An Oscar bravo for star Nick; Our experts all agree... the famous critic, the film director and the ice-cream girl.

THE stars will glitter at their brightest in Tinseltown tonight.

For they will all be turning out for the 71st Oscars ceremony.

And when Whoopi Goldberg makes the introductions, a 46-year tradition will be broken .

Never on Sunday, the film industry said. But tonight the show will be beamed to 139 countries.

Advertisers in the US are coughing up a million bucks for 30 seconds.

Who's tipped for glory? We asked the experts - Barry Norman, doyen of the critics; top director Joel Schumacher, and Michelle Taggart, Our Girl in the Aisles. And I added my own humble forecasts.

There's only one award all four of us agree on... Nick Nolte for Best Actor.

Joel Schumacher, who directed A Time To Kill, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, thinks it's between Sir Ian McKellen for Gods and Monsters, and Nick Nolte for Affliction.

"They'll think Edward Norton (American History X) is too young, and Tom Hanks has his Oscars already, so they'll throw it to Nick Nolte."

Michelle, 19, sells ice-creams at the Grosvenor Cinema in Glasgow's West End. She'd like Tom Hanks to win "because he makes his characters totally believable".

But she thinks the Oscar is likely to go to Nick Nolte.

Affliction contains a towering performance from Nolte as a small- town sheriff whose life is crumbling. He should collect Best Actor award.

Joel shares my view that the Best Actress Oscar should go to Cate Blanchett, stunning in Elizabeth. Meryl Streep gets her 11th nomination for One True Thing, still to be released here. And Gwyneth Paltrow is sure to get support for Shakespeare in Love.

British hopes rest on Emily Watson - "she broke my heart in Hilary and Jackie," says Michelle.

When it come to Best Film, Joel says The Thin Red Line, though dismissed in America as confusing, is a masterpiece.

"I will vote for my friend Terrence Malick and his film," he says.

Barry feels it could be Steven Spielberg's year, so Saving Private Ryan will probably win. "However, Shakespeare in Love's 13 nominations, cannot be discounted."

These views are echoed by Michelle, who works as an usherette to subsidise music studies at Strathclyde University. "A lot of people leaving the cinema commented on how good these movies were.

"I think Shakespeare in Love deserves to win because it's a good love story, a great comedy and an amazing drama."

My heart tells me that The Thin Red Line, a true work of art, should win Best Film. My head says it will be out-fought by the other war epic, Saving Private Ryan.

Competition for Best Director is fierce, says Barry Norman. "My best tip has to be Spielberg, though a good outside bet is Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful."

I think Spielberg might make it an Oscar double. But his big guns could be silenced by Terrence Malick lifting the Best Director prize.

His work on The Thin Red Line - his third film after Badlands and Days of Heaven - is awesome.

Michelle says: "Peter Weir is my choice for Best Director because The Truman Show is so original. An idea like that is really hard to pull off."

Whoever the winners, tonight's show will have its usual star quotient. Kim Basinger, Harrison Ford, John Travolta and Jack Nicholson are among the presenters.

And performers include Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith.

Viewers will be glad to note that as well as moving to Sunday night, the Oscars start half an hour earlier... at 1am.

BARRY NORMAN

Film critic

BEST FILM: Saving Private Ryan, but don't discount Shakespeare in Love, which has a total of 13 nominations.

BEST ACTOR: Nick Nolte, for his role in Affliction.

BEST ACTRESS: Gwyneth Paltrow, for Shakespeare in Love.

BEST DIRECTOR: It has to be Steven Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan.

MICHELLE TAGGART

Film ice cream girl

BEST FILM: I think that Shakespeare in Love will take the award.

BEST ACTOR: Nick Nolte.

BEST ACTRESS: Gwyneth Paltrow, although my vote would go to Emily Watson, for Hilary and Jackie.

BEST DIRECTOR: Peter Weir, because The Truman Show was so original. But I can't bet against Spielberg.

JOEL SCHUMACHER

Film director

BEST FILM: The Thin Red Line - it's a masterpiece.

BEST ACTOR: Nick Nolte, for Affliction... plus all the good work he's done over the years.

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, for Elizabeth.

BEST DIRECTOR: My vote goes to my good friend Terrence Malick for The Thin Red Line.

PS... our man's own selection

BEST FILM: Saving Private Ryan will win, though I prefer the other Second World War epic, The Thin Red Line.

BEST ACTOR: Nick Nolte. He gives a towering performance as small-town lawman in Affliction.

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, great in Elizabeth, will take the crown.

BEST DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line) to pip Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan).