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Sam Mendes, American Beauty

Oscar quotient: 8.5 Born: Redding, England, Aug. 1, 1965 Nominated for: Creating family dysfunction with a superb combination of visual style, verbal wit and human compassion. Career highlights: Before his "American Beauty" feature debut, he was a hot stage director, guiding Nicole Kidman through "The Blue Room" and Alan Cumming and Jane Horrocks through "Cabaret." He also directed Ms. Horrocks in "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" and Ralph Fiennes in "Troilus and Cressida." Became the king of revivals with acclaimed versions of "Company," "The Glass Menagerie," "Oliver!" and "Othello." What Oscar would mean: As an actor-friendly director, he'd be on the A-list of every top actor, and probably he'd make all of them look good.

M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense

Oscar quotient: 5.25 Born: Pondicherry, India, Aug. 6, 1970 Nominated for: Directing what is arguably the only supernatural thriller to leave audiences with lumps in their throats. Career highlights: Grew up in Philadelphia, a locale he used to shivery advantage in "The Sixth Sense." By the time he was 16, he had made 45 short films. But his first two features, "Praying With Anger" and "Wide Awake," were panned. He revised the screenplay to "Stuart Little" and was upset when the studio injected bathroom humor. After the huge success of "The Sixth Sense," he received a $5 million paycheck to write and direct "Unbreakable," again with Bruce Willis. What Oscar would mean: He'd be this year's "king of the world," with an Oscar winner that's made buckets of cash.

Michael Mann, The Insider

Oscar quotient: 4.75 Born: Chicago, Feb. 5, 1943 Nominated for: Bringing suspense and visual flair to a dialogue-heavy movie with an ending we already know. Career highlights: His feature debut, "Thief," contains James Caan's best performance. His highly stylized "Miami Vice" television series became part of pop culture. He gave audiences their first glance of Hannibal Lecter in the chilling "Manhunter." He re-thought James Fenimore Cooper for the hit movie "The Last of the Mohicans," but the De Niro-Pacino teaming in "Heat" was frosty. Chooses his projects very carefully. What Oscar would mean: He'd be given creative carte blanche, which could result in some of Hollywood's most stylish visuals.

Lasse Hallstrom, The Cider House Rules

Oscar quotient: 3 Born: Stockholm, Sweden, June 6, 1946 Nominated for: Successfully condensing an expansive novel, merging old-fashioned warmth with new-fashioned ideology. Career highlights: His films show a flair for directing young people and exploring the dynamics of both nuclear and extended families. "My Life as a Dog" was an art-house smash. His Hollywood films Ð "Once Around" with Holly Hunter, "Something To Talk" About with Julia Roberts, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" with Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio Ð all had shining moments. Next he'll direct "Chocolat" with Juliette Binoche of "The English Patient," his wife Lena Olin and Mr. Depp. What Oscar would mean: He's already typecast as the maker of eccentric yet cuddly movies. An Oscar would typecast him even more so.

Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich

Oscar quotient: 1.75 Born: Bethesda, Md., 1969, actual date not recorded Nominated for: Hilariously pushing the envelope on reality, fantasy, gender preference and that odious thing known as celebrity-worship. Career highlights: His birth name was Adam Spiegel, and he's heir to the catalog company. But his spikey wit lives up to his stage name. Secured a strong rep with music videos for Beastie Boys, Daft Punk and Puff Daddy. Often worked with Sofia Coppola, daughter of Godfather's Francis Ford Coppola, and married her in 1999. Also acts: In "Three Kings," he played the redneck who longs for a split-level home in Garland. What Oscar would mean: He'd be the new king of irreverence, and with his talents and his connections, he'd stay there a long time.

 
 Published in The Dallas Morning News: 03.17.00