Oscar finalists have almost six weeks to savor making the next-to-last cut, while those left out altogether lick their wounds.

        Interestingly, the ranks of the overlooked contain more surprises than the actual nominations for the 74th Academy Awards, to be presented March 24.

WHO'S MISSING?

What films, actors, artists or music should have been nominated? (For reference, find links to Academy rules and eligible films at www3.oscars.org/74academyawards.) E-mail your choices with your name and daytime phone number to mmcgurk@enquirer.com, fax: 768-8330 by Feb. 26. One response will be chosen at random to receive Inside Oscar 2 by Damien Bona.

        Good news included deserved nominations for Halle Berry, Will Smith and Denzel Washington. An American woman was nominated for a comic role (Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones' Diary). Composer Randy Newman, who has yet to win, scored his 15th and 16th nominations for Monsters, Inc. The dazzling Moulin Rouge, rated by many as too edgy for Oscar tastes, landed in the best-picture category.

        There were even more stand-outs among the always vast ranks of the deprived.

        Most striking was The Shipping News, featuring Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett, Pete Postlethwaite and director Lasse Hallstrom), who have 11 previous nominations and three Oscars among them. Based on E. Annie Proulx's award-winning novel, it was the textbook definition of “Oscar bait,” yet picked up no nominations.

        Also:

        • Mulholland Drive: Yes, David Lynch got his director's nomination, but there was nothing for the highly regarded Naomi Watts, no best-picture nod, not even a tip to the gorgeous cinematography of Peter Deming.

        • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a true blockbuster, picked up three craft awards but was frozen out on major prizes; Robbie Coltrane particularly seemed to have a shot at a supporting-actor bid.

        • Vanilla Sky scored one nomination for original song, but its weak box-office performance consigned it to the also-ran column.

        • American actors. Ten of the 20 major acting nominations went to natives of Britain and Australia. Among the righteously disappointed: Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi (Ghost World), Gene Hackman (The Royal Tenenbaums), Kevin Kline (Life as a House), Stockard Channing (The Business of Strangers), Tony Shaloub (The Man Who Wasn't There).

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