Academy Awards 2006

It is that time of year again where the women wear dresses that are designed to stun, but often end up leaving us to say, "Huh?" The men typically wear their tuxes, except for the occasional incidence of "Duh?"

Last year we did okay with the predictions, but this year we are ready to rock and roll with our picks:

Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon, just because it was the only movie I saw with a best actress nominee and because my daughter lives in her hometown of Nashville.

Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz. I don't know why, but I do like her accent.

Best Actor: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, because Truman Capote's In Cold Blood was the first creative non-fiction book that I read and couldn't put down.

Best Supporting Actor: William Hurt, still one of the best around.

Best Original Screenplay: The Squid and the Whale. I thought that Jeff Daniels should have been nominated, but this will have to do.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain just because it is going to win.

Best Foreign Film: Tsotsi. I like the way the letters rolllllll off of my tongue when I pronounce it.

Best Animated Film: Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit because it was funny and fun to watch.

Best Documentary: March of the Penquins, though Murderball may surprise.

Best Song: It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp because somewhere Heidi Fleiss is laughing.

Best Director: Ang Lee. See Best Adapted Screenplay.

Best Feature Film: Brokeback Mountain, though wouldn't it be great if it didn't win. I mean if Shakespeare in Love can somehow beat out Saving Private Ryan ( a travesty in voting if there ever was one in the Academy Awards) then perhaps Crash can somehow pull a win out of the wreckage that is the culmination of this year's movies to choose from.

Film That Was Robbed: Walk the Line. I'm biased toward this film. I admit it without reservation!