I put on my best chenille bathrobe, pop up enough buttery popcorn to fill the biggest bowl in the cupboard, and snuggle into the most comfortable place on the couch. I ignore phone calls, doorbells, my husband’s questions, and other emergencies. Am I ill? Kinda. It’s called Oscar® fever, a malady that overcomes me one night a year. The only cure? Watching the Annual Academy Awards Ceremony on TV.

This year is no exception. I can hardly wait to find out if Russell Crowe vanquishes his competition for the second time in a row, if Ian McKellen finally earns a well-deserved golden statuette, and if my favorite movie of the year, Moulin Rouge, wins anything at all. I know there’ll be disappointments. But I've survived them before --- even such devastating ones as Judy Garland (A Star Is Born) losing to Grace Kelly (The Country Girl) and Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) winning instead of Paul Newman (The Verdict).

And I’m into Oscar® trivia, too. Who holds the record for the most Oscar wins? Which actress has won the most acting statuettes? How did Oscar get his name? What actor was nominated in two categories for one performance? What siblings competed against each other for acting awards? What family has three generations of Academy Award winners? Important stuff like that. (Answers are listed at the end of this article.)

Making predictions is also fun, especially in the six major categories. This year I’m picking the following nominees to win:

Best Picture --- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but I really want Moulin Rouge to be named the winner. (A Beautiful Mind won.)

Best Director --- Robert Altman (Gosford Park), mostly because the REAL Best Director, Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) wasn’t even nominated. Remember, Gosford Park stars 47 actors who not only worship Altman but also have votes and can influence many others! (Ron Howard won for  A Beautiful Mind.)

Best Actor --- Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind), although I won’t be disappointed if Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom) surprises everyone with an upset. (Denzel Washington won for Training Day.)

Best Actress --- Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball), even though my favorite, Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), sang and danced in addition to giving the best performance by an actress in 2001. (Halle Berry won.)

Best Supporting Actor --- Jim Broadbent (Iris), with a slight edge over Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings), the actor who would get my vote. (Jim Broadbent won.)

Best Supporting Actress --- Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), but I prefer Marisa Tomei’s more passionate performance in In the Bedroom. (Jennifer Connelly won.)

My date with Oscar® for the 74^th Annual Academy Awards is set for Sunday, March 24^th, at 6 p.m. (Colorado TV time). WARNING: Don’t call, come over, or e-mail me until the following day. Thank you for your cooperation!

(Update: Although my predictions were only 50% accurate this year, I've done worse.  I'm happy Moulin Rouge won awards for costumes and production design, but I'm VERY disappointed that everyone connected with A Beautiful Mind earned Oscars except Russell Crowe, the one person from that film who deserved it the most.) 

TRIVIA Answers:

Walt Disney, with 26 statuettes, holds the record for most Oscars.

Katharine Hepburn has earned the most acting statuettes. Her four Oscars were awarded for Morning Glory; The Lion in Winter; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; and On Golden Pond.

Barry Fitzgerald was nominated as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Going My Way. Two nominations for one performance is not permitted now.

According to a popular legend, an Academy employee mentioned that the statue looked like her Uncle Oscar, and the name stuck. However, nobody really knows for sure.

Two pairs of sisters have competed against each other for Best Actress --- Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland in 1944, Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave in 1966. (Joan Fontaine won for Rebecca.)

The Huston family boasts three generations of Oscar® winners --- Walter (Treasure of the Sierra Madre, supporting actor), John (The African Queen, director), and Angelica (Prizzi’s Honor, supporting actress).

For more information about Oscar® and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, go to www.oscar.com.