The Oscar envelope ... please?

Wait nearly over for 73rd Academy Awards

In this story: Best picture Actor, actress Director, supporting Martin and Clarke The unpredictable RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Jamie Allen
CNN

(CNN) -- Will "Gladiator" triumph? Or will that "Tiger" crouching nearby slay the box-office ruler?

Will Julia Roberts win her first Oscar? Will Tom Hanks be the first to win three lead actor Oscars? Will Russell Crowe bring his "best friend" to the ceremony?

QUICKVOTE What do you think should win best picture? 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' 'Chocolat' 'Erin Brockovich' 'Gladiator' 'Traffic' View Results

More than ever, Oscars go global Harris talks about 'Pollock,' Oscar nomination When acting bug bit, some stars' parents howled Julia Roberts, best actress? You bet! Kate Hudson wants an Oscar on her mantel, too Memorable Oscar moments keep viewers coming back 'Gladiator,' 'Brockovich' among nominees on video Benicio Del Toro traffics in acclaim Tatara: The Oscar picks for this year's flicks Clinton: Oscars: Swords, volleyballs and stiletto heels

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Will Steve Martin's performance as host live up to the expectations set by Billy Crystal's dominance at the position in years past?

And most important -- will the scaffolding lining the red carpet outside the Shrine Auditorium hold up as the most powerful people in Hollywood converge on the scene for the 73rd Academy Awards on Sunday evening?

These are but some of the questions up in the air as the land of celluloid dreams puts on its annual celebration of the best in movies.

The Oscars will be telecast on ABC starting with a pre-show at 8 p.m. EST. As Sunday turns to Monday and parties fill the halls of Tinseltown, these questions will be answered.

Best picture

While there's plenty of hype leading up to and including the glittering, fashionable red-carpet walk outside the Shrine, the reason millions of viewers tune in to the Oscars is to see who will win the top prizes in the movie business, picked by the 5,000-plus voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Gladiator" heads into Sunday with a leading 12 nominations, including a nod for the top prize of best picture. It will face off in that category against "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (10 nominations), "Traffic" (five nods), "Erin Brockovich" (five nominations) and "Chocolat" (also five).

While some observers feel the digitally enhanced Roman epic "Gladiator" will take the prize, "Crouching Tiger" could be poised for an upset. Director Ang Lee's ode to high-flying martial arts took both a Golden Globe and Director's Guild award for best director.

"Traffic" is another dark horse. The film has the benefit of being the only one in the category to spark actual debate on a current social issue -- the war on drugs and its perceived failings.

Actor, actress

In the acting categories, Roberts and Crowe seem to be favorites to take top honors in their categories.

Roberts wowed critics with her turn as the trashy-but-determined mother and legal crusader in "Erin Brockovich." She's been nominated twice before -- in 1990 for "Steel Magnolias" and in 1991 for "Pretty Woman."

Her best-actress competition is Juliette Binoche ("Chocolat"), Joan Allen ("The Contender"), Laura Linney ("You Can Count on Me"), and Ellen Burstyn ("Requiem for a Dream").

Russell Crowe was nominated for best actor for his role in "Gladiator"

Crowe, meantime, is also vying for his first Oscar. The Australian actor seethed as "Gladiator"'s vengeful Maximus, who spills blood in the Colosseum only for the chance of one day avenging his slain family.

He faces off in the best actor category against Hanks (the "Cast Away" star who already won back-to-back Oscars in 1994 and '95), Geoffrey Rush ("Quills"), Javier Bardem ("Before Night Falls") and Ed Harris ("Pollack").

On a side note, Crowe fans will be watching to see if he shows up with FBI agents on his tail. According to reports, the feds say they discovered a plot to kidnap the actor, doing him physical harm unless a ransom was paid.

It will also be interesting to gossipmongers to see if he shows up with a new girlfriend. Crowe helped hasten the split of actress Meg Ryan from her husband Dennis Quaid last year, according to reports. He's since broken off with Ryan, claiming in one report that he wanted to spend more time at his Australian home, with his dog.

Julia Roberts is considered the odds-on favorite to win an Oscar for best actress for her performance in "Erin Brockovich"

Director, supporting

Best director nominees are Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliot"), Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), Ridley Scott ("Gladiator"), Steven Soderbergh ("Erin Brockovich") and Soderbergh again ("Traffic").

Lee has earned top directing honors at previous awards, but Soderbergh has the industry's buzz. He's the first director since 1938 -- and just the third in history -- to win two best director nominations in the same year.

Best supporting actor nominees are Benicio Del Toro ("Traffic"), Willem Dafoe ("Shadow of the Vampire"), Jeff Bridges ("The Contender"), Albert Finney ("Erin Brockovich"), and Joaquin Phoenix ("Gladiator").

Del Toro's turn as a Tijuana, Mexico, cop who keeps his values in the twisted logic of drug battles put his name at the top of many critics' lists.

Best supporting actress nominees are Judi Dench ("Chocolat"), Marcia Gay Harden ("Pollock"), Kate Hudson ("Almost Famous"), Frances McDormand ("Almost Famous"), and Julie Walters (Billy Elliot").

Steven Soderbergh is only the third director to be nominated twice for best director in the same year

Hudson has claimed the most magazine covers, but her chances might be hurt by the fact that McDormand is nominated for a role in the same movie.

Martin and Clarke

Providing the punch lines and introductions between Big Moments will be Martin, the comic actor who continues to build his resume. Last year he released his first novel and hosted the National Book Awards. Now, it's the Oscars.

He's no doubt aware of what happened to David Letterman. The late-night talk show host bombed as host of the 1995 Oscar ceremony, his "Uma-Oprah, Oprah-Uma" non-joke living in infamy to this day.

The telecast most likely will be filled with its usual production numbers, along with performances by music artists like Sting and Bjork, meaning viewers won't know the winner of the top categories until near or after midnight on the East Coast.

Along with the usual cast of presenters, which feature A-list celebrities like John Travolta, Ben Affleck and Annette Bening, science fiction writer Sir Arthur C. Clarke will announce -- with the help of a video recording -- the nominees and winner of best screenplay based on material previously published or produced.

Though "Gladiator" appears to be the favorite, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is considered a strong possibility for best picture. It's nominated for a total of 10 Oscars, including best non-English language film

Clarke, 83, earlier this month taped his part of the show from his home in Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to the government of Sri Lanka's Web site.

But just because Clarke has made a living prognosticating on future events doesn't mean he's privy to who will win the Oscar in that category.

"I had to record five video clips presenting each nominee as the winner," the Web site quoted Clarke as saying. "I hope they'll play the right one that night."

The unpredictable

Perhaps the biggest news leading up to the awards is the fact that the show will go on. On Thursday evening, whether the ceremony would air as planned was an issue -- at least briefly -- after a 120-foot long section of scaffolding holding up bleachers outside the Shrine collapsed.

Five people were injured. One victim remained in serious condition Friday afternoon. The accident's cause is not known.

The answers to this year's Oscar questions are still unknown as well. Movie fans, be patient a little longer: All will be revealed this Sunday.

'Crouching Tiger' snares two Globes
January 22, 2001
Juliette Binoche faces acclaim
January 9, 2001
The 10 best -- and 10 worst -- movies of the year
December 29, 2000
Steven Soderbergh is busy, happy, planning next film
December 26, 2000
Tom Hanks casts a new role in latest film
December 20, 2000
'Quills' scribe channels sadistic Sade
December 15, 2000
Lee, Yeoh leap into love/action film
December 11, 2000
'Billy Elliot' leaps into theaters
October 12, 2000

The 73rd Annual Academy Awards

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