Date: Fri 09-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A-8

Quick Words:

Playing-Academy-Awards

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(Academy Awards Nominations Predictions, Now Playing, 2/9/96)

Now Playing-

Our Picks For Nominations

By Trey Paul Alexander III

Have you ever picked up a review of a film you enjoyed and found the critic

hated it? Or perhaps there have been movies the experts loved and you loathed?

This is your chance to sound off.

This is the time of year when the Hollywood community focuses on last year and

awards those motion pictures it deems to be above the rest. The most

prestigious of the honors - the Academy Awards - will be handed out March 25,

and nominations are due this month.

In honor of the early spring event, this column is dedicated to my picks for

the top six categories. This is not a list of what I think will be nominated,

but a rundown of the five I would choose.

Best Picture- A number of critics griped about the year gone by, with an

article in New York magazine leading the charge; one writer claimed 1995's

first ten months were the worst since the advent of "talkies." Methinks he

doth exaggerate too much, mistaking the wide spectrum of films available last

year (and no clear-cut favorites like Forrest Gump or Schindler's List this

year) for a lack of commendable ones. I am sure my five Best Picture nominees

will still be esteemed, years down the road: Apollo 13 , Braveheart , Dead Man

Walking , Sense and Sensibility and Toy Story .

Best Actor- Typically, this is the most competitive category. However, this

year the quantity of high-caliber work from women has given them the upper

hand in being the tougher grouping to determine. Here, if earlier awards are

any indication, Nicolas Cage may run away with the trophy. My picks: Nicolas

Cage ( Leaving Las Vegas ), Richard Dreyfuss ( Mr Holland's Opus ), Morgan

Freeman ( Seven ), Sean Penn ( Dead Man Walking ) and John Travolta Get Shorty

).

Best Actress- When I first began jotting down the worthwhile female

performances, the listing flooded up to ten individuals. It was difficult to

pare those names down to five, but the finalists are: Kathy Bates ( Dolores

Claiborne ), Nicole Kidman ( To Die For ), Susan Sarandon ( Dead Man Walking

), Elisabeth Shue ( Leaving Las Vegas ) and Meryl Streep ( The Bridges of

Madison County ). I wanted desperately to include Toni Collette, who was

outstanding in Muriel's Wedding , and I still cannot believe Emma Thompson (

Sense and Sensibility ) did not make my cut!

Best Supporting Actor/Actress- Both of these races seem to be wide open, and

aside from Mira Sorvino, who looks to be a shoo-in to win the award, it

promises to be a close finish. Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Griffith ( The

Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain ), Ed Harris ( Apollo

13 ), Tim Roth ( Rob Roy ), Paul Sorvino ( Nixon ) and Kevin Spacey ( The

Usual Suspects ). Best Supporting Actress: Joan Allen ( Nixon ), Ashley Judd (

Smoke ), Tina Majorino ( Waterworld ), Mira Sorvino ( Mighty Aphrodite ) and

Kate Winslet ( Sense and Sensibility ).

This is where you, the readers, come into play. What were your favorites of

`95? What or who are you hoping will garner a nomination? What do you think of

my selections? Drop me a line, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road,

Newtown 06470. Before the Oscar's March 25 telecast, I will compare my

nominations with the Academy's choices, and make final picks for the awards. I

will also share any reader feedback on the films from 1995.