OK, so I still care

Yes, fine. I know that I said that I don't care much about the Academy Awards. And I don't! Not much, anyway. Or as much as I did. But I still maybe care a little.

Because this was otherwise a pretty boring week, I'm glad the Academy has announced the nominations for this year's awards today. I have a few thoughts.

I love Cate Blanchett. A lot. I think she is cool and beautiful and incredibly talented. So, apparently, does the Academy, since they essentially nominate her for smiling the right way, including for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," which was panned. Thus, while I wish her nothing but the best, I'm kind of glad she didn't get nominated again. (She can console herself with the Oscar she's got already.)

On the other hand, can we please give Kate Winslet an Oscar already? I really can't stand seeing her reduced to caring about the Golden Globes. If Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow each have an Academy Award, Winslet should have about a half dozen by now. I would have preferred to see her nominated for both "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road," thus doubling her chances, but I have high hopes.

And I am also glad to see Marisa Tomei nominated. I can't imagine how unbelievably disheartening it must be to win an Academy Award, and then have that win used as a punchline for the rest of one's career. I happened to think she was charming in "My Cousin Vinny," and while I didn't see any of the other nominated actresses that year except Vanessa Redgrave for "Howard's End" (and I've completely forgotten her performance), I think she's a very good actress. She was fantastic in "Slums of Beverly Hills" and deserved her nomination for "In the Bedroom." I rather hope she wins for "The Wrestler" so her critics can stuff their smug snarking about how Jack Palance gave her the Award by mistake.

This should do for now, until I foist my guesses for who will win on the world.