MT. OSCAR
PEAKING
DREAM GIRL: In Jennifer Hudson’s case reality matched, or exceeded, Hollywood hype ... for a change.
CLIMBING
‘IT’ COUPLE: A dual Academy Awards appearance by Brad and Angelina (he has “Babel,” she has “The Good Shepherd”) could well be the Oscar telecast’s saving grace.
SCREENING WITH SCISSORS: The screener for Fox Searchlight’s “The Last King of Scotland” came with an anti-piracy recommendation that viewers cut the DVD in half once they’d watched it.
AT BASE CAMP
SMALL BUT MIGHTY: Scene-stealing young ‘uns abound this season, including 8-year-old Jaden Smith (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), left; 10-year-old Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and 12-year-old Ivana Baquero (“Pan’s Labyrinth”).
PICK PUCK: Deciding which screening and nosh session to attend just got easier. Wolfgang Puck now does catering on the Sony lot.
DRIVE-BY STARS: An “intimate” cocktail party to promote “Little Children” last week turned into a drive-by for star Kate Winslet, who dropped in after the party had been underway for at least an hour.
LOOKING FOR A SHERPA
WAYWARD? Robert De Niro is still editing his directorial effort “The Good Shepherd,” meaning DVDs of the cerebral CIA story won’t be ready for Golden Globe and Broadcast Film Critics balloting.
HOMER’S ODYSSEY: This year’s animation race may be all about fuzzy CG animals, but next year’s game-changer will be the ultra-rude, 2-D Simpson family.
TURKEY TIME: We’ve arrived at the moment when overhyped duds such as “A Good Year” and “All the King’s Men” are buried and a real roster emerges. That’s something to be thankful for.
