Best Picture:

Brad Kane, editor of The Lantern: “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”

“Chicago” is just some razzle-dazzle trying to make up for a lack of plot and one of the worst endings for a nominated picture ever. Other than “LOTR”, every other movie is throughly depressing and made me want to kill myself before it was over.

Shelley Davis, former editor of The Lantern: “Chicago”

After all the doom and gloom the past couple of years has brought, America deserved to kick back and enjoy themselves with a gleeful, breezy musical extravaganza. “Moulin Rouge” didn’t get nearly the praise it deserved last year, so now it’s time to say once and for all that the musical is back.

Todd LaPlace: arts editor of The Lantern: “Chicago”

In this year of interesting independent movies that deserve recognition, “Chicago” stands out as the one everyone saw. While by far not the best film of the year — that would be “Far From Heaven” — it is going to win this award because the Academy never recognizes the actual best films of the year.

Best Director:

Brad: Martin Scorsese (“Gangs of New York”)

Clearly one of the best directors of our time who has never won. He’ll get the nod over “Chicago”‘s director because the latter hasn’t done enough other stuff to earn the Academy’s respect.

Shelley: Martin Scorsese (“Gangs of New York”)

“Gangs of New York” may not be the best picture of the year, but Scorsese deserves an Oscar after having been snubbed by the Academy for years.

Todd: Rob Marshall (“Chicago”)

Is this Martin Scorsese’s year to finally win an best director Oscar? Is “Gangs of New York” worthy of winning an Oscar? Is “Gangs of New York” Scorsese’s best film? No, no and no. It’ll go to Marshall for “Chicago.”

Best Actor:

Brad: Daniel Day Lewis (“Gangs of New York”)

In order to win this category, you either have to have a death scene or mental handicap. Lewis gets the statue because his performance was stronger than Adrien Brody in “The Pianist.”

Shelley: Nicolas Cage (“Adaptation”)

There’s absolutely no way Cage will win, because this category is neck-in-neck with standout performances. The star of such misguided travesties as “The Family Man” and “Con Air” had almost convinced Hollywood “Raising Arizona” was a fluke — he’d never turn in another great performance. But he turned 180 degrees around and more than redeemed himself with this amazing double role as twin brothers.

Todd: Jack Nicholson (“About Schmidt”)

Yes, he already has three Academy Awards to his name and yes, Daniel Day-Lewis basically came out of retirement because he so believed in this role, but there’s a reason Jack is arguably the greatest living actor and “About Schmidt” is it. He’s crusty, he’s rude, he’s crude — and he was the complete opposite in this picture.

Best Actress:

Brad: Diane Lane (“Unfaithful”)

The last two winners — Halle Berry and Julia Roberts — were in movies that didn’t get a whole lot of other Academy recognition. Lane wins a tough category because Salma Hayek’s and Julianne Moore’s roles were a bit too obscure, everyone is tired of “The Hours” (sorry Nicole Kidman) and Renee Zellweger wasn’t even the best actress in “Chicago.”

Shelley: Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”)

Kidman is Hollywood’s newest beloved icon, and her portrayal of Virginia Woolf’s descent into madness was pitch-perfect.

Todd: Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”)

The closest thing to a sure thing this year, Kidman transformed herself into Virginia Woolf with ease. Zellweger has been picking up steam with her Screen Actors Guild award, but that group has always had a spotty record when it comes to awarding the Oscar. This one should go to Julianne Moore for “Far From Heaven,” but it won’t — Kidman’s should already make room for her award.

Best Supporting Actor:

Brad: Christopher Walken (“Catch Me If You Can”)

The tightest category of the whole lot, Walken gets my vote because the guy is just cool. Did you see “Suicide Kings”?

Shelley: “Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”)

Though Ed Harris’s performance as a writer slowly dying of AIDS was the year’s most harrowing and John C. Reilly’s stellar track record of supporting roles clearly deserves honor, Cooper should win. He somehow managed to do the unthinkable in Hollywood — make it plausible that Meryl Streep could fall in love with his toothless, redneck, mulleted self.

Todd: Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”)

These supporting categories always give the awards to the people no one has heard of in those movies no one has seen. So in the tradition of Marcia Gay Harden and Jim Broadbent, this one is going to go to Chris Cooper, that guy who was in that thing that time.

Best Supporting Actress:

Brad: Julianne Moore (“The Hours”)

The Hours has completely lost all momentum it had from the Golden Globes, but Moore gets the Oscar for both of her great performances this year. Plus, Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones (who was the best actress in that movie) will divide the “Chicago” vote.

Shelley: Julianne Moore (“The Hours”)

All the pundits say she doesn’t have a chance because she’s nominated for two awards, but Moore fabulously threw herself into her role as a ’50s housewife who falls in love with her black gardener after her husband comes out as homosexual. Moore’s flawless face and frilly dresses look like they came straight out of the Douglas Sirk movies the director is playing homage to, but her nuanced performance cuts far deeper than those of the typical melodrama heroine.

Todd: Kathy Bates (“About Schmidt”)

If there was a prize for best use of breasts in a movie, it would go to fellow nominee Queen Latifah for “Chicago,” but Bates sagging nude scene came as such a shock and was so wonderfully done, she should be able to take this award with her.

Best Cinematography:

Brad: “Road to Perdition”

The scene where Tom Hanks kills Paul Newman was the best scene from last year because of the cinematography. Plus, Conrad Hall — who died recently — will get a sympathy vote.

Shelley: “Road to Perdition”

Like Scorsese, cinematographer Conrad Hall deserves to be awarded for a lifetime of great work

Todd: “Road to Perdition”

If Conrad Hall doesn’t get this one, it’ll be a crime against humanity. Not only is Hall the creme de la creme when it comes to cinematographers, his recent death should solidify his third award for the breathtaking beauty of “Road to Perdition.”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Brad: “Adaptation”

A movie about a writer who is adapting a book into a screenplay and ends up making the screenplay about his adaptation of the book was taylor made to win this category.

Shelley: “Adaptation”

By far the most entertaining and convoluted movie of the year, “Adaptation’s” screenwriter did the best job in recent history. “About a Boy” was great, too, but its simple, charming story doesn’t stand a chance against a movie about orchid thieves.

Todd: “The Hours”

Dave Hare adapted the once-thought unadaptable screenplay. “Chicago” was more about the songs than the dialogue and “Adaptation” is barely an adapted screenplay. Again, the other nominees are good, this is better.

Best Original Screenplay:

Brad: “Far From Heaven”

“Gangs of New York” is too unoriginal, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” lost any shot it had when the horrible TV version came out and foreign films don’t favor well in this category. “Far from Heaven” is the only pick that makes sense.

Shelley: “Talk to Her”

The movie was passed over by Spain as pick for best foreign film and its only other nod is best director, which it will never win. The touching — but disturbing — story of a man in love with a woman in a coma was one of the year’s most innovative and deserves an Oscar win.

Todd: “Far From Heaven”

Because this movie is going to be undeservedly snubbed in every other category, it should take home th
is one. The other nominees are good, this is better.