I doubt if Amy Adams will get another shot at Oscar anytime soon, but two years after she wowed us in the otherwise forgettable Junebug she's at least on the right track toward becoming a respectable movie star. This year alone she will be covering the important territories of a mainstream starring role (Disney's Enchanted), a supporting role opposite bankable, award-winning bigwigs (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the Mike Nichols-directed Charlie Wilson's War) and a co-starring role in a highly-marketable indie (Sunshine Cleaning, with fellow newcomer/Oscar nom Emily Blunt). Now she's got another great role lined up for 2008. She will star alongside Frances McDormand in the pre-war odd-coupling Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

Though the film will be directed by Bharat Nalluri, whose last feature was The Crow: Salvation (he also helmed the recent TV-movie Tsunami: The Aftermath), with a script by The Full Monty's Simon Beaufoy and Finding Neverland's David Magee, and with two strong actresses, it will likely be a strong film. The plot centers on a dowdy governess (Dormand, as the Miss Pettigrew of the title) sent by mistake to the home of a nightclub singer (Adams) who could use a helping hand. The governess ends up helping the singer get better organized and the singer ends up helping the governess get a man -- you know, the old reciprocal back-scratching, life lesson learning, new buddy acquiring story we all love to see again and again. Hopefully it can extend to the real world and McDormand can help Adams score another Oscar nomination and Adams can help McDormand regain some wider appeal.

Hoping to cash in on the current fascination with crime scenes and the CSI onslaught, Amy Adams will appear in Sunshine Cleaning, an indie film about two sisters who decide to open a crime scene cleaning business and manage to find themselves in the process. Directing duties will be shared by Karen Moncrieff and Christine Jeffs based on a script by Megan Holley. Still no official word on whether Emily Blunt will join Adams, but we're certainly keeping our eyes open.

Adams is best known as the braces-wearing redhead who starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, managing to steal every scene she was in. If you were lucky enough to catch her Oscar-nominated role in Junebug, you'd see her doing that same thing in that film, minus the braces. She has an infectious spirit and smile, and has most recently appeared in Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby and The Office.

It has to be slightly intimidating trying to chew up scenery while sharing screen space with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio as Spielberg puts you through the paces, but she makes it look easy. It's only been six short years since she first appeared in Psycho Beach Party (yes, we ain't lying about that one), but she has come a long way since. Adams will appear in three films in 2007, including a voice role in Underdog, where she'll be playing Polly Purebred, Underdog's true love. Oh, and if they decide to make a twenty-something sequel to Annie, someone had better call Amy Adams.

I was very sad to find out that Ungawa, the Capuchin monkey I had hired from trainer-turned-bunk junking director Soso Whaley for a CD cover photo shoot, had died. Ungawa had picked the Oscars for me a couple of years ago, and while he went 0 for 6 (being far more interested in the popcorn I baited the photos with), it was a whole lot of fun to host him, and the kids that showed up were delighted by his delightful simian antics, none of which involved flinging poo.

This year, I was disappointed to find that my second choice to pick this year’s Oscars - Antony, the world-renowned anteater that Whaley also trained - had recently died of old age. He had appeared in a number of television shows and films, including Baby It’s Cold Outside.

A striped-knee tarantula named Klaus stepped up this year. While he was not as entertaining as a monkey (and what is?) or as goofy-looking as an anteater, he was a consummate professional, and his predictions were not entirely without rhyme or reason (if you can ignore the fact that he was not so much choosing as he was running away from us):