Gangs of New York - Martin Scorsese's epic tale explores the beginnings of the heart and soul of New York - it's ethnicity.  A young Irish-American immigrant, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, returns to the Five Points section of New York City in 1863 to face the man responsible for his father's death 16 years earlier.  The action is set amid the national back drop of the Civil War and the draft riots brewing close to home.  Nominations for Best Picture, Martin Scorsese for his direction of the film, Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor,  and six other nominations ranging from Original Screenplay to Film Editing.

The Hours - Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham, The Hours explores the life and work of Virginia Woolf while focusing on one day in the lives of three women.  Each character's story is set in different time periods.  Nicole Kidman, in her Oscar nominated performance, sets the mood with her portrayal of a day in the life of Virginia Woolf as she spends time writing her novel, Mrs. Dalloway and contemplating suicide.  Julianne Moore, who is nominated for two performances this year, plays a repressed housewife, desperately unhappy and yearning for more in Los Angeles in 1949.  Meryl Streep plays the third character in modern day America, struggling to deal with the imminent death of her closest friend.  The Best Picture nomination is one of nine nominations for this literary film, including a Best Actress nomination for Kidman, Best Supporting Actor for Ed Harris, and Best Supporting Actress for Julianne Moore among them.

Chicago -  Bob Fosse's 1975 Broadway musical hit finally comes to the big screen.  Directed by Rob Marshall the story is about two women dreaming of love & fame and getting a large dose of reality instead.  Besides winning the nomination for Best Picture, the film scored nominations for Marshall as director, Rene Zellweger for Best Actress,  two nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for John C. Reilly.  The film also won six other nominations in categories ranging from Adapted Screenplay to Costume Design.  The film is dedicated to Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon who struggled for years to bring this hit from the Broadway stage to the big screen. 

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The second installment in the Trilogy by Peter Jackson based on the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy.  The fellowship is torn in two, and Frodo returns to save Middle Earth in this monumental epic.  Eighty-year-old Christopher Lee turns in a truly evil performance as a villain threatening the beloved hobbits.  Still proving that he can deliver as much punch in his performances today as he did when he played Dracula in the 1950's Hammer films.  Audiences should prepare for a surprise return of one of the favorite characters from Part I.   Nominated for Best Picture, along with five other nominations including Art Direction, Film Editing and Visual Effects.