This week — Best Actor. The nominees are Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind’), Sean Penn (“I Am Sam”), Will Smith (“Ali”), Denzel Washington (“Training Day”), and Tom Wilkinson (“In the Bedroom”)

Adam Duerson: If the Best Actress category (with its five barely-deserving actresses) was cause for controversy, then the Best Actor and its handful of shafted men and at least two (possibly three) undeserving nominees will be enough to spurn column filler for months to come. Crowe and Wilkinson are both deserving nominees that wouldn’t have a problem making the cut on any given year. Denzel somehow performed at a level that was clearly nomination-worthy — yet still far from Best Actor quality. Penn and Smith are completely undeserving. If I ran the Oscars (don’t worry, I’m working on it), Billy Bob Thornton’s almost dialogue-less performance in “The Man Who Wasn’t There” would fill one of those spots, and so would Gene Hackman (“The Royal Tenenbaums”).

Anna Roberts: I agree. Adding Billy Bob, Hackman, and Guy Pearce for “Memento,” or perhaps even Steve Buscemi for “Ghost World” would have made this category much more interesting. A Ewan McGregor throw-in would also make me smile, although he would be beaten in the end. As it stands now, Crowe and Washington are my personal and professional favorites. Crowe, despite past and present controversy, completely transformed himself into John Forbes Nash Jr., unlike Penn and Smith, who simply pretended to be their characters. Wilkinson, again, is too off the beaten path for me to personally like. Crowe’s vulnerability and believability created a depth to the film that few actors could have added. For two hours I forgot he was Russell Crowe — arrogant, cuss-friendly, wannabe rock-star Crowe. And that says something.

AD: You’ve got Smith and Penn nailed. They were doing impersonations, and if they’re handing out trophies for impersonations I can name at least a dozen “SNL” members past and present and a non-actor former-roommate who should also be nominees. Smith’s was a better impersonation. Penn did a poor version of a dumber, happier “Rain Man.” If either wins, I will personally turn in my entertainment journalists’ fan club membership. My favorite this year, Wilkinson, out-acted both, but I’m slowly starting to understand this movie may have touched me in some weird way that none other was touched.

AR: Wilkinson was really good, but it is such a particular movie and I think the general public did not feel the way you did about it. The only thing it touched in them was their “I want my money back” button. So I think the academy will reward the quality picture by giving the Best Actress trophy to Spacek and then choose a crowd pleaser for the actor (Crowe or Denzel).

AD: Crowd pleaser, eh? Funny way to describe what I would describe mostly as a lousy movie carried by a weighty performance. Washington was heavy, gritty, bitter and demanding — just like his Oscar campaign this year. But what was once a cruise control win for Crowe has turned into a two man race with Washington, and it’s heating up every day (peaked by Crowe’s self-destructive temper tantrum last week). Do you really think this year’s award is going to go to someone for his actual acting?

AR: Ah, there’s that rampant cynicism I know and love. It’s an ironic question in that last year Russell’s un-acted Maximus was rewarded and now the same man, in a much different (and better) performance, is a heavy contender. The film, the director, the actor, everyone in America can get behind every component of “A Beautiful Mind” without too much brain-strain (which plagues “Bedroom”). Washington is a harder sell in that he was in fact a villain. We like our heroes. Maximus, Forbes — these are heroes. As much as I completely loved Washington in the film, can you honestly see them giving it to a bad guy?

AD: As for Washington’s uphill battle because he was a villain — not necessarily so. Hannibal Lecter, Sunny Von Bulow, Antonio Salieri — these were some bad-ass villains and they all won Best Actor.

AR: I knew you were going to call me out with Hannibal. Point taken. Washington is ultimately too loud in that role, and Wilkinson is too quiet, leaving Crowe as the nice middle ground. That’s my pick.

AD: This is tough, there’s so much off-screen campaigning and mud-slinging. A month ago, Russell in a landslide over everyone. Last week, Russell in a nailbiter over Denzel. This week, Denzel in a nailbiter over Russel. In a month — I can’t say. Either way, Wilkinson (Too quiet? Hah! You clearly misunderstood this movie or were so pumped up on the sugar high of a bag of Sour Patch Kids that you couldn’t stand the agonizing silence of a mourning couple) deserves to win. What was he supposed to do? Sing a love ballad — not unlike this year’s snub-who-wasn’t-a-snub-because-he-didn’t-deserve-it, Ewan McG?

AR: Speaking of Sour Patch kids, that was a low blow.