The Oscar Posts: Number One.

I’m not an overly violent person, but I’m going to headbutt the next person who tells me why I should like Crash. I respect the fact that you liked it, and I admire what they tried to do with the film. However, it is my humble opinion, if not a well-established scientific fact, that Paul Haggis completely missed his mark in the execution. There are simply too many plotlines in the rigmarole for any of them to click. There are some good performances, especially given the broad-stroke hackneyed dialogue, but this factor alone is not enough to save the entire film from ruin. So, essentially, Matt Dillion deserves his Academy Award nomination, but Paul Haggis’ mismanaged work doesn’t merit his three. (Even mention a Narnia snub around me and I’ll lay you out.)

That said, I’m pretty happy overall with the nominations. This year is the first in a while that I’m rooting for more than one film to win the Best Picture award. As far as I’m concerned, Capote, Good Night and Good Luck, and Brokeback Mountain are all of superior quality, and could stand the test of time along with the strongest of past winners. Even a Crash or Munich win would not be a disaster on the scale of The Greatest Show on Earth or Forrest Gump; the “Best Picture” may well live up to its name this year. (But, honestly, Brokeback deserves it the most.)

Let’s not ignore the new crop of actors inducted into the Academy rolls this morning, either. Of the twenty nominees in the acting categories, fourteen of them are first-timers. By my calculations, that’s the most since 1973, when The Godfather seemingly made up the entire supporting category. These selections hopefully signify a change in the makeup of Hollywood’s acting elite, and perhaps a chance for younger, unknown actors to break into the mainstream. After all, if Dr. Ross, The Flamingo Kid, and Marvel Ann can be recognized by the most respected awards body in film, then why can’t any b-player or comic sidekick eventually rise to that level? (I’m looking at you, Ted Raimi.)

So let the betting and prognosticating begin! I’ll be returning later this week with my official lines on each category. Oh, and Academy? David Newman for Serenity. That’s all I’m saying.