Is Kate Winslet’s role in “The Reader” lead or supporting? The studio, the Weinstein Company, has been campaigning for her in the Supporting league, knowing that two strong roles in the same category will cancel each other out, or split the Academy voters.

Read about the Costume Guild Awards nominations in period, contemporary, and fantasy film.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has narrowed down its foreign-language contenders to nine semi-finalists. The five nominees will be announced, along with other categories, on January 22, 2009.

Part Three of Four

For decades, women's Oscar record (in various categories) was not much better than that of African American artists–or other ethnic minorities.  Furthermore, in the women's case, contrary to popular notion, there was actually a backlash compared to their more visible status in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s, at the height of the studio system.

“The Children's Hour,” a remake of the 1936 “These Little Three,” was nominated for five Oscars, including Supporting Actress, but didn't win any award.