There was a lot of pressure on Hollywood this year. After last year was damned by critics as one of the worst ever, the race was on to see who could restore our faith in the movies. However, 2001 was rocky for many films, and the fickle crowds and cranky reviewers haven't given them any slack. Usually, by the time the Oscars roll around, the herd has been thinned and the winners are fairly clear. It's not that they are predictable, but there is usually a front-runner or a favorite. However, with tantrums, whisper campaigns and last minute lobbying as present as ever, the seemingly easy choice has been thrown into question.

"A Beautiful Mind" is the story of brilliant mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash, played by Russell Crowe. His mathematical ability and his unique code-breaking abilities went hand in hand with his paranoid schizophrenia, which affected him from a young age. The film follows his life from his graduate work at Princeton through his complete mental breakdown and ends with his acceptance of the Nobel Prize for economics in 1994 for his work with a revolutionary mathematical system for economics known as Game Theory. However, most of the film is spent dealing with Nash's degenerating mental state and the effect it had on his career and his family.

What carries this film and allows it to be anywhere near the Best Picture category is the performance of Russell Crowe. The hot-headed Australian captures the nuances of the role perfectly and gives a completely convincing performance. Hailed as the best and most accurate portrayal of paranoid schizophrenia in film, Crowe's interpretation of Nash is almost perfect, from his West Virginia drawl to his quick gestures and word salad speech patterns to his reactions to his frightening departure from reality.

Unfortunately, Crowe is the keystone that supports the movie, for the script is less than brilliant. This fact further emphasizes the high caliber of Crowe's performance, for his acting is so good that it tricks you into thinking that the movie is better than it is. Like last year's "Pollock," in which Ed Harris' acting outshines the film itself, "A Beautiful Mind" owes all of its greatness to the main actor. As for its chances of winning "Best Picture," there are many factors that have recently come into play. Talk of inaccuracies and omissions of unsavory details of Nash's life (including anti-Semitic remarks and homosexual behavior) began months ago, but recently, the stakes have risen. Both Crowe and Howard have accused rival film companies of maliciously leaking this information to newspapers in an attempt to undermine the film's chances at the Oscars (think "Hurricane"). On "60 Minutes" last Sunday, Nash attributed his anti-Semitic remarks to his mental illness and denied ever being homosexual.

In theory, none of this nonsense should matter for the Oscars, but this movie award show is more like an election at a junior high school, with shady deals and childish ploys determining the outcome. However, "A Beautiful Mind" will most likely overcome the so-called "whisper campaign" and walk away with the Oscar.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," the first part of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's famous book, is one of the best fantasy films of all time. A solid combination of top-notch acting, storytelling, special effects and cinematography give this a warranted place in the Best Picture category. The nearly three-hour epic tells the adventures of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in a place called the Shire in Middle Earth. Along with the wise and powerful wizard Gandalf the Grey and a group of elves, dwarves, men and fellow hobbits, Frodo is on a mission to destroy the Ring of Power, which, if found by the Dark Lord Sauron, will allow him to rule the world and bring darkness over the earth. Braving foreign lands and dangerous enemies, the group begins the long journey to Mount Doom, the only place where the ring can be destroyed.

"Fellowship" is solid across all fronts, with no discernible weak link. It will most likely sweep the technical awards for sound, costumes, art direction, etc., but its chances of taking the Best Picture award are slim. Before you protest, stop and try to remember the last Best Picture winner that had monsters in it. I'll save you the trouble, because it has never happened. Just as the Academy hates to give Best Actor awards to actors playing comic roles, sci-fi/fantasy films have never been particularly successful in the Best Picture category (e.g., "Star Wars"). Even though the film takes the genre to a sophisticated level beyond most fantasy movies, it can't overcome the Academy's stodgy unofficial guidelines. Some may be hopeful about the Academy's open-mindedness, but considering the politicking that has gone on in recent years, it is doubtful that "Fellowship" can pull it off.