Oscar to Visit Matt's House Again?

Since the year 2006 is half-over there are those who are predicting Oscar races already. I won't tell you where I got my information (that would be akin to a reporter revealing a source, right?), but I will say I've seen several prognosticators (it's not a dirty word, I looked it up) opining that Matt may be up for Best Actor for his work in Robert DeNiro's The Good Shepherd. Since Matt's first Oscar was shared with Afflack (insert annoying duck call here), it would be great to see him win one of his very own. And now that he's a daddy (Daddy Damon - coming soon to a theatre near you!), he'll be able to make one of those adorable speeches at the podium ("Okay, Daddy won, now go to bed Alexia and Isabella").

But why does everyone say Matt will be nominated for The Good Shepherd and not for The Departed? Do they think Leonardo DiCaprio will have the bigger, juicier role in The Departed? Do actors who play gangsters tend to get overlooked by Oscar? If so, someone ought to take back Marlon Brando's trophy for The Godfather.

My point, of course, is that Matt is great in whatever he does (yes, even Bagger Vance), so why should early buzz focus on one upcoming phenomenal performance and not the other? I'll continue scratching my head over this one while I simultaneously jump for joy over the thought that Matt may be Oscar-nominated again this year!

Oh, and one more thing: could Matt's The Good Shepherd and George Clooney's The Good German be packaged together as a double feature entitled The Good German Shepherd? That's an evening PETA could get behind, huh?