February 28, 2005 - The 77th Annual Academy Awards ceremony went down without a hitch last night (unless you count whatever that noise was when Jeremy Irons was presenting).  There was no drama from much-hyped host Chris Rock (except for maybe the Jude Law thing) and there were no f-bombs dropped in acceptance speeches – Matt Drudge, you can relax now.

Despite some of the races being pretty tight, it was fairly easy to predict the winners in most major categories. Check it...

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Laura Linney - Kinsey
Virginia Madsen - Sideways
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda
Natalie Portman - Closer

All these actresses were terrific, but Blanchett was clearly the favorite and the most deserving.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Alda - The Aviator
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
Clive Owen - Closer

It's about time Morgan Freeman won an Oscar. Apparently, the Academy thought so too.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening - Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Hilary "Just a Girl From a Trailer Park" Swank was the easy favorite in this race. Annette Bening has plenty of time to scoop up an award.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx - Ray

Jamie Foxx's g-ma must be proud. For those of you that haven't seen Ray, you are missing out on what's sure to be one of the greatest performances of the decade.

	Jamie Foxx in Ray

DIRECTING
The Aviator, Martin Scorsese
Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood
Ray, Taylor Hackford
Sideways, Alexander Payne
Vera Drake, Mike Leigh

Clint beats Scorsese, who has a habit of being denied an Oscar by actor-directors. You have to feel a little bummed for Scorsese (although Aviator did win the most awards of the night – five), but Eastwood was certainly deserving.

BEST PICTURE
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

It was Clint's night at the Oscars.  Million Dollar Baby beat the odds and swept both the Directing and Best Picture categories.

	Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby

Continue on to the next page to view the rest of this year's Oscar winners...