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The Dartmouth
March 29, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

The Academy is on target with Oscar nominations

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday nominees for the 74th annual Academy Awards, which will air on ABC March 24, at 5 p.m.

Everyone remembers shocking moments in Oscar history: appeals to ease world-hunger, one-arm pushups, violent emotional outbursts (Roberto Benigni in 1998) and everything else entirely non-cinematic.

While this year very well may shrink to a forgettable smudge in the dawn of next year's 75th anniversary, at least the well-chosen nominees have the potential to redeem last year's disappointments.

Popular commercial releases like "Pearl Harbor" and "A.I." take a backseat to the more original and artistic releases "Amlie," "In the Bedroom" and "A Beautiful Mind."

The first film up for Best Picture is "A Beautiful Mind," starring Russell Crowe (nominated for Best Actor) as John Nash, the schizophrenic, Pulitzer Prize-winning mathematician.

Jennifer Connelly, playing Nash's wife Alicia, is a great candidate for winner of the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. After her raw portrayal of a junkie in last year's "Requiem for a Dream" and a small, but equally powerful role in "Pollack," acknowledgement for her talents is well overdue.

She will, however, be up against the aged and polished experience of Maggie Smith, whose sarcastic and snobbish asides leant "Gosford Park" much of its humor and traditional appeal.

Other Supporting Actress nominees include Marisa Tomei ("In the Bedroom"), Helen Mirren ("Gosford Park") and Kate Winslet ("Iris").

"In the Bedroom," another Best Picture nominee, also brings with it a bid for Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role (Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek).

Both Spacek and Wilkinson face young favorites. Crowe, Will Smith ("Ali"), Denzel Washington ("Training Day") and Sean Penn ("I Am Sam") all vie for Best Actor while Nicole Kidman ("Moulin Rouge"), Renee Zellweger ("Bridget Jones's Diary"), Halle Berry ("Monster's Ball") and Judi Dench ("Iris") round out Spacek's competition.

While the French film "Amlie" is a shoe-in for Best Foreign Language Film, critics will argue over this year's most worthy Best Picture nominee until the Oscar premiere.

Superb acting was what earned "A Beautiful Mind," "Gosford Park" and "In the Bedroom" their selections as Best Picture.

The other two nominees, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (which led all films with 13 nominations) and "Moulin Rouge" can thank their much-hyped releases and cinematic grandeur.

While Altman's "Gosford Park" was a meticulously crafted look at1930s English society, the constant twisting of the plot confused some viewers.

"In the Bedroom's" proximity to reality may be a little too unrefined for the Academy's taste and the musical powerhouse, "Moulin Rouge," was more of an overdramatic music video than a riveting love story based on French myth and history.

"A Beautiful Mind" shines with last year's Best Actor winner Crowe and captivating Connelly. Depicting a true and touching story it follows a simple plot that packs an interesting twist.

It waits to be seen whether the immense popularity of "Lord of the Rings" can match up to such a well-wrapped package of human emotion.

And the 2002 Academy Award nominees are ...

Best Picture

"A Beautiful Mind"

"Gosford Park"

"In the Bedroom"

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fel-

lowship of the Ring"

"Moulin Rouge"

Best Actor

Russell Crowe, "A Beautiful Mind"

Sean Penn, "I Am Sam"

Will Smith, "Ali"

Denzel Washington, "Training Day"

Tom Wilkinson, "In the Bedroom"

Best Actress

Halle Berry, "Monster's Ball"

Judi Dench, "Iris"

Nicole Kidman, "Moulin Rouge"

Sissy Spacek, "In the Bedroom"

Renee Zellweger, "Bridget Jones's Diary"

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Connelly, "A Beautiful Mind"

Helen Mirren, "Gosford Park"

Maggie Smith, "Gosford Park"

Marisa Tomei, "In the Bedroom"

Kate Winslet, "Iris"

Best Supporting Actor

Jim Broadbent, "Iris"

Ethan Hawke, "Training Day"

Ben Kingsley, "Sexy Beast"

Ian McKellen, "The Lord of the Rings"

Jon Voight, "Ali"

Best Director

Ron Howard, "A Beautiful Mind"

Ridley Scott, "Black Hawk Down"

Robert Altman, "Gosford Park"

Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings"

David Lynch, "Mulholland Drive"

Best Animated Film

"Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius"

"Monsters, Inc."

"Shrek"

Best Foreign Film

"Amelie," France

"Elling," Norway

"Lagaan," India

"No Man's Land," Bosnia and Herzegovina

"Son of the Bride," Argentina

Visual Effects

"A.I. Artificial Intelligence"

"The Lord of the Rings"

"Pearl Harbor"