Well, it has begun. The awards are being handed out, and first up to bat is The National Board of Review which handed out it’s “Best of” list yesterday. Here’s what they came up with:
Best Film
Finding NeverlandTop Ten Films
Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Closer, Million Dollar Baby, Sideways, Kinsey, Vera Drake, Ray, Collateral, Hotel RwandaBest Foreign Language Film
The Sea InsideTop Five Documentaries
Born into Brothels, Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession, Paper Clips, Supersize Me, The Story of the Weeping CamelTop Foreign Films
The Sea Inside, Bad Education, Maria Full of Grace, The Chorus (Les Choristes), The Motorcycle DiariesBest Actor
Jamie Foxx, RayBest Actress
Annette Bening, Being JuliaBest Supporting Actor
Thomas Haden Church, SidewaysBest Supporting Actress
Laura Linney, KinseyBest Acting By An Ensemble
CloserBreakthrough Performance Actor
Topher Grace, In Good Company and P.S.Breakthrough Performance Actress
Emmy Rossum, The Phantom of the OperaBest Director
Michael Mann, CollateralBest Directorial Debut
Zach Braff, Garden StateBest Adapted Screenplay
Sideways, Alexander Payne and Jim TaylorBest Original Screenplay
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie KaufmanBest Documentary
Born Into Brothels
Best Animated Feature
The IncrediblesCareer Achievement
Jeff BridgesSpecial Filmmaking Achievement
Clint Eastwood, for producing, directing, acting, and scoring Million Dollar BabyOutstanding Production Design
House of Flying DaggersWilliam K. Everson Award for Film History
Richard SchickelProducers Award
Jerry BruckheimerFreedom of Expression
Fahrenheit 9/11, The Passion of the Christ, Conspiracy of SilenceSpecial Recognition For Excellence In Filmmaking
(Listed alphabetically)
The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Before Sunset, Door in the Floor, Enduring Love, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Facing Windows, Garden State, A Home at the End of the World, Imaginary Heroes, Since Otar Left, Stage Beauty, Undertow, The Woodsman
My favorite part of this list is the career Achiievement award going to Jefff Bridges. Congrats Jeff! You are way too over looked in Hollywood today!
Eternal sunshine of the spotless of mind…who can argue with that award.
I am glad to see Sidways, Garden State and Closer get some props.
Donna A.
This is actually interesting. It sets up the prime clues to where will the Oscars go to. There are these films who have chances:
-Finding Neverland
-The Aviator (I expect A LOT from this one)
-Kinsey
-Collateral! Damn yes! It is the best movie of the season!
-And The Incredibles. This is unarguable. No matter how many anime, how excellent may they be, THIS is the animated movie to get all the prizes deserved and more.
-I have to mention Jamie Foxx as a fav for best actor. He is now a superstar, he deserves it, he was a complete surprise to me in Collateral, and he is a top notch actor.
i have never heard of this “national board of review”
have they had the freedom of expresison category before?
if it is a realt category they have had before, and not some cop out like thesecretsafe has said, i would say it would be a nice award to get. and a fitting one considering nowadays political climate. i don’t think a filmaker has ever given a president that big of a “you are an idiot” before, and it is the escence of freedom of expression.
bitter ?
huh?i am even more perplexed
I think Fahrenheit 9/11 is a great film.
I am just confused about what the freedom of expression award is and how it seems like a cop out weak award and that it should be in the top five documentaries listing.
Jeff Bridges should get his due.
Jeff Bridges should also stop playing the part of Jeff Bridges.
Jerry Bruckheimer is awful.
Although the amazing race is a fun show to watch.
What is the “Freedom of Expression” award? This just shows that there are far to many catagories in an overbloated award season. Too many self congratulatory award shows, too many made up awards. No wonder so many of us watch far less T.V. and follow fewer movies and, have even less respect for an industry that seems to think it is more important than it is.
wow, thesecretsafe sure is bitter today.
i can see why farenheit and the passion got their awards, they are two very unique films that took huge risks that payed off 10 fold. They are really goundbreaking, they may not be as good as a movie like finding neverland, but they will be remembered for what they accomplished far longer then other “better” movies will be.
Freedom of expression category???what is that?
They cant even place Fahrenheit 9/11 in the best documentary section?
the story of christs death gets a freedom of expression nod.
thats hilarious.
what a bunch of crap.
seriously are these two movies so awkward for people that they just dont know what to do with them even in an awards list?
also why is Finding Neverland the film of the year?It was just released and people havent even gotten the chance to see it.
Thats fishy.
Amongst all the films of the year they choose a movie thats not even released The Aviator as one of the top ten films of the year???
“Best Animated Feature
The Incredibles”
I wonder which other movies were being considered for this award. I have high hopes for Innocence and Howl’s Moving Castle, but maybe these weren’t considered because they haven’t been released yet.
i have been wnating to see born into brothels as it has been getting such great reviews, but it just sounds to upsetting to watch.
it is like how i can’t watch law and order special victims unit…only much, much worse.
and also: clint eastwood scored something? are you fucking kidding me?
and i wildly disagree with michael mann getting best director for collatoral…i mean, i just hated so many of the shots he used…it was like a first year film major who had just discovered how to blur things and “make them look al trippy, man”…loved the movie though, and i thought iwas goign to hate it.