“Rise and shine,” my husband shouted early this morning. “It’s almost time for the Oscar nominations to be announced.” Waking up more quickly than usual, I jumped out of bed and turned on the television just in time to see Academy President Sid Ganis and lovely Mira Sorvino read the following list of nominees for the 78th Annual Academy Awards:

Best Picture. Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night and Good Luck, Munich.      

Best Director. Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), Bennett Miller (Capote), Paul Haggis (Crash), George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck) Steven Spielberg (Munich).    

Best Actor. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line), David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck).   

Best Actress. Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents), Felicity Huffman (Transamerica), Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice), Charlize Theron (North Country), Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line).

Best Supporting Actor. George Clooney (Syriana), Matt Dillon (Crash), Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man), Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain), William Hurt (A History of Violence).     

Best Supporting Actress. Amy Adams (Junebug), Catherine Keener (Capote), Frances McDormand (North Country), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener), Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain).

Best Animated Film. Howl’s Moving Castle , Corpse Bride , Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Best Foreign Language Film. Don’t Tell, Joyeux Noel, Paradise Now, Sophie Scholl, Tsotsi .

Best Adapted Screenplay.  Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain), Dan Futterman (Capote), Jeffrey Caine (The Constant Gardener), Josh Olson (A History of Violence), Tony Kushnir and Eric Roth (Munich).   

Best Original Screenplay. Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco  (Crash), George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck), Woody Allen (Match Point), Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale), Stephen Gaghan (Syriana),   

Nominees in the remaining categories can be found by visiting the official Oscar site at www.Oscar.com.

Even this early in the morning (6:30, Mountain Time), I recognize some surprises here. No Russell Crowe in the Best Actor category? Guess it’s hard to forget about Crowe’s real-life anger management problems and judge his terrific performance objectively. And why were Walk the Line and Pride & Prejudice ignored for Best Picture consideration? I think both are much better films than four of the five nominated.

Oh well, time to stop complaining. Although Brokeback Mountain led the pack with eight nominations, I’m delighted that my top movie of the year, Crash, ended up with six of its own -- and in such important categories as Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, and Editing (plus Original Song). I’m also happy about Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix earning nods for their brilliant portrayals of  June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash in Walk the Line.  

Winners will receive their golden statuettes on Sunday, March 5, at the official 78th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony scheduled to be televised on ABC beginning at 5 p.m., PST.

Now, back to bed for a few more zzzzs.

(Photo: AMPAS®. All rights reserved.)