Forget Stephen Fry's portrayal of the title character in Wilde. Forget Ally Sheedy as a troubled drug abuser (is that redundant?) in High Art. Of all the queer film nominations that the academy neglected to give this year, the most deserving performance that was left out in the cold was Lisa Kudrow in The Opposite of Sex. Although she received the New York City Outer Critic's Circle award for Best Supporting Actress, Kudrow was snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

In the film, Kudrow shines as a schoolteacher infatuated with a fellow teacher, a gay man who had been the lover of her late brother. Kudrow one-ups fellow "friend" Jennifer Aniston in the "I'm-a-straight-woman-in-love-with-a-gay-man" category, displaying her talent for the delivery of one-liners while still presenting us with a character that is true-to-life.

While Kudrow delivered the standout performance of The Opposite of Sex, nominations for lead actress Christina Ricci and the writer/director were also in order. Instead, the film was ignored altogether.

Velvet Goldmine roped in a nomination for costume design, and deservedly so. With nominations for that film as well as her costumes in Shakespeare in Love, Sandy Powell is the favorite to win. Although the latter will probably pick up the statuette, her glam rock wear for Goldmine truly captured the spirit of the era as described by film composer Craig Wedren: "Glam rock is about outer space, bisexuality and clothes shopping."

Although the film is more about costumes, music and atmosphere than plot, Ewan McGregor's turn as a haunted rock idol deserved at least a Best Supporting Actor nod, especially in light of the performances that were nominated in that category.

In the end, the Oscars leave actors portraying homosexuals with one sure bet and one long shot. After winning the Screen Actors Guild's Best Supporting Actress award, Kathy Bates' portrayal of a lesbian in Primary Colors is a shoe-in. Ian McKellan's brilliant turn as the gay director of Frankenstein in Gods and Monsters, however, may not quite capture the statue.

Jonathan Ray is a film and video studies sophomore.
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