'How on earth could a guy who hadn't won a single award all season now be considered a front-runner for an Oscar? Easy, when his first name is Sir and he stars in The Lord of the Rings. Up until last week, Ian McKellen had been largely ignored by critics' groups and voting bodies -- competitors won the lion's share of the early awards, along with eventual Oscar snubbee Steve Buscemi. But McKellen wisely advised New Line to switch his campaign from Best Actor to Best Supporting Actor, so that he would be considered a member of an ensemble.' [More]