Ode to the Oscars

I'll be at work a little late tomorrow. Not because I plan to sleep in or fret about my lackluster wardrobe or disagreeable hair. No, tomorrow morning I'll be up early, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed at 8:30 for the annoucement of the nominations for the 78th Academy Awards.

So what if it's not a "strong year" for cinema. So what if I'm kind of getting tired of Jake, Joaquin, Heath, and George (is that even possible?). I'll still forever be a sucker for the Oscars. Something about the buildup, the pre-ceremony buzz, the who's-wearing-what rumors. And then there's the the Oscar coup de gras: the red carpet. And with Isaac Mizraahi at the helm of the E! pre-show, we can expect to find out even more about Eva Longoria's, ahem, "hairstyles."

So alas, here are my predictions for the Oscar nomininations in the major cateogries. Coming from a girl who has yet to see Brokeback Mountain(hey, I'm not the only one! Right, Dubya?) , I may not be the most reliable source. But I've read enough reviews, celebrity profiles, and gossip to feel like I have at least an idea of who might be nominated. I may be completely wrong (and yeah, the nominees are pretty obvious at this point), but here goes:

BEST PICTURE
Brokeback Mountain
Walk the Line
Capote
Good Night and Good Luck
Crash

BEST ACTOR
Joanquin Phoenix
Heath Ledger
Philip Seymour Hoffman
David Strathairn
Terrence Howard

BEST ACTRESS
Reese Witherspoon
Felicity Huffman
Judy Dench
Gwynneth Paltrow
Charlize Theron

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jake Gyllenhaal
Don Cheadle
George Clooney
Paul Giamatti
Matt Dillion

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Michelle Williams
Rachel Weisz
Scarlett Johannsen
Shirley MacLaine
Laura Linney

DIRECTOR
Ang Lee
Woody Allen
Peter Jackson
Steven Spielberg George Clooney