Tony’s 2004 Oscar Nominations

by Tony Medley

How far Hollywood has sunk was confirmed by the nominations for Oscar. Without question, the worst list of films ever chosen to compete for Oscar. Here’s the way I would have nominated (my winners indicated by asterisk):

Best Picture:

The Notebook*

Miracle

Passion of the Christ

Hotel Rwanda *

Ray

Best Director

Mel Gibson (Passion of the Christ)

Nick Cassavettes (The Notebook)

Terry George (Hotel Rwanda)

Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy)*

Mark Waters (Mean Girls)

Best Actor

Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda)

Jamie Foxx (Ray)*

Dennis Quaid (In Good Company)

James Caviezel (Passion of the Christ)

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator)

Best Actress

Rachel McAdams (The Notebook)*

Annette Bening (Being Julia)

Claire Danes (Stage Beauty)

Kim Basinger (The Door in the Floor)

Anne Reid (The Mother)

Best Supporting Actor

Thomas Haden Church (Sideways)*

Robert DeNiro (Meet the Fockers)

Mark Ruffalo (We Don’t Live Here Anymore)

Al Pacino (The Merchant of Venice)

Alan Alda (The Aviator)

Best Supporting Actress

Sharon Warren (Ray)*

Lynn Collins (The Merchant of Venice)

Natalie Portman (Closer)

Julia Roberts (Closer)

Julie Christie (Troy)

“The Notebook” was a touching romance, the best movie I saw all year until “Hotel Rwanda.” Then it was just too difficult to decide between the two and I realized I didn’t have to decide! So it was a tie. The toughest category for me was Best Director where I could just as easily have given it to Waters or Cassavettes. But “Bourne” was so good and it was all due to the director. Best Actress wasn’t even close; McAdams was as superior to the field as Renée Zellweger was in 2002 in “Chicago” (that she didn't win then was a precursor of things to come this year). Best Supporting Actor was close between Church, Alda, and DeNiro, hilarious in “Meet the Fockers. Sharon Warren, in her film debut, was remarkable as Ray’s mother.

January 25, 2005