Oscars Central: Brokeback leads with 8 nominations

Okay, so I haven't had my coffee yet, and my Netscape crashes whenever I try to print out a complete list from the AMPAS website, but I'll do my best to make some sense out of this morning's Oscar nominations.

Make some sense? There were no real surprises, although every category seems to have an "aw" or an "ah" (as in "aw, I'm glad she got a nomination," or "ah, I never thought of him for that category"). Brokeback Mountain leads the pack with best actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, film, adapted screenplay, score and cinematography, while both Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) were also recognized for their Gay/Transgendered performances. Here's a rundown of major categories:

Best Motion Picture: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night, and Good Luck, and Munich.

Best Director: For the first time in a long time, all of the best film nominees' directors made the cut. Now, there's a surprise!

Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote; Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow; Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain; Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line; and David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck.

Best Actress: Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents; Felicity Huffman, Transamerica; Keira Knightly, Pride & Prejudice; Charlize Theron, North Country; and Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line.

Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney, Syriana; Matt Dillon, Crash; Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man; Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain; and William Hurt, A History of Violence.

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, Junebug; Catherine Keener, Capote; Frances McDormand, North Country; Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener; and Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain.

For the complete nominations, go to the AMPAS website: http://www.oscar.com/nominees/list.html

Best news (for the good of the nation): George Clooney will have to go the the ceremony. In the past he's said he'll only attend if he's a nominee, not just as a presenter or as someone's arm candy. Well, he had a fantastic morning, receiving 4 nominations. Maybe he'll show up with his publicist. I'm betting he'll take his dad. Best news (personal): I only have five films to cram for Oscars night, if you exclude documentaries and foreign language flicks. And one of them is already sitting in front of my VCR!

Happiest nominations: Matt Dillon finally getting some recognition, post Rumblefish, and Howl's Moving Castle getting a nod for animation. Biggest snubs: What's up with Maria Bello (A History of Violence) and Joan Allen (The Upside of Anger) not getting a nomination? And don't even get me started on The Squid and the Whale's Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels. Huge. Snubs. Best pre-nom prediction: If you remember, I though the SAG Best Ensemble win for Crash indicated that a nomination for director Paul Haggis was in the air. Worst pre-nom prediction: As much as I adored Munich, I was sure it wasn't going to make it. But the worst prediction that I - okay, everyone was right about? Thanks to the crazy nomination process, Grizzly Man really didn't make the documentary list. Sorry, Werner.

In the coming weeks I'll let you know what's on DVD (Hustle & Flow,yea! Thanks, Netflix!) and what's still in the theaters (most of 'em). I'll also drop by with more commentary and viewing suggestions.... And make sure you pick up a print copy of the Seattle Gay News a week before the awards, where I'll have a complete list of predictions for the big night.