OSCAR CONTENDERS

Regarding Kenneth Turan’s discussion of possible Oscar nominees (“To the Moon, Oscar!,” Jan. 7), I would hope that excellent “smaller” performances by less well-known actors might be considered, even when those performances cannot summon the heavy budgets for promotion.

I think particularly of the fine, grounded, very human work of Loretta Devine in “Waiting to Exhale” and the splendid, live and very real work of Mike McGlone in “The Brothers McMullen.”

GORDON COHN

Long Beach

*

Turan omitted any mention of “Babe,” which topped his own 10-best list. How could he! “Babe” put the magic back in movies and gave us hope that Hollywood is indeed out to entertain us without nauseating us. Let’s hope the academy recognizes “Babe” for what it is--the best picture of 1995.

VICTORIA MULDER

Templeton