Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou's martial arts film Hero has a famous cast and a large budget, but faces the burden of living up to previous best foreign film Oscar winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The hit musical Chicago danced around the competition, scoring 13 nominations, including best film, as the US film industry's top awards show entered its final act.

The movie, which has dazzled audiences with its adaptation of the Broadway stage show about an actress whose murderous ways make her a media star, also earned a nomination for Renee Zellweger in the best actress category, but failed to earn star Richard Gere a nomination in the best actor group.

Epic The Gangs of New York, about gang wars in 19th century New York and The Hours, a drama that ponders matters of life and death and centers on writer Virginia Woolf, followed Chicago with 10 and nine nominations, respectively, also including best film.

Joining the list of best movie nominees were the story of a battle for Middle Earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and in a surprise, Holocaust drama The Pianist.

Meryl Streep earned her 13th actress nomination, surpassing screen legend Katharine Hepburn as the most nominated actress. Streep landed in the category for best supporting actress for her role as a writer in the offbeat drama Adaptation, but was left out of the best actress group for her widely-touted part in The Hours.

Julianne Moore became the first woman to be nominated in two categories in the same year, best actress for drama Far From Heaven, and supporting actress for The Hours.

This year's Oscar ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, March 23 from Los Angeles.

Most pundits believe 2002 was a good year for the film industry, as evidenced by the close race for nominations this year which saw early favorites, About Schmidt and Adaptation edged out of the best film category.

It was Nicholson's 12th Oscar nomination in his career, earning him the distinction of having more nominations than any other actor.

Joining him in the best actor grouping were Adrien Brody in The Pianist, Nicolas Cage for Adaptation, Michael Caine for The Quiet American and Daniel Day-Lewis for Gangs of New York.

Along with Zellweger and Moore in the best actress category were Nicole Kidman, who portrayed suicidal writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours, Salma Hayek for Frida, about Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and Diane Lane in Unfaithful.

In the best supporting actress category, joining Streep and Moore were Chicago co-stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Queen Latifah and Kathy Bates for About Schmidt.

Best director nominees were Martin Scorsese for Gangs, Roman Polanski for Pianist, Spain's Pedro Almodovar for Talk to Her, Stephen Daldry for The Hours, and Oscar newcomer Rob Marshall for Chicago.

(China Daily February 12, 2003)