My 2006 Oscar Bets

This year's Oscar awards is more interesting that last year's. Last year was kinda boring with heavy topics but not-so appealing tales about euthanasia in "Million Dollar Baby", which won the Best Picture title and bested big contender, "The Aviator". Biopics were a hit last year with a winning performance of Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in "Ray". 2006 Oscars is more interesting as directors and producers are more aggressive and more courageous to tackle timely and controversial issues like same sex relationship in "Brokeback Mountain", bigotry, racism and xenophobia in "Crash", the murder of eleven Munich Olympic athletes in "Munich", lifestory of American author Truman Capote in "Capote" and CBS broadcaster Edward R. Murrow's stand against McCarthyism in "Good Night, and Good Luck."

The nominees were out a couple of days ago and we're just a month away from the opening of the envelopes. Critics, press and viewers are all eager to know the big names and the big winners of a one big Oscar night.

For now, here are my bets and I'll hopeful they'd win on March 6 (Manila).
Win
Threat

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hollman - CAPOTE
Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOW
Heath Ledger - BROKBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE
David Straithairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK


ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney - SYRIANA
Matt Dillon - CRASH
Paul Giamatti - CINDERALLA MAN
Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE


ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Judi Dench - MRS. HENERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA
Keria Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY
Rezze Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE


ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams - JUNEBUG
Catherine Keener - CAPOTE
Frances McNormand - NORTH COUNTRY
Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN


ANIMATED FEATURE
HOWL'S MOVIENG CASTLE
TIM BURTON'S THE CORPSE BRIDE
WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT


ART DIRECTION
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE


CINEMATOGRAPHY
BATMAN BEGINS
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
THE NEW WORLD


COSTUME DESIGN
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
WALK THE LINE


DIRECTING
Ang Lee - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Bennett Miller - CAPOTE
Paul Haggis - CRASH
George Clooney - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Steven Spielberg - Munich


FILM EDITING
CINDERELLA MAN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
CRASH
MUNICH
WALK THE LINE


MAKE UP
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
CINDERELLA MAN
STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH


MUSIC (SCORE)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MUNICH
PRIDE & PREJUDICE


MUSIC (SONG)
"In the Deep" - CRASH
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" - HUSTLE & FLOW
"Travelin' Thru" - TRANSAMERICA


BEST PICTURE
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MUNICH


SOUND EDITING
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WAR OF THE WORLDS


SOUND MIXING
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, WITH WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WALK THE LINE
WAR OF THE WORLDS


VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, WITH WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
WAR OF THE WORLDS


WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
MUNICH


WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MATCH POINT
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
SYRIANA

[Fingers crossed] ¿?