you want to discuss... how about you start?... a collection of (hardly) witty statements insulting the Oscars does not a discussion make.  But just to reply: you want great filmmaking and your looking at the Oscars.  Does this not seem the least bit silly?  And by the way, Erin Brokovich is one of the very best films of the year (featuring the most watchable Julia Roberts performance of all time.  Ya' know, she's not that bad an actor).  The biggest Oscar burr up my ass: Best Cinematography.  They really need to reform this category, and only allow cinematographers to pick the nominiees.  Except for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (I think you missed the point, the "flying and jumping BS" was the movie... or, at least, the main reason to see it) & O Brother, Where Art Thou? the nominees made no sense (I can't think of an uglier film in years than Gladitor).  Anyway, just to throw out my opinion (I love sharing it any chance I get), here are my picks for what should have been nominated and won: Picture: Yi-Yi / Actor: Wu Nien-jen for Yi-Yi  / Actress: Samantha Morton for Jesus' Son (close behind: Bjork for Dancer in the Dark) / Director: Christopher Guest for Best in Show (go ahead, call me crazy) / Suporting Actor: David Morse for Dancer in the Dark (close behind: Robert Downy, Jr. for Black and White) / Suporting Actress: Elaine May for Small Time Crooks (Woody Allen's worst film, except for Stardust Memories) (close behind: Edie Falco for Judy Berlin) / Cinematography: Agnes Godard for Beau Travail (close behind: Ricardo Aronovich for Time Regained) / Editing: Mission to Mars