OSCAR ENTERS 2000 IN BRAVE NEW WORLD OF FILMS, NOMINATIONS PLAY IT SAFE.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

In 1999, creative filmmakers cut a bold path toward the new century with an outstanding array of inventive, ingenious and incisive movies.

In response, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has complacently plopped itself down in the middle of the road.

Despite some deceptive nods toward the new and the daring, the 72nd Annual Academy Awards nominations announced Tuesday were noticeably biased toward the conventional and the comfortable. Reports that hackers broke into the academy's database provide a perfect metaphor for this year's results: It appears as if the voters, daunted by an uncharacteristic overload of quality cinema, suffered a mass taste crash.

Of course, there are other explanations why the popular but pulpy ``The Sixth Sense,'' the overlong and overwrought ``The Green Mile'' and the soft-pedaling, sentimental ``The Cider House Rules'' aced the truly thrilling likes of ``Being John Malkovich,'' ``Boys Don't Cry,'' ``Magnolia,'' ``The Talented Mr. Ripley,'' ``Three Kings,'' ``Topsy-Turvy'' and ``Toy Story 2,'' among others.

The academy fell into its old habit of recognizing the biggest box-office hit it could honorably get away with (it's a safe bet that, except for the gracelessness of Jar Jar Binks, ``Phantom Menace'' would be on the list). Cozy familiarity powered ``The Green Mile''; it was a Frank Darabont adaptation of a Stephen King prison drama - just like earlier nominations hog ``The Shawshank Redemption'' - and it starred Oscar golden boy Tom Hanks.

As for ``Cider House,'' Miramax bought that one. The distributor - which has famously taken out increasingly unprecedented amounts of campaign ads in the movie trade papers for eventual Oscar showhorses ``Il Postino,'' ``The English Patient,'' ``Life Is Beautiful'' and ``Shakespeare in Love'' - has been bombarding voters with ``Cider'' propaganda.

True, the Disney division gave its Paramount co-production ``Ripley'' similarly lavish promotion, and that one got blanked in the best picture race, as did its director (``Patient'' Oscar winner Anthony Minghella) and subtly mesmerizing star Matt Damon. But it's also apparent that the dark-hued ``Ripley'' is the kind of uncompromising work that brought Miramax recognition in the more independent days of ``The Crying Game,'' ``Pulp Fiction'' and ``The Piano.'' In recent times, they've won more Oscars with sweeter, less-radical fare - and ``Cider House'' is nothing if not the most conservative abortion-rights movie ever made, in the grand tradition of softball Hollywood issue pictures.

The ``Cider'' surge sets up an even more expensive replay of last year's promotional war between Miramax and DreamWorks, when the Spielberg studio saw ``Shakespeare'' snatch victory from its front-runner ``Saving Private Ryan.'' The quality gap between DreamWorks' rigorous current favorite ``American Beauty'' and the Miramax spoiler is measurably wider this time, but that won't stop the ad frenzy. This year's real winners? The Hollywood trade papers.

Despite tying ``Cider'' for second-most nominations (seven, compared to ``Beauty's'' eight), momentum does not appear to be with the fifth best picture contender, ``The Insider.'' It could, however, be building for the film's lead actor nominee, Russell Crowe. Consider: Designated front-runner Denzel Washington's historically suspect ``The Hurricane'' gleaned only a single nomination - for his performance - while the chameleonlike Australian's historically suspect picture maintained much wider support.

Gotta say, the academy did itself proud with the rest of that field. Spacey, of course, was a no-brainer. But recognizing Richard Farnsworth for his delicate ``Straight Story'' work and vocal Oscar detractor Sean Penn for the substantial achievement of not acting like Woody Allen in a Woody Allen film earns a quiet but heartfelt bravo.

As does the academy's refusal, for the second year in a row, to acknowledge a Jim Carrey caricature. Yes, the voters do appear biased against the approval-seeking funnyman, but not because he's a comedian; he just hasn't played a convincingly human character yet.

However, snubbing Eddie Murphy for his dual role in ``Bowfinger'' - that's prejudice.

An overview of the acting categories shows a majority (11) of first-time nominees, some of whom did edgy work in cool films (``Boys Don't Cry's'' Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny, ``Malkovich's'' Catherine Keener). But there's an overriding safe pattern to the acting choices. Wise kids (Haley Joel Osment), mutes (Samantha Morton), self-sacrificing African-Americans (Michael Clarke Duncan), and accent-throwing Brits and Aussies (Janet McTeer, Michael Caine, Jude Law, Toni Collette, Crowe) are long-running Oscar-race stereotypes, regardless of how well-done.

Even the vastly deserving Tom Cruise was probably nominated as much for being a Hollywood rainmaker as for the intense, lacerating originality of his ``Magnolia'' ensemble turn. And, really, yet another nomination for Meryl Streep just because she learned to play the fiddle? Nothing like rote academy thinking, abetted by one of those Miramax campaigns.

The director's branch did try to appear hipper than usual by bestowing four first-time nominations, and two to debutante feature filmmakers (``Beauty's'' Sam Mendes and ``Malkovich's'' Spike Jonze). And the writers, as usual, generally made the smartest choices, though much more so in the original (all gems) than the adapted (where ``Election'' and ``Ripley'' were finely judged) division.

Regardless of these and a few other bones tossed to those challenging (``The Matrix's'' technical innovations, a snarky ``South Park'' song), the Oscar race this year, at least at this point, is looking like it might be another case of hype trumping artistic merit. There are enough good nominees to prevent this eventuality, though. As previously noted, many filmmakers made exciting efforts last year to grow the medium into the 21st century. The academy has until March 26 to join the parade.

Pictures with multiple nominations:

``American Beauty'' 8

``The Cider House Rules'' 7

``The Insider'' 7

``The Sixth Sense'' 6

``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' 5

``The Green Mile'' 4

``The Matrix'' 4

``Topsy-Turvy'' 4

``Being John Malkovich'' 3

``Magnolia'' 3

``Sleepy Hollow'' 3

``Star Wars: Episode I _ The Phantom Menace'' 3

``Anna and the King'' 2

``Boys Don't Cry'' 2

``The End of the Affair'' 2

``Music of the Heart'' 2

``Sweet and Lowdown'' 2

OSCAR TRIVIA

Meryl Streep, now with 12 nominations for acting, ties Katharine Hepburn, who has held this record for 18 years. If Streep wins this year, she will have three Oscars, which puts her in the very rare company of Ingrid Bergman, Walter Brennan and Jack Nicholson. Again, Hepburn holds the record, with four Best Actress Oscars.

--In the Foreign Language Film Award category, a victory for France this year would give that country 10 awards, tying the record set by Italy last year.

--Haley Joel Osment, who will be 11 years, 351 days old as of the March 26, 2000, ceremony, is the third-youngest Supporting Actor nominee. Brandon De Wilde was younger by one day when he was nominated for his supporting performance in ``Shane'' in 1953. Justin Henry (``Kramer vs. Kramer'') is still the youngest Supporting Actor nominee, at 8 years, 325 days.

--Richard Farnsworth becomes the oldest Leading Actor nominee in academy history. He will be 79 years, 208 days old at the 72nd Academy Awards ceremony.

--Half of the performers nominated in the leading-role categories were recognized for playing actual 20th-century individuals.

--Samantha Morton's nomination represents the sixth time in the sound era that a performer has been nominated for playing a mute (or essentially mute) role. Her predecessors were Jane Wyman (``Johnny Belinda,'' 1948), Alan Arkin (``The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,'' 1968), Sir John Mills (``Ryan's Daughter,'' 1970), Marlee Matlin (``Children of a Lesser God,'' 1986) and Holly Hunter (``The Piano,''1993).

--Seven of the nominated writers also directed their films.

--John Williams is the most-nominated living person with 38 nominations.

--All the Supporting Actress nominees are first-time nominees.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) no caption (Academy Awards statuette)

A.M.P.A.S.

(2 -- 4) The cinematically exquisite ``Topsy-Turvy,'' with Katrin Cartlidge and Allan Corduner, top, didn't make the academy's cut. And, despite lavish promotion, neither did ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' or its star, Matt Damon, center. The academy also refused _ again _ to acknowledge a Jim Carrey caricature, this time his portrayal of funnyman Andy Kaufman in ``Man on the Moon.''

Box: (1) Pictures with multiple nominations: (See text)

(2) OSCAR TRIVIA (See text)