And the Readers Nominate . . .

I loved “Jerry Maguire.” I also am not a fan of Shakespeare. Nevertheless, my two college kids urged me to go see Kenneth Branagh’s “Hamlet” last month. After leaving the theater I realized I had just witnessed one of the greatest motion pictures I’d ever seen in my lifetime. I’m still not too crazy about Shakespeare, but this particular film’s excellence is a fact that even I had to acknowledge.

Imagine my shock when “Jerry Maguire” got a best picture nomination and “Hamlet” did not (“The Indies’ Fat Tuesday,” Calendar, Feb. 12). “Jerry Maguire” was a very enjoyable film, but best picture quality? I think not. Even further shocks when Tom Cruise (whom I enjoy) received a best actor pick and Kenneth Branagh did not. In the best supporting actor category, Derek Jacobi was ignored in favor of Cuba Gooding Jr. That “Hamlet” even failed to receive a nomination for its splendid cinematography is unbelievable.

The ignoring of “Hamlet” in these four categories ranks as among the academy’s biggest blunders of this decade.

JERRY HERMES

San Diego

With the snubbing of Madonna, the omnipotent academy has lost all credibility. The Oscar is nothing more than a popularity contest; you are not judged by the quality of your performance but on whether or not, as Sally Field once put it, “you like me.”

Judging her solely by her performance in “Evita” and not by her “likability,” Madonna was worthy of both an Oscar nomination and, indeed, the statuette itself.

MICHAEL THOMAS CREIGHTON

Claremont

Upon reading Greg Braxton’s article “Hollywood in the Year 1 AJJ (After Jesse Jackson)” (Feb. 12), I was disturbed to find the line “some in the groups noted that there were no major Latino or Asian American contenders that might have been considered for a nomination.”

This year contained several nomination-worthy performances by Latino actors. These include: Elizabeth Pena for “Lone Star,” Antonio Banderas for “Evita,” John Leguizamo for “Romeo and Juliet,” Benicio del Toro for “Basquiat” and both Maria Conchita Alonso and Edward James Olmos for “Caught.”

While I realize the aforementioned line was not Braxton’s personal commentary, I hope some light can be shed on the misperception that Latino artists are not producing nomination-worthy work. It may be harder to find us but we’re there.

Thank you for an article that I hope draws attention not only to Latinos, but to all artists who struggle to have their voices heard.

JAMES BELTRAN

Silverlight Entertainment

Beverly Hills