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Show 4 i1 i f ! 5 V "V t V l BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Kathy Bates "About Schmidt' Queen Latifah "Chicago" Chris Cooper "Adaptation." Ed Harrisj "The Hours" Paul Newman "Road to Perdition" Julianne Moore The Hours" Meryl Streep "Adaptation." Catherine "Chicago" Zeta-Jon- JohnC.Reilly "Chicago" Christopher Walken "Catch Me If You Can" es s Damn! Catherine and Kathy Bates both give performances, and Bates is the one that gets naked! Zeta-Jone- Oscar-nominate- V d Perhaps I'm biased because I've been s in love with Catherine since The Mask of Zorro," but she's still my pick to take home the Oscar this year. With her background as a former professional singer and dancer, coupled with her l sultry good looks, she was bom to play Velma Kelly and she does one hell of a job. From her mesmerizing opening performance of "All That Jazz" it's clear s stole "Chicago" right out from under Renee Zellweger. She proved a perfect casting choice and is certainly deserving of the statuette she'll probably receive. The (somewhat undeserved) nomination of Queen Latifah has raised doubts, however. It's possible the voters will cancel the two "Chicago" stars out, and Zeta Jones could get the proverbial shaft. In that case, I'd put my money on Kathy Bates, who previously won Best Actress in 1990 for her chilling turn as a writer's psychopathic "No. 1 fan" in "Misery." This time, in Alexander Payne's "About Schmidt," she brilliantly plays Hope Davis' quirky, eccentric future mother-in-lashowing us her comedic side and a fair amount of her backside. CHRIS'S PICK: Zeta-Jone- bad-gir- Zeta-Jone- co-st- ar It's easy for a respected veteran actor to get a nomination, isn't it? Actually, most of these actors had a fair amount of screen time except Harris, who just looked sick for a few minutes. John C. Reilly, however, played supporting roles in three of the best picture nominees ("Gangs of New York" and "The Hours" are the others), so his nod comes from general admiration, and a feature film worth of screen time. w John Laroche in "Adaptation.," Chris Cooper is both comedic and deserving of empathy at the same time. He bears his soul as the orchid swindler with no front teeth and makes us laugh with his delivery of hilarious lines. He's already won several awards (but not from the Screen Actors Guild, which awarded Christopher Walken), and I expect the streak to continue. I love Reilly, but would have preferred to see him win for Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia " And then there are the legends. The academy loves Paul Newman, but not enough to award him for "Road to Perdition," which was a good film due in large part to Conrad L Hall's cinematography. But it didn't have the same steam that director Sam Mendes's last film, "American Beauty" had. Walken won the statuette in 1979 and hasn't been nominated since. Ed Harris has been nominated four times, but has never won and doesn't have JEREMY'S PICK: As - v y the hype to triumph this year. s agree that Bates and are the two strongest contenders. In fact, the three nominations for supporting acting are the only ones "Chicago" arguably deserves. Since people are talking about "Chicago" sweeping, I'm s to win, although going to have to favor Bates, my favorite, could upset. Her performance, one of the few for "About Schmidt," which was expected to at least receive a nod for its screenplay, could win over voters, since she's a legend and all. Her performance defied expectations and added many dimensions to a woman who, on the surface, is a JEREMY'S PICK: I Zeta-Jone- Zeta-Jone- free-spirite- hippy. love Paul Newman, as well as the latest movie that earned him an Oscar nod, "Road to Perdition." But let's face it he was nominated because he's Paul Newman. As he always is, he's wonderful in this role, adding depth and heartbreaking warmth to his character, a Depression-er- a mob boss. In a weaker year, perhaps Newman would be the pick. Ed Harris mongly stole a nomination that belonged to Ray Liotta for his intense work in the vastly underrated "Narc." But Harris doesn't have the hype to take it this year. CHRIS'S PICK: I d see oscars, page mo f i : j if 1- A, ' N wmmmmmmmmmmrwmrmmmmmmtmmmm.Jm ' f .m ' ,17' W i 3i I HED Magazine . i I . - -- march - ..... 13, 2003 Rg |