Post critics and writers track down what really makes a Best Picture winner, how a forgotten child star turned Oscar nominee and why diamonds are the red carpet's best friend.
Chasing Down the 'Best'
Is the Best Picture category more about mainstream box-office earnings than technical and artistic achievements? Post critic Ann Hornaday examines Oscar's ficklest category.
A Former Child Star's Grown-Up Reward
A Best Supporting actor nomination for "Little Children" brings former child star Jackie Earle Haley back into the spotlight after a 13-year break from acting.
Our Critics' Picks
Washington Post film critics choose their preferences in six major categories. Will the Motion Picture Academy agree?
A Seldom-Told Tale of Betrayal
The director of foreign-film nominee "The Lives of Others," aimed to put a human face on East German oppression and its vast insidious network of spies and informers.
The Ice Is Right
On Oscar night, jewelers and stars engage in a mutually satisfying (and tax-free) bling fling. Find out the true price behind those loaned jewels and if that exposure really pays off.
The Royal Speculator
In creating a script from imagined conversations, "The Queen" screenwriting nominee Peter Morgan put words in some of the world's most famous tight-lipped mouths.
Resting on Empty Laurels
Film marketers embrace the symbol of laurels to denote award-winning films, but are those gold, leafy parentheses so ubiquitous that they've lost their meaning?
A More Solemn Salute To the Dead
Is the Oscar broadcast's "In Memoriam" montage the final act of Hollywood indecency? An open letter to the academy pleads for an end to the postmortem popularity contest.
Their Next Big Things
Eddie Murphy glided from a nominated role in "Dreamgirls" to a fat suit for "Norbit." His fellow nominees have plans to play Teddy Roosevelt, Bob Dylan and a vampire chaser.
Photos: Oscar Red Carpet Fashions
Fashions from the 79th Academy Awards make little impact, with no real knockouts or egregious bloopers.
Fashion & Foible
Suzanne D'Amato was online to talk about what went right or wrong with Oscar fashion.
Academy Awards Headlines
Sunday Arts: Oscars Special
What makes a film Best Picture and more behind the scenes Oscar coverage.
Academy Awards Features
Awards Tracker
Keep up with who's winning what in this overview of the season's top prizes.
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