--ELIZABETH VS. ELIZABETH Never before has a historical character been pitted against herself like the dueling queens of Shakespeare and Elizabeth. "If you put the two films together," says Judi Dench, "you get the whole spectrum of her life." Amazing, considering Dame Judi's Shakespeare role is just nine minutes long--one of the briefest nominated appearances ever.
--GOD VS. MEN Ian McKellen, who plays eccentric gay filmmaker James Whale in Gods and Monsters, has his work cut out for him in the Best Actor category, facing more traditional turns by Nick Nolte and Tom Hanks. Still, he's primed for a duel. "Edward Norton once said to me that I was one of the reasons he became an actor," laughs McKellen. "Now I hope I'm one of the reasons he doesn't get the Oscar."
--OSCAR VS. THE UNINVITED And there'll be real sizzle if the snubbed performers show up. Imagine Carrey's visage taking over the Shrine Auditorium's monitors. Or the grunts from Saving Private Ryan packing heat, and a grunting Alanis Morissette, overlooked for her City of Angels hit "Uninvited." For that matter, where was Bill Murray's nod for Rushmore, or Lisa Kudrow's selection for The Opposite of Sex? Apparently, right up there with Ingrid Bergman's for Casablanca. "There's such a rich history of great performances being snubbed," notes Rushmore producer Barry Mandel, who says he keeps a list. "It's almost cooler not to be nominated."
(Reporting by Jeff Jensen, Dave Karger, and Tricia Laine)
[BOX]
--THE NOMINEES ARE...
BEST PICTURE --ELIZABETH --LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL --SAVING PRIVATE RYAN --SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE --THE THIN RED LINE
BEST ACTOR --Roberto Benigni, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL --Tom Hanks, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN --Ian McKellen, GODS AND MONSTERS --Nick Nolte, AFFLICTION --Edward Norton, AMERICAN HISTORY X
BEST ACTRESS --Cate Blanchett, ELIZABETH --Fernanda Montenegro, CENTRAL STATION --Gwyneth Paltrow, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE --Meryl Streep, ONE TRUE THING --Emily Watson, HILARY AND JACKIE
BEST DIRECTOR --Roberto Benigni, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL --John Madden, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE --Terrence Malick, THE THIN RED LINE --Steven Spielberg, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN --Peter Weir, THE TRUMAN SHOW
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR --James Coburn, AFFLICTION --Robert Duvall, A CIVIL ACTION --Ed Harris, THE TRUMAN SHOW --Geoffrey Rush, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE --Billy Bob Thornton, A SIMPLE PLAN
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS --Kathy Bates, PRIMARY COLORS --Brenda Blethyn, LITTLE VOICE --Judi Dench, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE --Rachel Griffiths, HILARY AND JACKIE --Lynn Redgrave, GODS AND MONSTERS
