Forget the buzz. Forget what performances you have or haven't seen. Who do you want to win this year? In order:

1. Ed Harris - 4 nominations and 0 wins. He's past due and could have a shot at actor with Copying Bethoveen.

2. Annette Bening and/or Kate Winslett - not sure if Bening will be lead or supporting for Running With Scissors or if Little Chidren will get released this year. At least one of them will hopefully win something finally.

3. I don't care who wins director, I just hope it's not Clint Eastwood.

4. Can we finally give Meryl Streep her third Oscar? If Katherine Hepburn can have 4 and Jack Nicholson can have 3, Ms. Streep should have another as well.

I actually really don't care this year. If United 93 turns out to be a competitor I will probably support it, but there are no actors getting nominations for that.

Ummmm... at this stage I'm mostly in the I-hope-it-will-be-good-enough-to-be-nominated camp with Babel, Volver, Marie Antionette. I'm a bit curious about Pursuit of Happyness. I want to see The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

I'm kind of pulling for a female director to get nominated this year. Taymor or Coppolla would rock.

I don't really care about actors or actresses. Honestly. But I've never liked seeing people nominate Jack Nicolson for another mailed in performance every few years... that's just my opinion (although he was great in About Schmidt... maybe the first time since Batman or A Few Good Men).

I'm kind of against Clint Eastwood this year because I'm honestly a little bit tired of war films at the moment and of his two projects, Red Sun, Black Sand looks the most interesting but won't be getting the lionshare of the attention. I'm also kind of against Scorsese being nominated because I'm not a huge fan of his and The Departed, in my opinion, is just unnecessary. I'm also not a DeNiro fan so...

I'm pushing for Volver to make a showing outside of Best Foreign Film. Hopefully Almodovar can score a nom for either directing or writing and Cruiz can take home a nomination.

Babel should be a big hit and I'm hoping any of the actors can pull as BSA nod; maybe a shot at Director...

I'm also hoping Cars might get recognition outside of BAF if it really is as spectacular as some say it is.

Agreed.

Bening will (hopefully) be the Lead for Running with Scissors (her character's delusions is probably what the entire book). Was there a talk of Little Children getting pushed back? Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, and Jennifer Connelly are getting some talk regarding their work in the film (plus it's by Todd Field, adapted from a dark dramedy book)

Carmen Maura for Volver

Fine. I'll dream myself. For her and for Fast Food Nation.

I would love to see a genre film win BP. I don't really care what genre. I take that back, I would love to see a comedy win BP.

Not counting light dramas like Shakespeare in Love, Forrest Gump, Driving Miss Daisy, or the indescribable American Beauty, we haven't had a straight comedy win the big prize since 1977 and Annie Hall.

these people need to win an oscar soon

christopher nolan
christian bale
martin scorsesee
kate winslet

there ya go.

United 93 for Best Picture. I highly doubt I'll see a better movie this year.

Any you think were deserving?

I would love to see a genre film win... I guess you can argue that ROTK was a bit of a genre film so it's happened pretty recently. I would actually only pull for at least two nominees this year that PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE. Not that the movies in the past two years have been bad, but something that more than 20 people have seen and something that has played in Kansas.

A comedy film would be great, but I don't know what it would be. Would I have minded if 40-Year Old Virgin got a bunch of accolades? No. But I would have had a major problem with Wedding Crashers (which I personally hate).

Other than that I have no major feelings about who and who doesn't win this year... Crash has cured me of that finally. I would want to see United 93 do well but if it doesn't, I understand why that is. The fact that it exists as a film is good enough for me. It is the only release this year IMO that comes close to being of "nomination quality". I would have at least thought we would get one or two little indies that would poke their head abouts but no.

I really hope Pursuit of Happyness is good... I actually think Smith was brilliant in the very underappreciated Ali, and the subject matter and the author of the book is already making the talk show rounds (Oprah will cover this one). I would have much rather seen Smith win than Denzel for Training Day. I *hope* despite my early misgivings that Dreamgirls is actually good because I do like Jamie Foxx and *I do like musicals*.

I'm actually kind of pulling against Clint Eastwood, Scorsese and DeNiro's movies just because they all seem (at this point) kind of stale and "typical". Actually I should say I'm not really a big Flags of our Fathers booster, but Red Sun, Black Sand (or whatever) really excites me.

I don't ever want to see Annette Benning anywhere around an Oscar... her tired "I AM A THESPIAN" type performances bother me to no end.

What else...

Babel is very interesting to me all around, as the Outlaw Jesse james who Had sex with Robert Ford who Assisinated him... or whatever.

Hmmmm...

Kate Winslet. She is beyond due, and it looks like she has a few feasible shots this year.