BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
This category seems to be dominated by pairs of players from the same movies: Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon have won some of the highest praise of their careers as ''Mystic River'''s murder suspect and cop, respectively; ''Seabiscuit'' featured memorable turns from character actors Chris Cooper and William H. Macy; ''The Human Stain'' serves as a showcase for veteran Ed Harris and relative newcomer Wentworth Miller; and the third time might be the charm for ''The Lord of the Rings'' heroes Ian McKellen (nominated for ''The Fellowship of the Ring'') and Sean Astin. Benicio Del Toro, who won in this category two years ago for ''Traffic,'' stands to return with ''21 Grams,'' while beloved actor Albert Finney (''Big Fish'') could earn his sixth nod. Then there's a rash of esteemed actors shooting for first nominations: ''The Cooler'' villain Alec Baldwin, ''Cold Mountain'' dad Brendan Gleeson, ''Shattered Glass'' editor Peter Sarsgaard, ''Master and Commander'' shipmate Paul Bettany, Sylvia husband Daniel Craig, and comedic faves Bill Nighy (''Love Actually'') and Eugene Levy (''A Mighty Wind''), as well as ''In America'' scene-stealer Djimon Hounsou.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
After losing Best Actress two years in a row, perhaps Renée Zellweger will have better luck in this category for her role as ''Cold Mountain'''s intrepid farm girl, Ruby. Her Best Actress competition both times included Nicole Kidman, who might land in this race as well thanks to her turn as a cleaning woman in ''The Human Stain.'' ''Mystic River'''s Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney are both impressive in pivotal roles, while ''Big Fish'' costar Jessica Lange tries for her first nomination since winning Best Actress in 1995 for ''Blue Sky.'' And Emma Thompson, who already owns Oscars in the lead-actress and adapted-screenplay categories, could win a spot here with her standout performance in the ensemble romance ''Love Actually,'' while Catherine O'Hara could earn her first nomination for her scene stealing in ''A Mighty Wind.'' Indie candidates include ''Lost in Translation'' breakout Scarlett Johansson, Holly Hunter as ''Thirteen'''s frantic mom, ''American Splendor'''s nebbishy spouse Hope Davis, ''The Station Agent'''s reclusive artist Patricia Clarkson, ''The Magdalene Sisters''' villain Geraldine McEwan, ''Whale Rider'''s teen hero Keisha Castle-Hughes, ''21 Grams''' suffering wife Melissa Leo, and ''The Cooler'' temptress Maria Bello. Young stars are coming from the majors, too: Natalie Portman (''Cold Mountain'''s young widow, Sara); Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, and Maggie Gyllenhaal (as Julia Roberts' students in ''Mona Lisa Smile''); and ''Matchstick Men'' ingenue Alison Lohman.
BEST DIRECTOR
Will Peter Jackson finally win an Oscar? He didn't even score a nomination for ''The Two Towers'' last year, but the ''Return of the King'' overseer could very well be rewarded this time around for all three ''Lord of the Rings'' films. His competition could include several past winners: There's ''Cold Mountain'''s Anthony Minghella, ''Mystic River'''s Clint Eastwood, and ''The Missing'''s Ron Howard, along with previous nominees Peter Weir (''Master and Commander''), Quentin Tarantino (''Kill Bill -- Vol. 1''), and Norman Jewison (''The Statement''). But some first-timers are bound to make the cut as well. Turning the quirkiness factor down a few notches might pay off for ''Big Fish'''s Tim Burton, while Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu could be rewarded for his first English-language film, ''21 Grams.'' ''The Last Samurai'''s Edward Zwick goes the epic route, Gary Ross tugs heartstrings with ''Seabiscuit,'' and acclaimed screenwriter Richard Curtis tries his hand at directing with ''Love Actually.'' And ''Lost in Translation'''s Sofia Coppola or ''Something's Gotta Give'''s Nancy Meyers could become only the third woman ever to earn a nomination in this category.
