As expected, "American Beauty" lead the nominees for the 72nd annual Academy Awards, announced February 15, 2000. Much more surprising was the strong showing for "The Cider House Rules," a film about an adult orphan finding his way in the world, which has received mixed reviews, and the snubbing of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" in all but one major category (Jude Law was nominated for Best Supporting Actor).

Here is the list of nominees:

BEST PICTURE

"American Beauty" "The Cider House Rules" "The Green Mile" "The Insider" "The Sixth Sense" Early odds on: "American Beauty"

BEST DIRECTOR

Spike Jonze, "Being John Malkovich" Lasse Hallstrom, "The Cider House Rules" Michael Mann, "The Insider" Sam Mendes, "American Beauty" M. Night Shyamalan, "The Sixth Sense" Early odds on: Mendes

BEST ACTOR

Russell Crowe, "The Insider" Richard Farnsworth, "The Straight Story" Sean Penn, "Sweet & Lowdown" Kevin Spacey, "American Beauty" Denzel Washington, "The Hurricane" Early odds: Spacey and Washington in a dead heat.

BEST ACTRESS

Annette Bening, "American Beauty" Janet McTeer, "Tumbleweeds" Julianne Moore, "The End of the Affair" Meryl Streep, "Music Of the Heart" Hilary Swank, "Boys Don't Cry" Early odds on: Hilary Swank

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Michael Caine, "The Cider House Rules" Tom Cruise, "Magnolia" Michael Clarke Duncan, "The Green Mile" Jude Law, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" Haley Joel Osment, "The Sixth Sense" Early odds: Clarke Duncan vs. Osment

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Tony Collette, "The Sixth Sense" Angelina Jolie, "Girl, Interrupted" Catherine Keener, "Being John Malkovich" Samantha Morton, "Sweet & Lowdown" Chloe Sevigny, "Boys Don't Cry" Early odds on: Morton vs. Sevigny

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

"American Beauty, " Alan Ball "Being John Malkovich," Charlie Kaufman "Magnolia," Paul Thomas Anderson "The Sixth Sense," M. Night Shyamalan "Topsy-Turvy," Mike Leigh Early odds on: "Malkovich"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

"The Cider House Rules," John Irving "Election," Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor "The Green Mile," Frank Darabont "The Insider," Eric Roth & Michael Mann "The Talented Mr. Ripley," Anthony Minghella Early odds: No obvious favorite.

BEST EDITING

"American Beauty" "The Cider House Rules" "The Insider" "The Matrix" "The Sixth Sense" Early odds: "Cider House" is out. Otherwise, its up for grabs.

BEST ART DIRECTION

"Anna & the King" "The Cider House Rules" "Sleepy Hollow" "The Talented Mr. Ripley" "Topsy-Turvy" Early odds: "Anna," "Ripley" or "Sleepy"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

"American Beauty" "The End of the Affair" "The Insider" "Sleepy Hollow" "Snow Falling On Cedars" Early odds: "Snow Falling On Cedars" vs. "End of the Affair"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

"Anna & the King" "Sleepy Hollow" "The Talented Mr. Ripley" "Titus" "Topsy-Turvy" Early odds: "Ripley" vs. "Titus"

BEST MAKEUP

"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" "Bicentennial Man" "Life" "Topsy-Turvy" Early odds: Don't know, but what the hell is "Bicentennial Man" doing there? And where's "The Insider"?

BEST FOREIGN FILM

"All About My Mother" (Spain) "Caravan" (Nepal) "East-West" (France) "Solomon & Gaenor" (UK) "Under the Sun" (Sweden) Early odds on: "Mother" (it's a lock)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

"Buena Vista Social Club" "Genghis Blues" "On the Ropes" "One Day in September" "Speaking In Strings" Early odds on: beats me.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

"The Matrix" "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace" "Stuart Little" Early odds: "Matrix"

BEST SOUND DESIGN

"The Green Mile" "The Insider" "The Matrix" "The Mummy" "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace" Early odds: "Matrix," "Mummy" or "Phantom"

BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING

"Fight Club" "The Matrix" "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace" Early odds: "Phantom Menace"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

"American Beauty," Thomas Newman "Angela's Ashes," John Williams "The Cider House Rules," Rachel Portman "The Red Violin," John Corigliano "The Talented Mr. Ripley," Gabriel Yared Early odds: "Ripley"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Blame Canada" from "South Park" "Music of My Heart" from "Music Of the Heart" "Save Me" from "Magnolia" "When She Loved Me" from "Toy Story 2" "You'll Be In My Heart" from "Tarzan" Early odds: "Save Me"

Other Categories

Short subject: "Bror, Min Bror," "Killing Joe," "Klengeld," "Major and Minor Miracles," "My Mother's Dreams: The Satan's Deciples in New York" Short (animated): "Humdrum," "My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts," "The Old Man and the Sea," "3 Misses," "When the Day Breaks" Docuemntary short: "Eyewitness," "King Gimp," "The Angolia Prison Rodeo"