And The Nominees Could Be...

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A Beautiful Mind

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS When it comes to this category, the year's films seem to be sprouting contenders in pairs. The Royal Tenenbaums has previous Oscar winners Anjelica Huston and Gwyneth Paltrow; Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz play Tom Cruise's lovers in Vanilla Sky; and Dianne Wiest and Laura Dern appear opposite Penn in I Am Sam.

From across the ocean, five-time nominee (and two-time winner) Maggie Smith could earn a new nod for either Robert Altman's Gosford Park or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. There's also Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan, who plays The Others' creepy housekeeper, and Kate Winslet, the younger Ms. Murdoch in Iris. Oddly, Winslet's competition could include Iris costar Judi Dench, who will receive a supporting-actress push for The Shipping News.

Shut out last year after a sterling performance as a heroin addict in Requiem for a Dream, Jennifer Connelly may score Academy recognition with A Beautiful Mind. Past Best Actress victor Frances McDormand makes a play to return to the podium with The Man Who Wasn't There, while Marisa Tomei--coming back to the category that made her a winner--could earn a slot for In the Bedroom.

BEST DIRECTOR Anyone's shortlist has to include Ali's Michael Mann, recognized in this category two years ago for The Insider, and Black Hawk Down's Ridley Scott. After being passed over for Chocolat in 2000, Lasse Hallstrom will try for his third citation (after My Life as a Dog and The Cider House Rules) with The Shipping News. Two others whose films have been up for Best Picture might finally win their first directing nods: Frank Darabont for The Majestic and Ron Howard for A Beautiful Mind. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie could win him his first nomination, as could Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring. Other forces to reckon with: last year's original-screenplay winner, Cameron Crowe, for Vanilla Sky; past nominee Joel Coen for The Man Who Wasn't There; Robert Altman for the whodunit Gosford Park; and Mulholland Drive's twice-nominated David Lynch, gunning for his first nod in 15 years.

From the maverick department there are Moulin Rouge's Baz Luhrmann, The Royal Tenenbaums' Wes Anderson, Memento's Christopher Nolan, and Todd Field, who got festival raves for his first feature In the Bedroom. Just as M. Night Shyamalan won a nomination for The Sixth Sense, so could Alejandro Amenabar for The Others. And if anyone can remake a Rat Pack flick and still score a seat at the Oscars, it's last year's Best Director, Steven Soderbergh.