Ebert and Roeper Give Their Academy Award Posted: Feb 15, 2005

The film critics give their opinion on Academy Award favorites on their television special “If We Picked The Winners,” airing February 19-20, 2005.

On February 27th television audiences globally will watch to see who takes home a coveted  Oscar^TM trophies.  This weekend, America's leading film critics reveal their selections for the five major categories of Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Picture during their annual television special "Ebert & Roeper's If We Picked The Winners."

 

"If We Picked The Winners" showcases work the critics believe the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences should recognize during the awards presentation on February 27.  The special airs in national syndication the weekend of February 19-20, 2005.

 

Here is a sneak peak at what the two popular critics would pick if they could choose the Academy Award™ winners.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Roeper's pick -- Virginia Madsen, "Sideways"

Ebert's pick -- Virginia Madsen, "Sideways"

 

ROEPER: 'Once Madsen was given this plum role, she hit every note with grace and confidence.  It's an impressive and very authentic piece of natural acting.'

 

EBERT: 'I agree totally with you.  Here is a role for her and she glows in it.  I mean you just absolutely love her, you are behind her, you have sympathy with her, you feel bad for her.'

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Roeper's pick -- Alan Alda, "The Aviator"

Ebert's pick -- Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"

 

ROEPER: 'My favorite here is the always respected but perhaps underrated Alan Alda for his work in "The Aviator."  Alan Alda will always be identified with "MASH," but he doesn't always play the nice guy pacifist.  This man is corrupt and amoral, and we know it from the start.  Nice piece of work from Alan Alda.'

 

EBERT: 'My pick would be Morgan Freeman who is not just a supporting character in "Million Dollar Baby," but a wise observer who sees things that both the trainer and the boxer need to have pointed out to them.  He finds the right note of weariness and experience, love and concern, and is the natural narrator to tell us the story.'

 

BEST ACTRESS

Roeper's pick -- Kate Winslet, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Ebert's pick -- Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"

 

ROEPER:  'It's tough to argue against the devastatingly effective work of Imelda Staunton and Hilary Swank, but I'm casting my vote for Kate Winslet's screen-popping performance in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

 

EBERT: 'You go through the year and you see wonderful performances and you think maybe they deserve an Oscar, and then you see a performance that blows the others way.  That happened for me last year with Charlize Theron in "Monster," and this year with Hilary Swank.'

 

BEST ACTOR

Roeper's Pick -- Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda"

Ebert's pick -- Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda"

 

ROEPER: 'I think this is one of the great desperate man performances in recent years.'

 

EBERT: 'The Academy showed real imagination in nominating him for an important film like "Hotel Rwanda," and while I would be happy if Eastwood or Foxx won as best actor, I think I'd let out a whoop for Cheadle.'

 

BEST PICTURE

Roeper's pick -- "The Aviator"

Ebert's pick -- "Million Dollar Baby"

 

ROEPER: 'This is a lengthy and richly detailed examination of one of the towering figures of modern times.  But director Martin Scorsese is never a conventional filmmaker, and he puts his own unique imprint on every frame of this movie.'

 

EBERT: 'I pick "Million Dollar Baby" for best picture.  I thought it was the year's best...It's very rare for a film to completely involve your emotions and your attention, to draw you in so deeply you forget it's a movie, and just start really caring about the characters.'

 

Roger Ebert is film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago's WLS-TV, and the author of 17 books including his latest Movie Yearbook 2005, and The Great Movies II, which was released in February 2005.

 

Richard Roeper is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and film critic for Chicago's WBBM-TV, and the author of six books including Schlock Value: Hollywood at its Worst, which was released in February 2005.