Fractured Oscar Nominees 2003 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Michael Caine

Michael Caine earned the Best Actor nomination for his role in "The Quiet American," in which he plays a British journalist in Vietnam. Previously he won two Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (for playing a kind-hearted abortionist in "The Cider House Rules" and a befuddled financial advisor besotted by his wife's sister in "Hannah and Her Sisters").

Answer: Julianne Moore

In "Far from Heaven," Ms. Moore stars as an unhappy 1950s housewife. She also earned a nomination for her supporting role in "The Hours," in which she plays another despondent 1950s housewife!

Answer: Martin Scorsese

He earned his nomination for directing "Gangs of New York." Previously, Mr. Scorsese was nominated for writing and directing films such as "The Age of Innocence" and "Raging Bull."

Answer: Daniel Day-Lewis

He plays Bill "The Butcher" Cutting, a gang boss, in "Gangs of New York." Previously, Day-Lewis won an Oscar for "My Left Foot." He also earned a nomination for his role in "In the Name of the Father," a film about an Irish father and son unjustly convicted and jailed for terrorism.

Answer: Jack Nicholson

The incomparable Jack Nicholson plays the title role in "About Schmidt." He portrays a retiree who's undergoing a bout of self-examination. Previously Nicholson earned Oscar wins and nominations for films such as "Easy Rider," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and "As Good as It Gets." Once I saw him in a bit part in an old "Andy of Mayberry" episode from the early 60s!

Answer: Nicolas Cage

In "Adaptation," Cage plays twins: a pair of screenwriter brothers engaged in sibling rivalry. Previously he won a Best Actor award for "Leaving Las Vegas" (a brilliant but VERY depressing movie).

Answer: Nicole Kidman

She won the Best Actress Oscar for her starring role in "The Hours," in which she plays Virginia Woolf. Kidman previously earned a nomination for her leading role in "Moulin Rouge."

Answer: Diane Lane

She stars with Richard Gere in "Unfaithful" (which is kind of like "Fatal Attraction"). This was Lane's first nomination, but I thought she should have been nominated for "A Walk on the Moon" (in which she plays another unfaithful wife).

Answer: Renee Zellweger

In "Chicago" (which earned 13 noms) she stars as an accused (and guilty) murderer. The beautiful Renee earned a previous nomination for "Bridget Jones's Diary."

Answer: Kathy Bates

She earned a Best Supporting Actress nom for "About Schmidt," in which her character makes a play for Jack Nicholson's (he was also nominated). If you haven't seen Bates with James Caan in "Misery," for which she won a previous Oscar, you should! She is deliciously scary!

Answer: Meryl Streep

She earned a Best Supporting Actress nom for "Adaptation," in which she plays an author. (One of the twins played by Nicolas Cage is adapting her book to create a screenplay.) Streep earned previous Oscar nominations for films such as "Sophie's Choice," for which she won a Best Actress award, and "Postcards from the Edge." Her first win was for "Kramer vs. Kramer" in which she co-starred with Dustin Hoffman.

Answer: Catherine Zeta-Jones

She won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in the multi-nominated "Chicago." She and Renee Zellweger play accused murderers and showgirls. This was Zeta-Jones's first Oscar nomination.

Answer: Salma Hayek

The gorgeous Ms. Hayek stars in "Frida" as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, whom Salma strongly resembles. This was her first Oscar nom. She was hilarious when she hosted "Saturday Night Live" before the 2003 Oscars.

Answer: Roman Polanski

He won the Best Director's award for "The Pianist." The infamous Polanski earned previous nominations for films such as the classic "Chinatown."

Answer: Stephen Daldry

He earned a Best Director nomination for "The Hours."

Answer: John C. Reilly

You've probably seen this talented character actor in many films, but this was his first Oscar nomination. He plays Renee Zellweger's duped hubby in "Chicago." In fact, in the early 2000s he seemed to specialize in playing amiable but pathetic cuckolds, since he also portrayed one in "The Good Girl" with Jennifer Aniston and in "The Hours" opposite Julianne Moore.

Answer: Adrien Brody

He won the Best Actor award for playing the title role in "The Pianist," the moving, horrific story of a Polish Jewish musician trapped by the Holocaust.

Answer: Ed Harris

He earned a Best Supporting Actor nom for playing a writer and AIDS victim in "The Hours." Previously Harris earned nominations for films such as "Pollock" and "Apollo 13."

Answer: Paul Newman

Handsome Mr. Newman earned a Best Supporting Actor nom for "The Road to Perdition," in which he plays a sinister but oddly likeable gangster. Previously he was nominated for such films as "Cool Hand Luke" (my favorite) and "The Color of Money," for which he won a Best Actor award.

Answer: Queen Latifah

She plays matron Mama Morton in the mucho-nominated "Chicago." Like Salma Hayek, Queen Latifah hosted "Saturday Night Live" prior to the 2003 Oscars. (She, too, was fabulous, in my opinion.)