THE ENVELOPE PLEASE...: CAPE MOVIE BUFF WINS OSCAR CONTEST

Pat Besand doesn't consider herself a movie critic, but she knew enough about current films to win the Southeast Missourian's "Pick the Oscars" contest this year with seven out of eight correct answers.

"I just guessed what I thought would win," Besand said. "I go to a lot of movies and read Entertainment Weekly."

Besand, of Cape Girardeau, received 20 free movie passes to Wehrenberg Theater in West Park Mall.

She picked Anthony Hopkins for best actor, Jack Palance for best supporting actor, Mercedes Ruehl for best supporting actress, Jonathan Demme for best director and "Beauty and the Beast" for best original song.

Other correct picks were Callie Khouri for best original screenplay for "Thelma & Louise" and Ted Tally for best adapted screenplay for "The Silence of the Lambs."

"I saw `Silence' three times. It was my favorite movie this year, even though everyone said `Bugsy' was going to win everything," Besand said. "I saw `Bugsy' too, and I was surprised it was nominated in so many categories."

Few people picked Ruehl to win the best supporting actress award. But Besand said Ruehl's performance in "The Fisher King" was strong.

"I also felt the screenplay for `The Fisher King' was strong, but it wasn't nominated," she said.

The one movie that overshadowed all others in the best adapted screenplay category was `Silence,' she said.

"I had read the book, and there have been very few times I ever thought the movie was better than the book. In this particular case, it was. I even went back and read the book again to make sure," she said.

So why did "Silence" sweep the major awards? Besand said the performances of Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster were the key.

Released more than a year before the Oscars, "Silence" was not easily forgotten, she said.

"I was glad to see it win the awards," she said. "As far as the actors, all eyes were on Warren Beatty and Nick Nolte ("The Prince of Tides). I think he's a great actor, and so is Robert De Niro ("Cape Fear"), but he wasn't Anthony Hopkins."

Besand said she was surprised she won the contest. "I'm very pleased. The tickets will come in handy."