Oscar Time Is Very Near
The waiting is almost over. Sunday night, the winners of this year's Academy Awards will be revealed.
The award ceremony is Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. (ET) this year, a new day and an earlier time. Whoopi Goldberg will host the show on ABC-TV.
It seems everybody has a favorite to win, even the Hollywood stars. Tom Hanks says his is Shakespeare in Love, although his Saving Private Ryan is up too.
Among his favorites, Kevin Costner names not only Shakespeare in Love but Life Is Beautiful and Steven Spielberg's direction of Saving Private Ryan.
Actresses Emily Watson and Jane Seymour favor Life Is Beautiful, and actor Peter Fonda cites Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep as the outstanding actresses of the year.
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Well, as any Oscar watcher knows, who you think should win and who will win aren't always the same. To balance the view, CBS This Morning asked for predictions from Art Manteris, an oddsmaker and vice president of the Las Vegas Hilton's race and sports operation, and Entertainment Weekly movie reviewer Lisa Schwarzbaum.
Schwarzbaum and Manteris agree that Saving Private Ryan is a lock for best picture. "I think Private Ryan is a beautiful epic drama, tremendously done and an overwhelming favorite," says Manteris.
If Private Ryan has a rival in the best picture category, it is Shakespeare in Love, which Schwarzbaum says "is lovely, a nice film. But it's a small, little entertainment. Saving Private Ryan was a major film, a major statement. Beautiful movie-making."
And, they agree, Steven Spielberg has a "well-deserved" lock on the trophy for best director.
In the category of best actor, the critic and the oddsmaker agree that Nick Nolte should win for his work in Affliction. "He went into his soul and came out with good stuff," says Schwarzbaum.
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| Benigni, right, in Life Is Beautiful |
Not only should Nolte win, says Manteris, but he has a good chance to win, too. However, he adds, "Roberto Benigni [Life Is Beautiful] is very hot also. The public sentiment seems to be shifting his way."
Schwarzbaum points out that Benigni won the acting award from the Screen Actors Guild this year, which bodes well for him.
Manteris calls the best actress category a "two-horse race" between Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love).
But Schwarzbaum favors Blanchett in the category. "She owns it," says the critic. "Also, she just ages from a young woman to an old woman. She does beautiful acting. She doesn't make it look difficult. She holds the movie together. That was beautiful, lovely acting."
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| Paltrow in Shakespeare |
What about the category of supporting actor? "These are the dark horses," says Schwarzbaum. "You never know what will happen."
She picks Billy Bob Thornton because "he did great work in A Simple Plan. He has the goods. He supports the film. He does what a supporting actor should do."
But the man from Vegas called the best supporting actor category "a total toss-up. It's anybody's race." Manteris admits to a personal preference for Ed Harris (The Truman Show).
As for best supporting actress, Schwarzbaum picks Rachel Griffiths (Hilary and Jackie), but she's realistic about her favorite's chances. "She has no hope," says Schwarzbaum.
Manteris favors Kathy Bates (Primary Colors). "She's a tremendous actress," says the oddsmaker.
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