What is up with Tom and Katie; is she staying with him?
Barbara Vancheri: I side with Tom on this one. The tabloids and popular press love a breakup more than a hookup. Just look at the magazines at the grocery store. Given the fact that she's seven months pregnant and unmarried, I think she's staying with him.
Slr: Does Joaquin Phoenix stand a chance at winning the Oscar? Or does Philip Seymour Hoffman have it all locked up?
Barbara Vancheri: In another year -- one that didn't follow "Ray," especially -- he might. I think it's Hoffman's. If it isn't, there will be a gasp, since he's won everything until now, but Adrien Brody was written off the year of "The Pianist" and he won, to everyone's surprise.
Slr: Who do you think will win for best actress? My vote is for Reese.
Barbara Vancheri: I'm betting on Reese, although if I were filling out five Oscar ballots, I might put Felicity Huffman's name on two of them. "Transamerica" screeners went out late to Academy members, I read, and the last movie seen is often the one most remembered. It's hard to argue with either woman winning.
My predictions will appear in tomorrow's paper.
Slr: Were you surprised "Walk the Line" didn't get a Best Picture nomination?
Barbara Vancheri: Yes, although the consensus seemed to be that the performances were better than the picture as a whole. It seemed somewhat conventionally told, but "Ray" was, too. It might have given the average moviegoer something to root for, since "Walk the Line" was probably better-seen than most of the other Best Picture nominees.
Slr: What do you think of Jon Stewart as host?
Barbara Vancheri: Although in some ways, he's the perfect host given the political nature of the movies, I think the Academy could have used a more mainstream choice in a year when the pictures tended to be arthouse favorites that didn't do much business in the theaters. It's always fun to see how someone new does -- and I liked Chris Rock last year. I also thought Steve Martin a good host. And Billy Crystal will probably be welcomed back with open arms again. He seems to be the heir apparent to Bob Hope and then Johnny Carson.
Slr: What actor/actress didn't get nominated who you thought deserved it?
Barbara Vancheri: I thought Russell Crowe deserved a nomination for "Cinderella Man." No matter what you think of him as a person, he is a fine actor. And I thought Maria Bello from "History of Violence" deserved a supporting nod, and I would have gone with Ed Harris rather than William Hurt from that same film. I was surprised that Claire Danes didn't get nominated, given all the Oscar talk that surrounded "Shopgirl." I would have picked someone other than Judi Dench for one of the actress slots.
pg_sbennett: That's our half-hour -- thank you, everyone, for participating. Watch for Barb's predictions tomorrow!
First Published: March 1, 2006, 5:00 a.m.
