THE NOMINEES:
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Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind
Sean Penn, I Am Sam
Will Smith, Ali
Denzel Washington, Training Day
Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
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FRANK CONNOR/COLUMBIA PICTURES
 BEST ACTOR
Will Smith
ALI
Muhammad Ali said Will Smith was the only actor alive who could play him, and Smith proves him right in Michael Mann's biopic. Smith floated, stung and blustered his way to a forget-it's-not-Ali performance that held true even as the film sagged in its third hour. This is Smith's first nomination, and the Academy would not be amiss in making it a winner. If only to keep the NAACP off its back in a year notable for its minority nominations.
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OSCAR NEWS AND FEATURES
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