Oscar-nominated producer David T. Friendly ("Little Miss Sunshine") wrote last night to express kind words for Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," and his own brand of prognostication to boot.

Friendly was asked to moderate a Q&A for the film Sunday evening in front of the PGA, and the screening seems to have gone swimmingly.  He told me that he thought the film was "pretty amazing," and that his "hunch is that Schnabel will get a nom and maybe the picture."

I can't stress enough how much industry support there seems to be heating up behind this film.  Ronald Harwood told me last week that a woman approached him following a screening and asked if he was the writer.  When he replied "Yes," she apparently began crying on the spot.

It usually takes passionate reactions like this to generate awards hopes for a film.  We'll see how it plays out.