Hollywood Digest

OSCAR SIGNS POINT TO 'CHICAGO'

If precedent is any guide, "Chicago" looks good in the Best Picture race for the Oscars -- since the most-nominated movie has shown a strong historical tendency to win.

In 18 of the past 20 years, the movie with the most nominations has gone on to win the top prize. One exception was last year, when "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" led the field with 13 nominations while "A Beautiful Mind" took the Best Picture Oscar. The other exception came in 1991, when "Bugsy" won the nominations race with 10, but "The Silence of the Lambs" -- with just seven nominations -- swept the top categories with wins for best picture, actor, actress, director and adapted screenplay.

RENEE ZELLWEGER SCREAMS, ROB MARSHALL SENSES 'DANGER'

The Hollywood Reporter said Renée Zellweger screamed and director Rob Marshall watched out for danger after the Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday.

The "Chicago" star and director are in Paris for the movie's premiere there.

"I was watching the nominations announced on television in my hotel room with some friends and we were screaming so loud that the hotel security staff rushed to our room because they thought something was wrong," said Zellweger. "My head is just spinning right now because I feel so lucky to be a part of something that was as fun as this film was."

Marshall -- who was nominated for his feature film directing debut -- said he was wary of getting too caught up in the whole awards thing.

"It's dangerous to let the awards dictate your experience of a film," he said. "Ultimately, films are not just about stars and directors but are massive projects which are about people coming together to create something special."

HARVEY WEINSTEIN ALMOST CAN'T LOSE

Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein is looking good for Oscar gold this year, with ties to four of the five Best Picture nominees at the 75th Academy Awards.

Weinstein's studio produced three of the five nominees -- "Chicago," "Gangs of New York" and "The Hours" -- which was actually a co-production with Paramount. Besides that, Weinstein and his brother Bob were executive producers on a fourth Best Picture nominee, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."

Those pictures collectively accounted for 32 nominations -- 13 for "Chicago," 10 for "Gangs" and nine for "The Hours." Another Miramax project, "Frida," bagged six nominations.

OSCAR NO-SHOWS

There could be at least two no-shows by Oscar winners at the upcoming Academy Awards -- Peter O'Toole and Donald Kaufman.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Directors recently voted to give an Honorary Oscar to O'Toole -- a seven-time nominee for best actor -- but O'Toole has said he would rather the academy wait 10 years, until he is 80. As matters stand, academy officials are not sure whether O'Toole will come to Hollywood on March 23 to pick up the honor.

On the other hand, if Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman win the Oscar for screenplay adaptation, don't look for Donald to stroll up to the podium for a thank-you speech.

He doesn't exist -- unless Charlie Kaufman is playing a grand jest on Hollywood.

Charlie Kaufman, who was nominated for an original screenplay Oscar for "Being John Malkovich" in 1999, decided to credit himself and his imaginary twin brother Donald for "Adaptation" -- his take on Susan Orlean's best-selling book "The Orchid Thief."

The twin credit was a reflection of the device Kaufman invented for the movie -- having Nicolas Cage play twin brother writers, one full of anxiety and doubt while the other was carefree and immodest.

The academy noted Tuesday that it has anticipated the possibility of naming two writers, when only one of them is real.

"Should 'Adaptation' win for Adapted Screenplay," said the academy in a press release, "the two credited writers will share a single Academy Award."

HONORS FOR ROBERT ALTMAN

Robert Altman will receive the Film Society Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing at the 46th San Francisco International Film Festival in April.

The Oscar-nominated director of "Gosford Park," "The Player" and "M*A*S*H" will pick up the award on April 23 at Film Society Awards Night. Festival organizers are planning an event for April 22 that will feature a compilation of clips from Altman's movies, an onstage interview and the screening of one of his pictures.

The festival -- scheduled to run from April 17 through May 1 -- will screen "Nashville, " Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" and "Tanner '88."

TIM ALLEN PREPARES FOR 'FATHER' HOOD

Tim Allen is reportedly getting ready to star in a film version of the classic TV series "Father Knows Best."

Starring in a remake of the series that made Robert Young a household name would be something of a return to the scene of Allen's greatest success, as the father of three boys on the long-running comedy "Home Improvement."

Allen is reportedly also making plans to star in "The Santa Clause 3," following the box-office success last year of "The Santa Clause 2."