Oscar nominations.

All right, the Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and I have to say that - aside from Scarlett Johannson not getting nominations for either LOST IN TRANSLATION or GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING - I'm very, very pleased about it.

No major BIG FISH nominations. (Hee hee. I just got word that my college film prof hated it, too. So that makes four people who I know didn't like it, including myself.) No screenplay, director or picture nods for COLD MOUNTAIN. (Hee hee. If you haven't seen my Renee Zellweger impression, you're missing out.) No ridiculous William H. Macy nomination for SEABISCUIT, though I would've been cool with a nomination for THE COOLER for he and Maria Bello.

When the first name read was Shohreh Aghdashloo for HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, I knew this was going to be a good day.

LORD OF THE RINGS!!!! LOST IN TRANSLATION!!! MASTER AND COMMANDER!!! CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS!!! WHALE RIDER!!! DIRTY PRETTY THINGS!!! IN AMERICA!!!

My Top 10 List will be available later today.

Here is a list of key nominations:

Best Supporting Actor:
Alec Baldwin – THE COOLER
Benicio Del Toro – 21 GRAMS
Djimon Honsou – IN AMERICA
Tim Robbins – MYSTIC RIVER
Ken Watanabe – THE LAST SAMURAI

Best Supporting Actress:
Shohreh Aghdashloo – HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Patricia Clarkson – PIECES OF APRIL
Marcia Gay Harden – MYSTIC RIVER
Holly Hunter – THIRTEEN
Renee Zellweger – COLD MOUNTAIN

Best Director:
Sofia Coppola – LOST IN TRANSLATION
Clint Eastwood – MYSTIC RIVER
Peter Jackson – LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Fernando Meirelles – CITY OF GOD
Peter Weir – MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

Best Original Screenplay:
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
FINDING NEMO
IN AMERICA
LOST IN TRANSLATION

Best Adapted Screenplay:
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
CITY OF GOD
LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT

Best Actor:
Johnny Depp – PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Ben Kingsley – HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Jude Law – COLD MOUNTAIN
Bill Murray – LOST IN TRANSLATION
Sean Penn – MYSTIC RIVER

Best Actress:
Keisha Castle-Hughes – WHALE RIDER
Diane Keaton – SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE
Samantha Morton – IN AMERICA
Charlize Theron – MONSTER
Naomi Watts – 21 GRAMS

Best Animated Film:
BROTHER BEAR
FINDING NEMO
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE

Best Documentary Feature:
BALSEROS
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
THE FOG OF WAR
MY ARCHITECT
THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND

Best Picture:
LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT