

Lec, Swank was on Saturday Night Live last night. Nothing of great note there BUT SNL did a spoof of sorts on Morgan Freeman, the great black narrator who's always helping white people in trouble. =D> =D>

It was dead on and hilarious, not to mention very true. Morgan was great in M$B, but he's great in everything he does and was basically playing a variation on a role he'd done 20 times before.

Well, sooner or later the greatness has to be rewarded

This category is great this year. I personally feel that Cate Blanchett deserves to win simply for actually making The Aviator better than it actually was, but cases could be argued for Virginia Madsen and Natalie Portman, too. Sophie Okonedo was also great. Didn't see Kinsey.

Right now, I think Blanchett probably has the Oscar, but a win by Madsen (or even a shocking upset from Portman) would be okay with me, too.

Anyone could win this category. Usually if there is a big surprise, it comes here. I'm going with Blanchett right now because she was snubbed for Elizabeth and because I can't see The Aviator not winning any acting awards. Leo and Alan Alda won't win.

Think about the last few years and movies that have had at least 3 acting nominations:

1. Iris - 3 noms., 1 win for Jim Broadbent
2. Chicago - 4 noms., 1 win for Catherine Zeta Jones
3. The Hours - 3 noms., 1 win for Nicole Kidman
4. Adaptation - 3 noms, 1 win for Chris Cooper
5. Mystic River - 3 noms., 2 wins , 1 for Sean Penn, 1 for Tim Robbins

There have been snubs before - The Color Purple and Pulp Fiction both had 3 acting nominations with no wins, but the recent trend has been at least one winner. That's why I'm going with Blanchett.

oops. let me edit that!