I'm of the Letterman generation, but there is something to be said that he is the true successor of Johnny Carson. Carson recently was said to be leaking jokes for Letterman's monologue, and Carson's favoring of Letterman is well known by those who care about such things. Likewise, both are private souls, had more than one long term relationship (though Carson had various divorces as well), care(d) highly for their work, and a certain authenticity shined through. Both Leno and Letterman watered down their acts when they went to 11:30, but Letterman has my vote.
It is said by some, including Al Franken, that the hangdog lead of Sideways was robbed in the Academy Award nominations. [Kinsey also did not receive a nod. Finding Neverland taking both slots, more or less.] Still, my nomination for notable absence would be Foreign Language Film. The Passion of the Christ received a nod for cinematography and two lesser technicals, but not in that category. What gives? Meanwhile, Tupac: Resurrection was nominated in Documentary Feature (chubby turned down any option for Fahrenheit 9/11). Jamie Foxx (yes, him) received a nod for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, though not for the same flick. And, Morgan Freeman really didn't deserve a nod for the latter.
The nominees are generally on the money. Best Animated Flick is The Incredibles and two also rans. Catalina Sandino Moreno should win Best Actress for Maria Full Of Grace. Though Cate Blanchett sounds worthy, The Aviator overall has received mixed reviews, so all its nominations are somewhat questionable. Million Dollar Baby (picture and adapted screenplay) is my choice for Best Picture and unchosen Hotel Rwanda was better than The Aviator. And, Don Cheadle (tough race) at the moment is my choice for Best Actor (Eastwood was excellent too).
A few words about Hotel Rwanda, which I recently viewed. A good companion book would be We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo (both nominated) were excellent as was Nick Nolte, including a powerful scene in which he tells Cheadle just how much the West thinks of Africans. The movie itself had many powerful scenes and shots, including simply showing early on the machetes that was the favored choice of slaughter.
The movie might be criticized for telling but a small story of an elite Hutu (with a Tutsi wife) that managed to save about a thousand refugees through the foreign hotel he managed. But, when an estimated million died, a small snapshot is perhaps the best way to go about such things. And, when dealing with a wide release story (still quite powerful), a moment of grace and success among the horror also is a useful device. It retains our hope in human nature, though making clear the craziness and horror surrounding those islands of sanity.
In these times, when hundreds of thousands can die in a few days, there is something to be said for that.