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Tuesday's Oscar nominations announcement seemed almost Shakespearean. Kings, queens and the stuff that dreams are made of.

But maybe not the dreams "Dreamgirls" was counting on. Sure, it has the most nominations at eight (with "Babel" close behind at seven). But nada, zilch, zip for best picture and best director? That's a different kind of Shakespeare. More like a "Richard III" stab in the back.

Fox Searchlight Pictures (ENLARGE)
The dysfunctional-family comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" — with Toni Collette (from left), Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear — is nominated for best picture. Breslin, who played the pageant contestant, got a nod for best supporting actress.
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Not that I'm "Dreamgirls' " biggest fan. I found it fun and effective. But it wasn't a movie that made my heart beat faster. That happened when I watched "The Queen" for the third time and "Little Miss Sunshine" for the second. As for the other best picture nominees, I barely made it though "Babel" the first time, I felt more respect than love for "Letters From Iwo Jima," and "The Departed" is a well-made kick with some juicy performances.

The nominations seem so predictable this year. So ... round up the usual suspects. Little that was unexpected or less traditional turned up, especially among the best picture nods. No "The Good Shepherd," no "Children of Men," no "Pan's Labyrinth," no "United 93."

Speaking of which ... here's where Oscar gets tricky. "United 93's" director, Paul Greengrass, has been nominated for best director. Now, every year some best picture nominee somehow directs itself. This time, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris apparently had nothing to do with "Little Miss Sunshine's" making it into that charmed best picture circle.

Everyone else, of course, matches up quite nicely: Martin Scorsese and "The Departed," Stephen Frears and "The Queen," Clint Eastwood and "Letters From Iwo Jima" and Alejandro González Iñárritu and "Babel."

Poor Marty. He must feel like he's stuck in a recurring nightmare. No one was really looking for another Eastwood nomination. "Flags" didn't really fly, and "Letter" just seemed so last minute. But here he is — the same spoiler who kicked Oscar dust in Scorsese's face a mere two years ago when "Million Dollar Baby" clobbered "The Aviator." But this time, I think Little Marty will be happy at last. He's just due. Overdue, actually.

And the winners will be ...

Best picture

With "Dreamgirls" out of the competition, it's a wide-open field. There's no clear front-runner, though, I guess, technically, with seven nominations, "Babel" could be considered the film to beat.

Oscar's choice: "Babel" or "Letters From Iwo Jima."

My choice: "The Queen" or "Little Miss Sunshine."

Best director

It's time for the academy to do the right thing by Martin Scorsese. "The Departed" may not be his best movie, but it's a darn good one. Eastwood's already got two directing Oscars. Greengrass doesn't have a best picture nomination, and Iñárritu's direction was as weak as his film's script.

Oscar's choice: Scorsese.

My choice: Scorsese.

Best actress

No surprises here, though I wish Meryl Streep had been placed in the best supporting category, where she belongs. And it's too bad about Naomi Watts ("The Painted Veil") and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Sherrybaby"). Both are incredibly worthy. But so are the actresses who made the cut: Penélope Cruz ("Volver"), Judi Dench ("Notes on a Scandal"), Streep ("The Devil Wears Prada"), Kate Winslet ("Little Children") and, the eventual winner, Helen Mirren for "The Queen." Dench could pull off a last-minute upset. Or the two dames could split the vote, clearing the way for Streep. But it feels like Mirren's year. Besides, Dench already has an Oscar, and Mirren doesn't.

Oscar's choice: Mirren.

My choice: Mirren ... but I love ya, Judi!

Best actor

Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland") is a virtual sure thing, with Peter O'Toole ("Venus") a distant second. It's a shame they can't both win (though remember, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand tied in the 1968 race). A better solution would've been to put Whitaker where he belongs, in the supporting category. (As is true of Streep, he isn't the central character in his movie — the real lead is James McAvoy as a young Scot with whom Whitaker's Idi Amin forges a bond.) That way, both could take home Oscars. The rest are the names we've been hearing for months: Leonardo DiCaprio, though many thought it would be for "The Departed," not "Blood Diamond," and Will Smith for "The Pursuit of Happyness." The big surprise is a nod for a very deserving Ryan Gosling in the little-seen "Half Nelson." Like "Crash" last year, the movie may have benefited from being shown on small screens at home. And I'm so sorry, Matt Damon. Your excellent work in "The Good Shepherd" has, alas, been ignored by everyone.

Oscar's choice: Whitaker.

My choice: Tie between Whitaker and O'Toole.

Best supporting actor

No Michael Sheen? He's every bit as important to the success of "The Queen" as Mirren is. Alan Arkin ("Little Miss Sunshine"), Eddie Murphy ("Dreamgirls") and Jackie Earle Haley ("Little Children") are all pulling off comebacks of one sort or another. And pulling Mark Wahlberg's name out of the welter of "The Departed" performances was a very wise choice. (Sorry, Jack. You'll still attend the awards, won't you?) The ringer here is the gifted Djimon Hounsou, whose work in "Blood Diamond" wasn't up to his usual standard. That might be because the role itself was so bleeding-heart substandard and there's only so much an actor can do. Still, I'd willingly replace him with Sheen or "Last King's" McAvoy, who did for Whitaker what Sheen did for Mirren. These actors' strong, subtle work epitomizes everything a supporting performance should be.

Oscar's choice: Murphy.

My choice: Sheen, but under the circumstances, I'll go with Wahlberg or Arkin.

Best supporting actress

There really isn't any reason to read out the other four names. Jennifer Hudson's life indeed has become the stuff that dreams are made of. Rejected by the clowns on "American Idol," she snared the role in "Dreamgirls." And even though this is her first feature, she knocks it out of the park. She's the winner. Other names you'll hear read out loud Oscar night are the "Babel" girls' dog-and-pony show (that would be Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi, who's gotta get a better dress than the one she wore at the Golden Globes; she was edging into Bjork Dying Swan territory). And adorable Abigail Breslin for "Little Miss Sunshine." And the one who deserves to win: Cate Blanchett for "Notes on a Scandal" (love Jennifer, love Cate a little bit more). And I think either the dog or the pony could be replaced by Breslin's co-star, Toni Collette, or Sandra Bullock ("Infamous") or Diane Lane ("Hollywoodland").

Oscar's choice: Hudson (duh).

My choice: Blanchett, though I'll still be happy if Hudson wins.

As the frenzy mounts between now and the Big Night (Feb. 25), try to remember what writer Dalton Trumbo, himself an Oscar winner, liked to say: "Don't take the Oscars so seriously. After all, they gave two of them to Luise Rainer."

Luise who?