Hollywood

Gangs of Tinseltown

The Oscar Races: Ranking the Field at the First Furlong

Best Picture

Front-runners
• Antwone Fisher
• Chicago
• The Hours
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Road to Perdition

Challengers
• About Schmidt
• Catch Me If You Can
• Far From Heaven
• Frida
• Gangs of New York
• The Pianist
• The Quiet American
• 25th Hour

Best Director

Front-runners
Stephen Daldry
(The Hours)
Peter Jackson
(Lord of the Rings)
Sam Mendes
(Road to Perdition)
Martin Scorsese
(Gangs of New York)
Denzel Washington
(Antwone Fisher)

Challengers
Paul Thomas Anderson
(Punch-Drunk Love)
Paul Thomas Anderson
(Punch-Drunk Love)
Alfonso Cuarón
(Y Tu Mamá También)
Todd Haynes
(Far From Heaven)
Spike Lee
(25th Hour)
Phillip Noyce
(The Quiet American)
Alexander Payne
(About Schmidt)
Roman Polanski
(The Pianist)
Steven Spielberg
(Catch Me If You Can)

Best actor

Front-runners
Michael Caine
(The Quiet American)
Daniel Day-Lewis
(Gangs of New York)
Tom Hanks
(Road to Perdition)
Derek Luke
(Antwone Fisher)
Jack Nicholson
(About Schmidt)

Challengers
Adrien Brody
(The Pianist)
Nicolas Cage
(Adaptation)
John Cusack
(Max)
Leonardo DiCaprio
(Catch Me If You Can)
Edward Norton
(25th Hour)
Dennis Quaid
(The Rookie)
Sam Rockwell
(Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)

Best Actress

Front-runners
Nicole Kidman
(The Hours)
Diane Lane
(Unfaithful)
Julianne Moore
(Far From Heaven)
Meryl Streep
(The Hours)
Renée Zellweger
(Chicago)

Challengers
Salma Hayek
(Frida)
Samantha Morton
(Morvern Callar)

Best Supporting Actor

Front-runners
Chris Cooper
(Adaptation)
Ed Harris
(The Hours)
Alfred Molina
(Frida)
Paul Newman
(Road to Perdition)
Tom Hanks
(Catch Me If You Can)

Challengers
Richard Gere
(Chicago)
Viggo Mortensen
(Lord of the Rings)
Barry Pepper
(25th Hour)
Dennis Quaid
(Far From Heaven)
John C. Reilly
(Catch Me If You Can)
Denzel Washington
(Antwone Fisher)

Best Supporting Actress

Front-runners
Kathy Bates
(About Schmidt)
Patricia Clarkson
(Far From Heaven)
Julianne Moore
(The Hours)
Samantha Morton
(Minority Report)<
Miranda Richardson
(Spider)

Challengers
Toni Collette
(About a Boy)
Emily Mortimer
(Lovely & Amazing)
Michelle Pfeiffer
(White Oleander)
Susan Sarandon
(Moonlight Mile)
Lois Smith
(Minority Report)
Catherine Zeta-Jones
(Chicago)