KIDS TALK BACK

The Daily Pilot asked fifth-graders at Victoria Elementary School in

Costa Mesa: What film do you think will win the Oscar for best picture

this year?

“I haven’t seen any of the nominations, but I have heard a bunch about

‘Gladiator’ that I think it’s going to win. It looks really good, like

the plot and stuff.”

JORDAN MELLIN, 10

Costa Mesa

“I think that ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ looks really good. But

it’s hard to say. I have seen a lot of the previews for the films, and

they all look good. I actually liked the movie ‘Recess, School’s Out.’

But it wasn’t nominated.”

SARAH BARR, 10

Newport Beach

“I have heard that ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ has won lots of

the foreign awards. And the director is supposed to be really good, like

how he did all the gravity stuff. I haven’t seen it, but I did see

‘Gladiator,’ but I still think that ‘Crouching Tiger’ will win.”

ISRAEL TORRES, 10

Costa Mesa

“My parents said that ‘Gladiator’ was one of those films that keeps

you on the edge of your seat, and films like that normally win. But I

liked ‘Meet the Parents’ and ‘The Wedding Planner,’ and I thought those

were really good and should have been nominated. You can watch them over

and over again with a bowl of popcorn.”

RACHAEL KONVES, 10

Costa Mesa

“I think that ‘Erin Brockovich’ will win. It has a lot of meaning and

a moral. And I don’t think that ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ will win

because it has all those subtitles.”

SAMANTHA RAWSON, 11

Costa Mesa

“‘Erin Brockovich’ was really good, and even though it’s more for

girls, I think it’s going to win. It shows you that your dreams can be

completed. ‘Gladiator’ won’t win though because it just doesn’t look

good.”

MEGAN RIEL, 11

Costa Mesa