Hoping to Charm Oscar

When it comes to good-luck trinkets, baseball players have nothing on Oscar nominees. But toting a talisman offers no guarantee. Best supporting actress nominee Julie Walters tucked a lump of coal into her Jimmy Choo evening bag as a reminder of the hardships endured by the striking miners portrayed in “Billy Elliot.” Alas, the sooty charm didn’t lure Oscar and made a mess. “My makeup is getting covered in black,” she said. Jeff Bridges (“The Contender”) wore a gold Rolex watch that belonged to dad, the late Lloyd Bridges, for luck, but Oscar wound up keeping time with best supporting actor winner Benicio Del Toro. . Steven Soderbergh’s charm did the trick. “I’m wearing my lucky hairpiece,” said the balding best director (“Traffic”).