Stewart Hosts 78th Academy Awards

Author & comedian Jon Stewart will host the 87th annual AMPAS Academy Awards Show Sunday at 8:00 EST on ABC, with the red-carpet festivities beginning an hour earlier.

The only thing more lavish than the actresses' designer gowns and the nominees' and presenters' expensive gift baskets promises to be the Red-Orange-Amber security lending an air of spine-tingling nationalism and suspense to the event.

While Stewart is best-known for the topical humor displayed on The Daily Show, he is unlikely to be at his satiric best in a room half-full of Republican campaign-contributors. He may not be a Mark Twain or a Will Rogers, but Stewart could halt the Lenny Bruce -> Mort Sahl -> George Carlin death-spiral of American censorship. Only time will tell.

While I'm looking forward to the jokes maor than the acceptance speeches, Oscar night is all about the movies. "And the nominees are ..."

Best Picture

1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Munich
3. Crash
4. Capote
5. Good Night, and Good Luck

Best Director

1. George Clooney
2. Steven Spielberg
3. Ang Lee
4. Paul Haggis
5. Bennett Miller

Best Actress

1. Keira Knightley
2. Charlize Theron
3. Reese Witherspoon
4. Felicity Huffman
5. Judi Dench

Best Actor

1. Heath Ledger
2. Joaquin Phoenix
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman
4. Terrence Howard
5. David Strathairn

Best Supporting Actress

1. Rachel Weisz
2. Amy Adams
3. Michelle Williams
4. Catherine Keener
5. Frances McDormand

Best Supporting Actor

1. Jake Gyllenhaal
2. George Clooney
3. Matt Dillon
4. Paul Giamatti
5. William Hurt