Why Capote Should Win Best Picture... and my Oscar picks

There is always the inevitable letdown with awards shows, but for the moment, I have that pre-Oscar excitement. At least this year, there is a crop of nominees that beats the living daylights out of last year's. I got real into it this year, seeing probably more nominated films than I ever have. I saw four of the five Best Picture nominees - my predisposition against Steven Spielberg kept me away from Munich. After looking at the odds, it appears that most of my favorites are not the front runners, or even the potential spoilers. Well, at least I have Jon Stewart, Dolly Parton, and "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" to look forward to. (View the nominees here).

Best Picture
No film from last year haunted me the way Capote did. Unlike any bio pic I have ever seen, the film does not attempt to cram the subject's entire life in. Instead it utilizes just a small period of time and one specific event to say a great deal about Truman Capote. It also is not a celebration of Capote's life, instead painting him in a very different light, somewhat critical. Phillip Seymour Hoffman transforms himself into the role - his strongest performance ever. The story flows like a dark mystery, not like a biography, thanks in part to a remarkable supporting cast, as well as director Bennett Miller's slow pacing and meaningful quick cuts.

Best Documentary Feature
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Best Director
George Clooney, Good Night and Good Luck

Best Actor
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

Best Supporting Actor
Jake Gylenhall, Brokeback Mountain

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Junebug

Best Original Screenplay
Stephen Gaghan, Syriana

Best Adapted Screenplay
Dan Futterman, Capote

Best Cinematography
Rodrigo Prieto, Brokeback Mountain

Best Editing
Michael McCusker, Walk the Line

Best Original Song
"Travelin Thru" (download mp3) Dolly Parton, Transamerica