Getting ready for Oscar Night? The LA Times notices that each of the best-picture nominees left quite a bit on the cutting-room floor. The more I read and see, the more I am beginning to believe that the real controversial movie this year is not 'Brokeback', but 'Crash':

The conceit of "Crash" and the Oscar-nominated L.A.-bashing movies it borrows liberally from ("Magnolia," "Short Cuts," "Grand Canyon") is that they have the guts to portray the real Los Angeles. In truth, they tell us far more about the neuroses of their directors — and the prejudices of academy voters — than about our actuality.

Maybe, although I did like Magnolia and was hopeful we'd see P.T. Anderson collect an Academy Award some day. Whatever happened to him?