Really? The Academy Awards are tomorrow?

Man, I've been so consumed by the NCAAs and the war that I haven't even commented on tommorow's Oscars. Well, here goes nothing:

BEST PICTURE
Right now, Chicago is the biggest favorite in this category since Schindler's List ten years ago. I loved the movie and I'll be happy to see it win. The only other nominee I've seen is The Two Towers and I was pretty disappointed by it. I've been meaning to see The Hours, but it's the kind of movie where I'm not exactly sprinting to the theater.

BEST DIRECTOR
I really hope Martin Scorsese doesn't win as some sort of bastardized Lifetime Achievement Award. The award should always go to whoever did the best work in that particular year, regardless of who has or hasn't won in the past. You don't see anyone handing Barry Sanders a Super Bowl ring "because it's so sad he's never won before." So here's hoping Rob Marshall takes the prize he deserves. But I think the Academy will punk out and give Scorsese the trophy.

BEST ACTOR
This should be the best race of the night. I loved Nicolas Cage in Adaptation, but Nicholson deserves it for carrying the best movie of the year, the underappreciated About Schmidt. But if I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Adrien Brody in the upset. Same principle as above: "Let's reward the guy who's never won before!"

BEST ACTRESS
In another tight race, I think Diane Lane was amazing in Unfaithful. But this race is going to come down to Zellweger and Kidman. I'm picking Kidman, because Oscar loves to award it's high-profile actresses who've never won. She'll also undoubtedly win everyone's Best Dressed award too, so that everyone can breathlessly proclaim: "Oh, it was Nicole's night!" (See: Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
I thought Paul Newman was the best, but sentimental favorite and guilty pleasure Christopher Walken will narrowly beat out a more-deserving Chirs Cooper.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
This will be another tight race. Bates, Moore and Streep are all well and good, but I think Zeta-Jones will win, just so that we can all be witness to the sight of a verrry pregnant woman gingerly stepping up the stairs to the podium.

OVER/UNDER ON LENGTH OF THE CEREMONY
3 hours, 52 minutes