Oscar's Crystal Ball Is Cloudy

Oscar nominees will be announced Tuesday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and few categories have clear-cut front-runners.

Indeed, the pundits consider this season wide open.

Among those pundits are The Early Show entertainment contributors Laurie Hibberd and Jess Cagle; he is also a senior editor at People magazine.

They've gazed into their crystal balls to try to forecast, if not the winners, at least the nominees.

With its Golden Globe win for best drama and the potential to lead the way with the most Oscar nominations, Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes saga "The Aviator" probably will establish itself as the nominal early best-picture favorite.

Other film awards, including the Directors Guild of America prizes Jan. 29 and the Screen Actors Guild honors Feb. 5, will help sort out the leaders heading in to the Oscars on Feb. 27.

HIBBERD'S PREDICTIONS:

Best Actor: Jamie Foxx, Leo DiCaprio, Paul Giamatti, Johnny Depp, Don Cheadle

Best Actress: Imelda Staunton, Hilary Swank, Annette Bening, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Hayden Church, James Garner, Morgan Freeman, Clive Owen

Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen, Natalie Portman, Sandra Oh, Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Alexander Payne, Mike Nichols, Taylor Hackford

Best Picture: "The Aviator," "Million Dollar Baby," "Hotel Rwanda," "Ray," "Finding Neverland"

CAGLE'S PREDICTIONS:

Best Actor: Don Cheadle, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx (for "Ray"), Paul Giamatti

Best Actress: Annette Bening, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Imelda Staunton, Hilary Swank, Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Hayden Church, Jamie Foxx (for "Collateral"), Morgan Freeman, James Garner, Clive Owen

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Virginia Madsen, Natalie Portman, Kate Winslet

Best Director: Clint Eastwood, Marc Forster, Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese, Zhang Vimou

Best Picture: "The Aviator," "Finding Neverland," "Million Dollar Baby," "Ray," "Sideways"

What about possible surprises? Hibberd says a big surprise would be James Garner getting a Best Supporting Actor nod for "The Notebook." He's never been nominated for an Oscar, and it would be a great way to cap off a long and varied career. He's just been nominated for a SAG award, so it's not out of the realm of possibility, Hibberd notes.

Cagle says he thinks a potential surprise would be "The Incredibles" in the Best Picture category. He says this is a rarity this season: a virtual sure thing; it will be nominated and win in the Best Animated Film category. Cagle adds he could also see "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" winding up as Best Picture.

Tune in to The Early Show Tuesday to see the nominations announced live from Beverly Hills, and then get Cagle's take on the actual nominees.