FOR OSCAR 2000, ACTORS' RACE WILL BE THE ONE TO WATCH.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

As the year-end film releases unreel for critics and industry insiders, it becomes more and more apparent that it's going to be one unusual race for the 2000 Academy Awards.

There are at least 20 actors who are strong candidates for supporting Oscars, including: Michael Caine for ``Cider House Rules''; Phillip Seymour Hoffman for ``Flawless'' or ``Magnolia'' or ``The Talented Mr. Ripley''; Michael Clarke Duncan, Michael Jeter and Doug Hutchison for ``The Green Mile''; John Malkovich for ``Being John Malkovich''; William H. Macy, Jason Robards and Tom Cruise for ``Magnolia''; young Haley Joel Osment for ``The Sixth Sense''; Russell Crowe and Christopher Plummer for ``The Insider'' (though Crowe is being pushed by Touchstone for best actor consideration). But the list of potential candidates in other categories is unusually slim.

Deserving of an Oscar nomination in the lead actor category are Kevin Spacey for ``American Beauty,'' Denzel Washington for ``The Hurricane'' and definitely Jim Carrey for ``Man on the Moon.'' And after that . . .? Tom Hanks could make the list for ``The Green Mile,'' not because his is an Academy Award-caliber performance, but because there is so little competition. And Al Pacino can most definitely be up there, for ``The Insider.'' Then . . . it's anyone's guess.

The distaff side 

Annette Bening seems a front-runner in the best actress race for ``American Beauty.'' Aside from her, well, with such slim pickings in the contest, Susan Sarandon could end up with a nomination for ``Anywhere but Here,'' Winona Ryder for ``Girl, Interrupted'' and Milla Jovovich for ``The Messenger'' or Janet McTeer for ``Tumbleweeds.'' Kate Winslet is the recipient of a major Oscar push for ``Holy Smoke.'' And don't be surprised if Nicole Kidman gets the nod for her disappointing ``Eyes Wide Shut.''

Angelina Jolie seems a strong contender in the supporting actress lineup for ``Girl, Interrupted.'' Natalie Portman for ``Anywhere but Here,'' Julianne Moore for ``An Ideal Husband.'' And then? No telling who'll pop up.

Yet, with it all, it's been a very good year, movie-wise - after we got through the summer season, when it seemed Hollywood was bent on catering only to teen-age boys.

You can't complain about a year that brings you ``The Green Mile,'' ``Angela's Ashes,'' ``Toy Story 2,'' ``The Hurricane,'' ``The Insider,'' Snow Falling on Cedars,'' ``Man on the Moon,'' ``The Cider House Rules,'' ``Being John Malkovich,'' the small gem ``A Walk on the Moon,'' ``Flawless,'' ``The Sixth Sense,'' ``Notting Hill'' and ``The Talented Mr. Ripley.''

The extra mile

Michael Jeter says he doesn't understand ``people who have strange negative reactions'' to ``The Green Mile.'' The Tom Hanks-starrer has indeed provoked some uncommonly emotional responses - negative and positive - from critics and other moviegoers. It's been a purely positive experience for Jeter, however. He had a ``partial family reunion'' at the Nashville premiere last week, with his sisters and parents, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this month, in attendance to view his tour-de-force performance as a Cajun French death-row inmate, circa 1935.

Jeter went so far as to learn his part in both English and Cajun French, and to talk to elderly Cajun French people - particularly some with ``spicy personalities who could help out with the swear words'' - in order to get his part right. ``With television, specific regional dialects have become so corrupted now, you have to go to the older people to get the real rhythm,'' explains the Tony- (``Grand Hotel'') and Emmy- (``Evening Shade'') winning performer. He also got to see what it was like to work with some 30 mice who had each been trained to ``perform a specific task for the movie. After awhile, you could start to see their little individual personalities emerge.'' Sure, Michael. Sure.

Psycho humor

Many - many - readers of Bret Easton Ellis' ``American Psycho'' have found the story of a yuppie-turned-serial killer intense, grueling, even horrifying. However, Christian Bale, who stars in the title-role film version that will be released in April, describes the movie as ``very funny - and it makes a sharp point. People won't forget it,'' insists the Internet fave in the January issue of Gear magazine.

Girl's best friend?

Wilbur Smith's ``The Diamond Hunters'' is moving toward major miniseries treatment - with a script by esteemed scribe Carmen Culver, and a tentative production start now set for April in South Africa. The tale involves men battling for control of a diamond mine - and a woman who is the mistress of two of them.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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(2) SPACEY

(3) MOORE

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