• While the price of gold skyrockets, the Oscars are having to make this year's statues with less money in the kitty. Michael Cieply reports, "net assets for the fiscal year ended June 30 fell slightly, to $228.8 million, from $235.3 million the year before, as cash dwindled a bit and investments fell." And says Cieply, "Income from the Academy Awards rose about 3.5%, to $76.3 million from $73.7 million in 2008. Still, this year’s awards ceremony was more expensive. Awards-related expenses rose 6.8%, to $33.2 million from $31.1 million." NEW YORK TIMES

• Among the tasty tidbits offered up by Greg Ellwood in his comprehensive preview of the Golden Globes are the notion that Sandra Bullock ("The Proposal," "The Blind Side"), Meryl Streep ("Julie and Julia," "It's Complicated"), George Clooney ("The Men Who Stare At Goats," "Up in the Air") and Stanley Tucci ("Julie and Julia," "The Lovely Bones") "all have a legitimate shot at double acting nods" and that "global critical standouts such as Neil Bloomkamp's 'District 9' may receive the deserved recognition Oscar may deny them." HIT FIX

• Jeff Wells conducts a compelling interview with "Crazy Heart" star Maggie Gyllenhaal. Jeff prefaces his three-part video chat by commenting, "her performance works for everyone and then some, but is it leading or supporting? I saw it as supporting from the get-go, which didn't strike me as a problem in the least. The Fox Searchlight guys were feeling differently about this a week or two ago, but maybe they've come around." HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE

• Melinda Newman has put together a fun and fact-filled photo gallery of possible contenders for the new artist award at this year's Grammys. As Melinda notes in her intro, "Lady GaGa, the obvious winner, isn’t eligible because 'Just Dance' was nominated for best dance recording last year. Two other possible contenders, Phoenix and Kid Cudi, are also not eligible." HIT FIX

• "Superior Donuts," the well-received new play by Tracy Letts, is shuttering after just 16 weeks on Broadway. As Gordon Cox writes, "The show was Letts’ Rialto follow-up to his Tony and Pulitzer-winner 'August: Osage County,' but unlike that play, 'Donuts' never gained much momentum at the box office. Helmed by Tina Landau, 'Donuts' stars Michael McKean as the owner of a doughnut shop in a run-down part of Chicago. Co-star Jon Michael Hill has attracted attention for his well-reviewed perf as the shop owner’s young employee." VARIETY

• Pete Hammond reports, "Quentin Tarantino turned moderator for a SAG screening of 'Inglourious Basterds' Sunday, with 10 of his actors fielding questions at the post-screening Q&A. Guild members reportedly started lining up at 8:30 a.m. for the noon event that also featured a casual and bearded Brad Pitt, who was mobbed by paparazzi when the panel finally ended. Quentin, who loves doing this sort of thing, kept it going even after publicists were waving at him to end it for nearly 20 minutes." NOTES ON A SEASON

• Steve Pond does a crackerjack job interviewing Oscar contender Viggo Mortensen ("The Road"). Mortensen admitted, "I’ve never been in a movie where the character was dealing with this much sadness and dread all the way through. There are scary moments and entertaining moments, but still, inside he’s carrying a burden emotionally. How do you do that realistically, as an actor, and get it across so that it’s as real as the open wound of nature around us? That was a measuring stick. We couldn’t be any less real than what we were traveling through, these dead or dying landscapes." THE ODDS

Photos: HFPA, Playbill

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Here's our latest take on the recent twists and turns on the derby track.

BEST PICTURE
The best-picture hopes of "Up in the Air" and "The Hurt Locker" got a boost from being the only two films backed by all 20 experts forecasting the Oscar nominees at The Envelope's Buzzmeter.

Mystery surrounds how Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" will fare in top derby races. After it debuted at a royal premiere in London's Leicester Square, the Sun crowned it "the best film of next year," adding, "Yes, even better than the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy."

However, the London Guardian gave it only two stars out of five, infuriated that director Jackson scrubbed "Bones" clean when adapting the bestselling novel about the rape and gruesome murder of a 14-year-old girl. The newspaper harrumphs: "The screen version is so infuriatingly coy, and so desperate to preserve the modesty of its soulful victim, that it amounts to an ongoing clean-up operation."

Mystery also surrounds the derby fate of "Nine" after it received mixed responses at early screenings. Audiences went wild for it at SAG nom com Q&As. But was that largely because they were blinded by the star wattage in attendance, including past Oscar champs Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench and Marion Cotillard? Lou Lumenick of the New York Post witnessed so much negativity at a different industry screening he attended that he removed "Nine" entirely from his list of potential best-picture nominees at The Envelope's Buzzmeter.

Overall, it has received mostly enthusiastic reax. However, many industry pros are quick to add, "It's no 'Chicago.' " Translation: It will be nominated for best picture, but it won't win. "For a movie this well pedigreed not to get a nomination, something would have to have gone terribly wrong," insists Lane Brown of New York Magazine's Vulture blog.

Again, I reiterate that the Weinstein Co.'s best hope for a best-pic victory is "Inglourious Basterds," but no one believes me. Just wait till Golden Globe and DGA noms come out, you naysayers!

BEST ACTOR
The chief problem with "Nine" is the casting of Daniel Day-Lewis, who portrays the adorable, charmingly seductive Guido as a scowling, smug, vile-tempered, chain-smoking egomaniac. He's old enough to be the poppa of the gals he treats like annoying slaves. In other words, forget the playful, winking 30-ish
Marcello Mastroianni you saw in the film upon which this musical was based, Federico Fellini's "8 1/2." This is your father's Guido (Day-Lewis is 52 years old) and – watch out, kiddies – Daddy's in a really bad mood.

Nonetheless, the majority view is that Day-Lewis can do no wrong and his lack of huggability is offset by his superstar aura and high Cool Factor. Maybe so. Over all, reax are positive, and a growing number of Oscarologists believe he'll reap a bid for best actor in a crowded field.

What to think of Tobey Maguire's odds for "Brothers"? Easily, it's his most impressive performance ever, brimming with scary believability as he goes bonkers after escaping nightmarish captivity as a soldier in Afghanistan. Spider-Man proves that he's a serious actor in "Brothers," but Steve Pond of the Wrap believes that the film has problems: "Despite impressive moments of frayed-nerve intensity, there’s precious little subtlety here and way too many cliches."

But beware: Many Oscarologists made the mistake of underestimating the Oscar luck of director Jim Sheridan, whose "In America" (2003) scored three surprising nominations — best screenplay plus acting bids for Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou in the supporting slot.

Biggest surprise in The Envelope's Buzzmeter is such strong support for Colin Firth ("A Single Man"), who receives the most support from our pundits predicting best actor: 17 votes out of 20. George Clooney ("Up in the Air") comes in second place (16), followed by Morgan Freeman ("Invictus") with 11 votes. "Invictus" was finally seen by media last week, but there's still an embargo on reviews. One thing is clear: Forget early scuttlebutt you may have heard about Freeman giving a performance as Nelson Mandela that really belongs in the supporting slot. Nope. He's lead.

"The Road" debuts in theaters today, thus officially launching Viggo Mortensen into the race. Read more about his Mortensen's candidacy here, where you can see my video chat with him.

BEST ACTRESS
The screenings of "Nine" deflated Marion Cotillard's hope of being nominated for best actress two years after winning for "La Vie en Rose." She doesn't enter the film until more than halfway through, and then she doesn't stick around for long, disgusted by Daniel Day-Lewis' philandering. (You go, girl!) Maybe that's a good thing, considering how Oscar voters love to embrace the role of long-suffering wife. However, it's clear to most Oscarologists that the Weinstein Co. has pushed her up to lead in hope of spreading the gold. "Nine" already has too many gals in the supporting cast. Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench have real shots at bids for best supporting actress. Nicole Kidman is in that derby too, but forget it. Her role isn't showy enough.

Pete Hammond is exulting in a well-deserved, I-told-you-so stance over his early warning that Sandra Bullock could be a serious derby rival. Now he crows, "I stand by this more than ever"  now that "The Blind Side" has opened "with an over-performing $34.6 million (Bullock's best ever) and a very rare A + Cinemascore rating."

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• "Let's give young people a chance to win some Oscars!" roars a fan of "Twilight: New Moon." "It's time for a change." Never mind that film critics drove a stake through the loving heart of the box-office smasheroo ($140 million opening weekend), giving it only a score of 44 at Metacritic. MTV wonders, "Is it possible that a vastly more inclusive Oscar race could welcome Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart's vampire saga to its esteemed contest?"

• Of course, again, as usual, British TV swept the International Emmys, this time winning five awards, but the Danes scored a significant victory in the race for best TV drama series. "'The Protectors' won out over four other international dramas, including acclaimed British production ‘Spooks,’" boasts the Copenhagen Post. "'The Protectors' follows a group of intelligence officers acting as bodyguards to high-level Danish politicians and has proved popular for public broadcaster DR. Peter Thorsboe and Mai Brostrøm have previously won the same honour for their two previous police dramas – 'Rejseholdet' ('Unit One') and 'Ørnen' ('The Eagle'), in 2002 and 2005 respectively." The Associated Press has the full list of winners, including the first-ever victory for Brazil.

• The Olivier Award may be London's equivalent to Broadway's Tony Award, but there's another highly prestigious theater prize. It's bestowed by the top-selling local newspaper, the Evening Standard. The award  focuses primarily on plays and is judged by a panel of theater critics. It's helped to launch many plays across the Atlantic, such as  past champs "The History Boys," "Copenhagen" and Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia," "The Invention of Love" and "Rock 'n' Roll." This year the prize for best play was just presented at the Royal Opera House to "Jerusalem," a three-hour-plus black comedy by Jez Butterworth. It also won best actor for Mark Rylance (recent Tony champ for "Boeing-Boeing") for portraying a tax-dodging stoner. Rachel Weisz won best actress for playing Blanche DuBois in Donmar Warehouse's revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire." EVENING STANDARD

• Twenty-five tunes have just been added to the 851 recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame. The selected recordings range from 1923's "Dipper Mouth Blues" by King Oliver & His Jazz Band to 1977's "Birdland" by Weather Report. Other recordings also chosen this year include Louis Armstrong's "Lazy River," the Beach Boys' "California Girls," James Brown's "It's A Man's Man's Man's World," George's Carlin's "Class Clown," the Doors' "Riders on the Storm," Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad," and Bob Marley & the Wailers' "Catch A Fire." Other artists with selections include the Isley Brothers, Bo Diddley, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Mahalia Jackson, Harry James & His Orchestra, Janis Joplin, Johnny Mercer, Jelly Roll Morton and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

• Lady Gaga says she's being treated unfairly by the Grammys. POP & HISS

• Let's clarify category confusion at the Golden Globes. Contrary to cyber-rumor, Peter Saarsgard is going supporting for "An Education" in the film acting races. There was scuttlebutt that the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. wanted to hike him to lead, but that's not true, according to a rep for Sony Pictures Classics. On the TV side, Fox informs Gold Derby that the only female star of "Glee" who is going lead in the comedy/musical category is Lea Michele.

• The title star of "Marley & Me" is one of the top winners of the Fido Awards, the canine world's equivalent to the Oscars, which hail the best doggone moments in 2009 flicks. Other top dogs include the four-legged stars of "Up," "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," "Fish Tank" and "The Young Victoria." LONDON GUARDIAN

• Speaking of cyber-rumors, don't believe the claim that "Two Lovers," starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow, isn't eligible at the Oscars because it  was made available by HDNet for video on demand prior to its release in theaters. A rep for Magnolia Pictures tells Gold Derby, "There was an L.A. County qualifying run the week of January 9th, prior to the VOD date."

• Kudos competition: ABC's American Music Awards outperformed CBS’ 2009 Emmy Awards in adults 18-49. TVBYTHENUMBERS

• Tennessee Williams received Oscar nominations for screenplays twice ("A Streetcar Named Desire," "Pretty Baby"). Now there's hope he can return to the derby posthumously, 26 years after his death for "Loss of a Teardrop Diamond."  Trailer can now be viewed exclusively at . . . COMINGSOON.NET

• Hollywood Reporter's Roger Friedman is raving about the stage production of "Dreamgirls," debuting now at the Apollo Theater before going on national tour. He roars, "From the reaction last night, the producers had better get a Broadway theater and move in before the Tony deadline of April 29, 2010. The revival of Michael Bennett’s 'Supremes'-like musical is simply a smash, making stars of unknowns like Maya Angela and Chester Gregory." SHOWBIZ 411

Photos: Summit Entertainment, Royal Court Theater, 20th Century Fox

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Initially scheduled to be released in 2008, "The Road" got detoured, heading back to the editing room when there were early creative glitches with the production. Was it the end of the road for its kudos hopes? There were early high expectations for the film adaptation of the award-winning novel about a father and son struggling to survive doomsday after it was included in Oprah Winfrey's Book Club. A movie adapted from another Oprah Book Club title did pretty well at the last Oscars derby: "The Reader."

Now there's suddenly new excitement about "The Road," thanks to ace reviews, especially for the harrowing performance of Viggo Mortensen. Declared the Hollywood Reporter: "Director John Hillcoat has performed an admirable job of bringing Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to the screen as an intact and haunting tale, even at the cost of sacrificing color, big scenes and standard Hollywood imagery of post-apocalyptic America." The New York Times cheered his performance for putting "flesh on the bones and a soul behind the exhausted, terrified eyes" of a character known simply as the Man.

"The Road" could be nominated for best picture and Viggo could make the list for lead actors, competing against front-runners George Clooney ("Up in the Air") and Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart"), plus stars of two other films also produced by the suddenly roaring-back-to-life Weinstein Co. -- Daniel Day-Lewis ("Nine") and Colin Firth ("A Single Man"). Viggo lost to Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood") two years ago when he received his first and only academy bid for "Eastern Promises." He wasn't nominated for starring in those "Lord of the Rings" Oscar juggernauts.

"The Road" may seem bleak, but its message is really inspiring. It's my second-favorite film of the year -- after "Precious." Viggo and I had a chance to chat informally a few days ago just hours before we teamed up to do a Q&A screening of "The Road" for the nominating committee of the Screen Actors' Guild.

Photo: Weinstein Co.

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"Up in the Air" and "The Hurt Locker" are the only two films cited as likely Oscar best-picture nominees by all 20 of the pundits contributing to The Envelope's first Buzzmeter of derby season. Participants include Brad Brevet (RopeOfSilicon), Greg Ellwood (HitFix), Erik Davis (Cinematical), Edward Douglas (ComingSoon.net), Scott Feinberg (AndTheWinnerIs), Paul Gaita (The Circuit, The Envelope), Pete Hammond (Notes on a Season, The Envelope), Peter Howell (Toronto Star), Dave Karger (Entertainment Weekly), Kevin Lewin (World Entertainment News Network), Lou Lumenick (New York Post), Michael Musto (Village Voice), Mark Olsen (Los Angeles Times), Steve Pond (The Wrap), Richard Rushfield (Gawker), Sasha Stone (AwardsDaily), Anne Thompson (IndieWire), Peter Travers (Rolling Stone), Jeffrey Wells (Hollywood-Elsewhere) and me.

All pundits project 10 nominees for best picture and five in the other top races. Scores cited below represent the total tally of punits' predix of each contender per category. Click here to see a breakdown of what each pundit forecasted. Many thanks to our editor Patrick Day for compiling the Buzzmeter so carefully by hand.

BEST PICTURE
SCORE 
20 – "Up in the Air," "The Hurt Locker" –  received votes from all of our pundits.
19 – "Precious" – Jeff Wells is a holdout
19 –  "Invictus" – Snubbed by Erik Davis
16 –  "Nine"
15 –  "Up"
14 –  "An Education," "Inglourious Basterds," "A Serious Man"

BEST ACTOR
SCORE 
17 –  Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
16 –  George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
14 –  Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
11 –  Daniel Day-Lewis, "Nine"
10 –  Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
7 –  Viggo Mortensen, "The Road"

BEST ACTRESS
SCORE
18 –  Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
17 –  Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"; Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
14 –  Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
9 –   Abby Cornish, "Bright Star"

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Our forums moderator David "Guru" Schnelwar and I have already dished who we think will score bids for best record of the year when Grammy nominations are unveiled on Dec. 2. Below, we duke it out over best album and add the views of our other forums moderator Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch. See his text write-up below; he'll join us in the future for video slugfests. We all agree that top contenders for this Grammy trophy include Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, U2 and Whitney Houston.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SCHNELWAR'S PREDIX
FRONT-RUNNERS
"Together Through Life," Bob Dylan
"21st Century Breakdown," Green Day
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"BlackSummers' Night," Maxwell
"Fearless," Taylor Swift

POSSIBLE
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)," Black Eyed Peas
"I Told You So," Whitney Houston
"No Line On The Horizon," U2
"808's And Heartbreak," Kanye West

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: DORTCH'S PREDIX
FRONT-RUNNERS
"21st Century Breakdown," Green Day
"BlackSummers' Night," Maxwell
"Twang," George Strait
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
"No Line on the Horizon," U2
 
POSSIBLE
"Black Ice," AC/DC
"I Am . . . Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," Black Eyed Peas
"Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Together Through Life," Bob Dylan
"Relapse," Eminem
"I Look to You," Whitney Houston
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Dark Horse," Nickelback
"Working on a Dream, Bruce Springsteen
"808s & Heartbreak," Kanye West
"It's Blitz!" Yeah Yeah Yeahs
 
DOUBLED'S COMMENTARY: This category is ridiculously weak this year. ANYONE could get a nomination. Swift is in for obvious reasons and I think the country voting bloc will get George Strait, a well-respected veteran, a nod here as well. Maxwell will get the R&B vote over Beyonce and Whitney Houston since his album has been so well received. Past nominees/winners Green Day and U2 are likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lady Gaga or even the BEPs replaced them. Even an under-the-radar act like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose album is critically acclaimed, could surprise with a nod here.

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At this early point on the derby track, the race for best actress looks like a matchup between Gabby Sidibe ("Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire") and Carry Mulligan ("An Education"). I think Gabby is a long mile out front. Her devastating performance is what is most precious about "Precious," the movie with the most Oscar buzz. How can voters deny her? Answer: They can't. Frankly, I think this race is already finished.

Bullets on the list below indicate my projected five nominees. Sandra Bullock is suddenly coming on strong thanks to the surprise success of "The Blind Side," but she certainly can't get out front of Gabby. Or even Carey.

Also check out our handicapping of these races: best picture, lead actor, supporting actor.

BEST ACTRESS
FRONT-RUNNERS
Emily Blunt, "The Young Victoria"
• Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Marion Cotillard, "Nine"
Abbie Cornish, "Bright Star"
Zooey Deschanel, "(500) Days of Summer"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"
• Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
• Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Saoirse Ronan, "The Lovely Bones"
• Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
Meryl Streep, "It's Complicated"
• Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Audrey Tautou, "Coco Before Chanel"

POSSIBLE
Shohreh Aghdashloo, "The Stoning of Soraya M."
Brenda Blethyn, "London River"
Penelope Cruz, "Broken Embraces"
Bryce Dallas Howard, "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond"
Michelle Monaghan, "Trucker"
Robin Wright, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee"

Photos: Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Classics

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• Five-time Oscar nominee Marc Shaiman is returning to the Oscarcast as musical director six years after conducting the orchestra for Billy Crystal's swan song as host. Shaiman earned three of his four Emmy nods for his work on the Oscars, sharing in the 1992 writing win for penning Crystal's opening medley to the 64th edition of the kudos. Shaiman has lost Oscar bids for both scores --  "The American President" (1995); "The First Wives Club" (1996) and "Patch Adams" (1998) -- and songs --  "A Wink and a Smile" from "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "Blame Canada" from "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" (1999). For that last losing nod, Shaiman played escort to co-writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone dressed a la Jennifer Lopez and Gywneth Paltrow. The talented musical maestro will be reuniting with Oscarcast producer Adam Shankman who helmed the 2007 film version of Shaiman's Tony-winning 2003 musical "Hairspray." AMPAS

• Todd Martens judged the AMA performances and gave his top marks of A- to Rihanna -- "Ne-Yo told us that the R' in her 'Rated R' stands for either 'remarkable' or 'really, really sexy.' Not quite sure if it completely hit both of those notes, but it was definitely over too soon" -- and Whitney Houston -- "If her instrument isn't what it once was, it can still silence a room. Compared to Blige a few songs ago, Houston was perhaps a bit over the top, but she belted until she was nearly out of breath. It was a powerful moment." POP & HISS

• Rick Porter reports that Sunday night's AMA Awards got the biggest audience for the Alphabet net's annual musicfest in seven years. However, even this was not enough to beat the Peacock's NFL game: "NBC averaged 12.94 million viewers and an 8.0 rating/13 share in households on Sunday, edging CBS (12.69 million, 7.8/12) and ABC (12.14 million, 7.3/12) for the lead." ZAP2IT

• Pete Hammond continues to tout the Oscar potential of Sandra Bullock, star of "The Blind Side." Admits Pete, "I remain the only one of the 20 pundits predicting that Sandra Bullock will be one of the five Best Actress Oscar nominees. I stand by this more than ever now that the movie has opened with an over-performing $34.6 million (Bullock's best ever) and a very rare A + Cinemascore rating." Pete thinks, "It's a big star turn in the kind of real-life role that gets Oscars attention a la Julia Roberts in 'Erin Brockovich.'" However, as he notes, "Universal conducted a large-scale campaign for 'Brockovich' and also landed it a Best Picture nomination, something 'Blind Side' won't likely be able to do. There's also the fact that Bullock has always been a popular star actress as opposed to the kind of critical darling that usually wins the bigger film awards. This, however, is arguably the best performance of her career." NOTES ON A SEASON

• Ryan Adams was wowed by Sunday's "60 Minutes" segment  on Oscar-winning helmer James Cameron ("Titanic") and his upcoming "Avatar." Said Ryan, "there’s an entirely different segment of the Academy elders who recognize the respect and prestige a '60 Minutes' profile can bestow. Having Morley Safer, the veteran CBS Yoda of culture and sophisticated taste give a movie his stamp of enthusiastic anticipation is a showcase more esteemed than money can buy. After some recent worries that 'Avatar' marketing was skewing for maximum youth appeal, many of us have been needing to see it validated as sincere grown-up sci-fi, hoping for a re-certification of maturity. Tonight on '60 Minutes' I think we got it."  AWARDS DAILY

• Following in the footsteps of James Cameron as this year's recipient of the Vanguard award from the Producers Guild of America is Joss Whedon. The award salutes achievements in new media and technology and the roster of previous recipients also includes George Lucas and John Lasseter. Whedon -- equally successful as a TV producer ("Buffy the Vamprie Slayer") and webcast wiz ("Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog") -- was cited by kudos co-chairs David Friendly and Laurence Mark for having, "mastered the art of melding the newest technology with inspired storytelling, truly exemplifying the spirit of the Vanguard Award." PGA

• The Santa Barbara filmfest also has a Vanguard award and this year is spreading the wealth around naming a quartet of talent -- Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Stanley Tucci and Christoph Waltz -- as winners. The kudo "was created in recognition of an actor who has forged his/her own path, taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. In previous years, this award was first bestowed on Ryan Gosling and last year to Kristin Scott Thomas." For fest director Roger Durling, “This group of supporting actors encompasses the best of the best; their roles have made us love them as well as hate them, sometimes all at the same time. I am so pleased to have all of them together, in one place to celebrate them and thank them for the cinematic treasures they have created." SBIFF

• For Sasha Stone, "There is more white noise than ever before the start of the actual season, but worse, there seems to be a gaping hole where movies should be." Says Sasha, "'Up in the Air' is the juggernaut everyone should fear. I suspect that it will have one or two challengers but for now, it seems to have a clear shot to victory. They aren’t upsetting the apple cart with too much buzz, noise or ads and they still have the film’s release to look forward to. We can only hope that these films, these Oscar movies, can somehow cross over into the public consciousness. Can Oscar and the public reach synergy? If anyone can do it, George Clooney and Jason Reitman can. Maybe Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman can. Maybe Rob Marshall can. Maybe Jim Cameron can. Maybe Nancy Myers, Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin can." Wonders Sasha, "Are there any surprises left to be played out?" AWARDS DAILY

• Lane Brown sees the Oscar hopes of "Nine" as on the rise: "For a movie this well pedigreed not to get a nomination, something would have to have gone terribly wrong. A big response at a SAG screening seemingly indicates that that hasn't happened." And among actors, Lane says, "Just three weeks after entering the race, "Crazy Heart" star Jeff Bridges is already the prohibitive favorite. And a great-looking new trailer subtly reminds us that the four-time Academy Award nominee has never won." NEW YORK

• Jeff Wells remains down on the best picture prospects of "Up." Says Jeff, "I sure didn't see 'Up' as a metaphor for anything in my life, I can tell you. It's just a high-strung animated story with a lot of gee-gosh stuff going on and some recognizable heart-and-spirit issues propelling the two main characters." HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE

• And Anne Thompson was less than impressed with the American remake of "Brothers." As Anne writes, "David Benioff is a gifted writer ('The 25th Hour'). Jim Sheridan is a gifted director ('In America'). Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman are gifted actors. So what went wrong on the road to Relativity and Lionsgate’s American adaptation of Danish writer-director Susanne Bier’s extraordinary 2004 movie 'Brothers'?" THOMPSON ON HOLLYWOOD

Photos from top: Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Marc Shaiman at the 1999 Academy Awards ceremony (Los Angeles Times); "The Blind Side" poster (Warner Bros.); "Up in the Air" poster (Paramount)

One of the shrewdest Oscarologists on the planet is Tariq Khan of Fox News, who often generously shares his views of current and past derbies with Gold Derby readers. Here he takes a nostalgic look  at the past two decades, offering his take on the most competitive derbies. Words below are Tariq's. Thanks, m'friend!

We’ve often discussed those Oscar races that seem just too close to call . . . where it’s clear (or at least seems clear) that the eventual winner will nab the Oscar with only a few more votes than his or her nearest competitor.

While we can never really know for sure (unless we get one of those top jobs at the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers,) we do have some idea of what may have been the closest races in Oscar history. Allow me to present what I believe were the 10 closest acting races over the course of the past 20 years.

1) Jim Broadbent in “Iris” over Ian McKellen in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” for best supporting actor of 2001: It seemed like McKellen had it in the bag. He was the only acting nominee of the 13 nods for “Rings,” he had payback votes from those academy members who felt that he should have won best actor of 1998 for “Gods and Monsters,” and he had claimed the SAG Award just a few weeks before the Oscar ceremony. Yet somehow he was edged out by Broadbent in the indie film “Iris.” There’s no doubt that Broadbent’s showy turn in “Moulin Rouge!” and sympathetic role in “Bridget Jones’s Diary” – both released in 2001 – helped to secure his upset victory. McKellen is probably still smarting from the loss, though he should take comfort knowing that the race was a squeaker.

2) Juliette Binoche in “The English Patient” over Lauren Bacall in “The Mirror Has Two Faces” for best supporting actress of 1996: I knew that Golden Globe and SAG winner (not to mention sentimental favorite) Bacall was vulnerable. She had a small part in a comedy that  was overlooked by the academy in every other major category. Plus she didn’t have a reputation for being the nicest person in show business. I nonetheless predicted her to win, believing that the opposition votes would go into too many directions (namely Barbara Hershey in “The Portrait of a Lady” and Marianne Jean-Baptiste in “Secrets and Lies”) for an upset to occur. Silly me. The academy love for “Patient” spilled over into the supporting actress race, carrying Binoche to a shocking victory. I still that think that Bacall registered lots of votes, and that Binoche just barely sneaked past her.

3) Russell Crowe in “Gladiator” over Ed Harris in “Pollock” for best actor of 2000: After buzz for Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” died down, the contest quickly turned toward Crowe and Harris. Crowe had just lost for “The Insider” and had the advantage of being in a best picture nominee (and eventual winner) – while Harris was a beloved veteran playing a real-life person who suffered endlessly on screen. I eventually settled on Harris, thinking that Hollywood would prefer to see him win – and thought I had nailed it when his co-star Marcia Gay Harden took the supporting actress prize. Sure, I was left eating crow on Oscar night – but I’m certain that Harris lost only by a hair.

4) Marisa Tomei in “My Cousin Vinny” over Judy Davis in “Husbands and Wives” for best supporting actress of 1992: The only question bigger than “how many votes did Tomei win by?” may actually be “who came in second?” – my guess being the sensational Davis as a neurotic New Yorker in Woody Allen’s fascinating comedy-drama. Davis had a strong performance in a semi-leading role, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award, and credentials that included a best actress nomination for the prestigious “A Passage to India” eight years earlier. Critics Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel both named Davis as their choice for the award, pointing to the rare and refreshing intelligence of her character in the film. With the British vote being split amongst fellow nominees Joan Plowright in “Enchanted April,” Vanessa Redgrave in “Howard’s End” and Miranda Richardson in “Damage,” it seemed that the Australian Davis would surely prevail. In the end, the whole Woody Allen-Mia Farrow-Soon-Yi Previn scandal probably tainted the film – and Davis’ Oscar chances. But Tomei couldn’t have won by too much.

5) Nicole Kidman in “The Hours” over Renee Zellweger in “Chicago” for best actress of 2002: While everyone seemed to think that Kidman was ahead in the derby because she was physically unrecognizable and had just come off a stinging loss for “Moulin Rouge,” I sensed that there were real drawbacks to her candidacy for best actress. She had minimal screen time for a lead Oscar (less than co-stars Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore). She had only one strong dramatic scene (and a relatively short one at that). And she had Zellweger and the “Chicago” steamroller heading straight toward her. Zellweger even edged out Kidman at the SAG Awards, suggesting a similar fate at the Oscars. When Denzel Washington finally opened the envelope he pronounced Kidman the winner “by a nose” – and he couldn’t have been more correct. 

6) Kim Basinger in “L.A. Confidential” over Gloria Stuart in “Titanic” for best supporting actress of 1997: Most Oscar pundits projected a win for Stuart for her spellbinding performance in “Titanic,” even though the film wasn’t really about acting. The chance to see the charming octogenarian take to the stage was seemingly irresistible. Here’s where the “Titanic” juggernaut actually worked AGAINST the film. Since academy members seemed to be voting for it almost everywhere on the ballot, the supporting actress race was one of the few places where they could throw a bone to the highly touted “Confidential.” Basinger and Stuart actually tied at the SAG Awards – I dare say that the same thing almost happened at the Oscars. (How nice that would have been.) 

7) Kevin Spacey in “American Beauty” over Denzel Washington in “The Hurricane” for best actor of 1999: Washington was the early favorite for his meaty role in “Hurricane,” and the previous supporting actor winner for “Glory” seemed due for a lead statuette. Then controversy hurt his film, leaving him with its sole nomination. As momentum for “Beauty” continued to grow, so did support for Spacey – who emerged victorious on SAG night. The two thesps appeared to be deadlocked, with pundits equally divided over the race’s outcome. The controversial Wall Street Journal poll – which correctly forecast every other race – showed Washington ahead with just the slightest lead. While the Journal was ultimately wrong on the outcome here, it was surely right on just how tight this race was. 

8) Kathy Bates in “Misery” over Anjelica Huston in “The Grifters” for best actress of 1990: In an exciting four-way race that included Joanne Woodward in “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge” and breakout star of the year Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman,” it was surely misery for voters to select one name. While no one seemed certain, Huston was considered the safest bet. She was Hollywood royalty playing a tough-as-nails con woman, and “The Grifters” was nominated in other key categoriesto like director and screenplay. On Oscar night Bates was the unexpected winner, probably because of a split vote between Huston and Woodward. Forget about Jimmy Caan’s ankles. The scariest part of “Misery” is how close Bates came to not winning the Oscar. 

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