# The Race to Oscar - The Film Critic Awards
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 10, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608 "2006-12-10T22:33:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/1 "2006-12-10T22:33:14Z")
Since the National Board of Review aren’t critics, I’ll start a separate thread on the various national & regioinal Critics organizations that give out awards at the end of the year.
First up: The Boston Film Critics (winners in Bold, runners-up in Italics)
Picture: **The Departed** / _United 93_
Actor: **Forest Whitaker** , The Last King of Scotland / _Ryan Gosling_, Half Nelson
Actress: **Helen Mirren** , The Queen / _Judi Dench_, Notes on a Scandal
Supporting Actor: **Mark Wahlberg** , The Departed / _Michael Sheen_, The Queen & _Alec Baldwin_, The Departed
Supporting Actress: **Shareeka Epps** , Half Nelson / _Meryl Streep_, The Devil Wears Prada
Director: **Martin Scorsese** , The Departed / _Paul Greengrass_, United 93
Screenplay: **The Departed** / _The Queen_
Foreign Language Film: **Pan’s Labyrinth** / _Volver_
Documentary: **Deliver Us from Evil** & **Shut Up and Sing** / _51 Birch Street_
Cinematography: **Pan’s Labyrinth** / _The Painted Veil_ & _Curse of the Golden Flower_
Not a big surprise that Scorsese’s film is popular among the Boston crowd, but lots of love for _The Queen, Half Nelson_ & _Pan’s Labyrinth_, too.
The Los Angeles Film Critics announce later today, and the New York tomorrow.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/2 "2006-12-11T01:33:35Z")
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Picture: “Letters From Iwo Jima”
Runner-up: “The Queen”
Director: Paul Greengrass, “United 93”
Runner-up: Clint Eastwood, “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters From Iwo Jima”
Actor: Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat” and Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland” (tie) (no runner-up)
Actress: Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Runner-up: Penelope Cruz, “Volver”
Supporting actor: Michael Sheen, “The Queen”
Runner-up: Sergi Lopez, “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Supporting actress: Luminita Gheorghiu, “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”
Runner-up: Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”
Screenplay: Peter Morgan, “The Queen”
Runner-up: Michael Arndt, “Little Miss Sunshine”
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Children of Men”
Runner-up: Tom Stern, “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters From Iwo Jima”
Production design: Eugenio Caballero, “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Runner-up: Jim Clay and Geoffrey Kirkland, “Children of Men”
Music: Alexandre Desplat, “The Queen” and “The Painted Veil”
Runner-up: Thomas Newman, “The Good German” and “Little Children”
Foreign-language film: “The Lives of Others”
Runner-up: “Volver”
Documentary/non-fiction film: “An Inconvenient Truth”
Runner-up: “Darwin’s Nightmare”
Animation: “Happy Feet”
Runner-up: “Cars”
Douglas Edwards experimental/independent film/video award: “Old Joy” (Kelly Reichardt) and “In Between Days” (So Yong Kim)
New generation award: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris (directors) and Michael Arndt (screenwriter), “Little Miss Sunshine”
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/3 "2006-12-11T02:38:54Z")
Los Angeles Film Critics (winners in Bold, runners-up in Italics)
Picture: **Letters from Iwo Jima** / _The Queen_
Actor: **Forest Whitaker** , The Last King of Scotland & **Sacha Baron Cohen** , Borat
Actress: **Helen Mirren** , The Queen / _Penelope Cruz_, Volver
Supporting Actor: **Michael Sheen** , The Queen / _Sergi Lopez_, Pan’s Labyrinth
Supporting Actress: **Luminita Gheorghiu** , The Death of Mr. Lazarescu / _Jennifer Hudson_, Dreamgirls
Director: **Paul Greengrass** , United 93 / _Clint Eastwood_, Flags of Our Fathers
Screenplay: **The Queen** / _Little Miss Sunshine_
Foreign Language Film: **The Lives of Others** / _Volver_
Documentary: **An Inconvenient Truth** / _Darwin’s Nightmare_
Cinematography: **Children of Men** / _Flags of Our Fathers_
Production Design: **Pan’s Labyrinth** / _Children of Men_
Music: **The Queen** & **The Painted Veil** / _The Good German_ & _Little Children_
Animated Feature: **Happy Feet** / _Cars_
New York Film Critics Online (different from the NY (print) Film Critics):
Picture: **The Queen**
Actor: **Forest Whitaker** , The Last King of Scotland
Actress: **Helen Mirren** , The Queen
Supporting Actor: **Michael Sheen** , The Queen
Supporting Actress: **Jennifer Hudson** , Dreamgirls & **Catherine O’Hara** , For Your Consideration
Director: **Stephen Frears** , The Queen
Screenplay: **The Queen**
Foreign Language Film: **Pan’s Labyrinth**
Documentary: **An Inconvenient Truth**
Cinematography: **The Illusionist**
Music: **The Illusionist**
Animated Feature: **Happy Feet**
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/4 "2006-12-11T07:52:02Z")
Wow…The Queen wins one and comes in second in the other, plus Forrest winning for King and Helen as Queen - looks like a very royal year ahead…I suppose it would only be fitting for a Queen to finally win this year, considering Brokeback lost last year.
Letters From Iwo Jima has gotten rave reviews, and reading them, I am considering going to see it, despite the fact I am not a big war film fan. I had no idea the history behind the story, and it sounds like this certainly is a (true) story worth learning about in this film.
Well, at least a few nominations for Oscar are already set - my guess is Helen should start preparing her acceptance speech - (as I predicted in the recent thread about The Queen) - although I am sort of surprised neither set of film critics even mentioned The Departed - I was sure that was a lock for Best Film this year. And no love for Blood Diamond?
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/5 "2006-12-11T20:18:13Z")
New York Film Critics
Picture: **United 93**
Actor: **Forest Whitaker** , The Last King of Scotland
Actress: **Helen Mirren** , The Queen
Supporting Actor: **Jackie Earle Haley** , Little Children
Supporting Actress: **Jennifer Hudson** , Dreamgirls
Director: **Martin Scorsese** , The Departed
Screenplay: **The Queen**
Foreign Language Film: **Army of Shadows**
Documentary: **Deliver Us from Evil**
Cinematography: **Pan’s Labyrinth**
Animated Feature: **Happy Feet**
Washington D.C. Film Critics:
Picture: **United 93**
Actor: **Forest Whitaker** , The Last King of Scotland
Actress: **Helen Mirren** , The Queen
Supporting Actor: **Djimon Hounsou** , Blood Diamond
Supporting Actress: **Jennifer Hudson** , Dreamgirls
Director: **Martin Scorsese** , The Departed
Screenplay: **Little Miss Sunshine** & **Thank You for Smoking**
Foreign Language Film: **Pan’s Labyrinth**
Documentary: **An Inconvenient Truth**
Art Direction: **Marie Antoinette**
Animated Feature: **Happy Feet**
The Whitaker/Mirren sweep continues, with Scorsese & Hudson following close behind, though no real front-runner is emerging from Picture, though _The Queen_ & _The Departed_ seem to be the two true locks for a nod at this point (they were both locked in a tie for Pic in NY, and U93 was picked as a compromise choice). I honestly don’t think U93 has a prayer at an Oscar Pic nod, but it does increase director Greengrass’s likelihood in the Director’s branch.
_Army of Shadows_ is a terrific film but a cheat choice because it was made 35 years ago. Really can’t wait until _Pan’s Labyrinth_ is released. That and _Children of Men_ are the two I’m most looking forward to.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/6 "2006-12-11T21:24:51Z")
The Critics’ awards very rarely line up with Oscars, but it’s interesting to see the titles that are coming out of them.
I’m beginning to think I really should have seen **United 93**.
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy]
New York Film Critics
Supporting Actor: **Jackie Earle Haley** , Little Children
[/quote]
Good for him!
> [@](#):
>
> Washington D.C. Film Critics:
> Art Direction: **Marie Antoinette**
Whoo! If it doesn’t get anything else, at least it wasn’t completely forgotten.
> [@](#):
>
> Really can’t wait until _Pan’s Labyrinth_ is released. That and _Children of Men_ are the two I’m most looking forward to.
Yep! Same here. I’m very interested in **The Painted Veil** too.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/7 "2006-12-13T08:37:12Z")
I love these guys.
> [@](#):
>
> NOMINEES FOR THE 12TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
>
> BEST PICTURE:
> Babel
> Blood Diamond
> The Departed
> Dreamgirls
> Letters from Iwo Jima
> Little Children
> Little Miss Sunshine
> Notes on a Scandal
> The Queen
> United 93
Ack! I really REALLY wish I’d seen **United 93** now. It was high on my radar but when it came I just never got around to it. I have seen/will see everything else on the list. Is it out on DVD?
I don’t quite get the love for **Little Children**. It was a good movie, but, IMO, not a great one. There were several that I liked quite a bit more. LC better than **Apocalypto**? Come on. Hooray for the addition of **Blood Diamond** though.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST ACTOR:
> Leonardo DiCaprio – “Blood Diamond”
> Leonardo DiCaprio – “The Departed”
> Ryan Gosling – “Half Nelson”
> Peter O’Toole – “Venus”
> Will Smith – “The Pursuit of Happyness”
> Forest Whitaker – “The Last King of Scotland”
Good for Leo! They’re doing what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can’t do, nominating him for both films.
I’m kicking myself for missing **Half Nelson** too.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST ACTRESS:
> Penelope Cruz – “Volver”
> Judi Dench – “Notes on a Scandal”
> Helen Mirren – “The Queen”
> Meryl Streep – “The Devil Wears Prada”
> Kate Winslet – “Little Children”
Hooray for Penelope, but…Kate Winslet? She’s probably my favorite current actress out there (well, along with Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman) but she didn’t have a whole lot to do in LC. She did it well though, as always.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
> Ben Affleck – “Hollywoodland”
> Alan Arkin – “Little Miss Sunshine”
> Adam Beach – “Flags of Our Fathers”
> Djimon Hounsou – “Blood Diamond”
> Eddie Murphy – “Dreamgirls”
> Jack Nicholson – “The Departed”
I knew I loved these guys. Ben Affleck! He deserves far more awards attention for that role. I don’t get the Djimon Hounsou though. **Blood Diamonds** was one of my favorite films of the year, but his role was badly underwritten. It was my one disappointment about the film. Jackie Earle Haley from **Little Children** should be on that list.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
> Adriana Barraza – “Babel”
> Cate Blanchett – “Notes on a Scandal”
> Jennifer Hudson – “Dreamgirls”
> Rinko Kikuchi – “Babel”
> Catherine O’Hara – “For Your Consideration”
> Emma Thompson – “Stranger Than Fiction”
Adriana, Rinko, Catherine and Emma? Alright! Damn I love these critics!
> [@](#):
>
> BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE:
> Babel
> Bobby
> The Departed
> Dreamgirls
> Little Miss Sunshine
> A Prairie Home Companion
Great lineup. **Bobby**! Cool! (ok, so I’m inarticulate tonight)
> [@](#):
>
> BEST DIRECTOR:
> Bill Condon – “Dreamgirls”
> Clint Eastwood – “Letters from Iwo Jima”
> Stephen Frears – “The Queen”
> Paul Greengrass – “United 93”
> Martin Scorsese – “The Departed”
>
> BEST WRITER:
> Michael Arndt – “Little Miss Sunshine”
> Guillermo Arriaga – “Babel”
> Todd Field and Tom Perrotta – “Little Children”
> Zach Helm – “Stranger Than Fiction”
> William Monahan – “The Departed”
> Peter Morgan – “The Queen”
>
> BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
> “Cars”
> “Flushed Away”
> “Happy Feet”
> “Monster House”
> “Over the Hedge”
All good. Nice that _someone_ remembered Monster House.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST YOUNG ACTOR:
> Cameron Bright – “Thank You For Smoking”
> Joseph Cross – “Running With Scissors”
> Paul Dano – “Little Miss Sunshine”
> Freddie Highmore – “A Good Year”
> Jaden Christopher Syre Smith – “The Pursuit of Happyness”
I missed **A Good Year** too.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST YOUNG ACTRESS:
> Ivana Baquero – “Pan’s Labyrinth”
> Abigail Breslin – “Little Miss Sunshine”
> Shareeka Epps – “Half Nelson”
> Dakota Fanning – “Charlotte’s Web”
> Keke Palmer – “Akeelah and the Bee”
I missed **Akeelah and the Bee** too. Hurry up, **Pan’s Labyrinth**!
> [@](#):
>
> BEST COMEDY MOVIE:
> Borat
> For Your Consideration
> Little Miss Sunshine
> The Devil Wears Prada
> Thank You For Smoking
Good for TYFS.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST FAMILY FILM (LIVE ACTION):
> Akeelah and the Bee
> Charlotte’s Web
> Flicka
> Lassie
> Pirates of the Caribbean 2
Pirates?? I missed **Lassie** (darn it). Nice that **Flicka** wasn’t forgotten.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:
> Elizabeth I
> The Librarian
> Nightmares & Dreamscapes
> The Ron Clark Story
> When the Levees Broke
I haven’t seen any of these.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
> Apocalypto
> Days of Glory
> Letters from Iwo Jima
> Pan’s Labyrinth
> Volver
> Water
Apocalypto!! Great!
> [@](#):
>
> BEST SONG:
> “I Need to Wake Up” – Melissa Etheridge – “An Inconvenient Truth”
> “Listen” – Beyonce – “Dreamgirls”
> “My Little Girl” – Tim McGraw – “Flicka”
> “The Neighbor” – Dixie Chicks – “Shut Up & Sing”
> “Never Gonna Break My Faith” – Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige – “Bobby”
> “Ordinary Miracle” – Sarah McLachlan – “Charlotte’s Web”
This category confuses me. At least, “The Neighbor” confuses me. Was it a song written specifically for the film? Because if they’re going to choose a song that was IN the film, “Not Ready To Make Nice” is one of the greatest songs ever.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST SOUNDTRACK:
> Babel
> Cars
> Dreamgirls
> Happy Feet
> Marie Antoinette
Ok, someone _else_ remembered **Marie Antoinette**.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST COMPOSER:
> Philip Glass – “The Illusionist”
> Clint Mansell – “The Fountain”
> Thomas Newman – “The Good German”
> Gustavo Santaolalla – “Babel”
> Howard Shore – “The Departed”
> Hans Zimmer – “The Da Vinci Code”
I have to admit that I don’t pay much attention to scores as I’m watching the movie. Composers have to walk a fine line. If the score stands out too much, that’s bad. If people don’t really think about the music as they’re watching the film, the composer has done his or her job. However, if the score is unmemorable, they haven’t done their job well enough. I’m sure these are all very good.
> [@](#):
>
> BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
> An Inconvenient Truth
> Shut Up & Sing
> This Film Is Not Yet Rated
> Who Killed the Electric Car?
> Wordplay
Wordplay! Good. I didn’t see TFINYR and WKTEC. I’m rooting for **Shut Up and Sing**. I saw it twice and I’m not even a Dixie Chicks fan (except for that one song).
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-race-to-oscar-the-film-critic-awards/383608/8 "2006-12-14T00:45:52Z")
San Francisco Film Critics Circle (I only have winners):
> [@](#):
>
> Best Picture
> “Little Children”
>
> Best Director
> Paul Greengrass for “United 93”
>
> Best Original Screenplay
> “Brick”
>
> Best Adapted Screenplay
> “Little Children”
>
> Best Actor
> Sacha Baron Cohen for “Borat”
>
> Best Actress
> Helen Mirren for “The Queen”
>
> Best Supporting Actor
> Jackie Earle Haley for “Little Children”
>
> Best Supporting Actress
> Adriana Barraza for “Babel”
>
> Best Foreign Language Film
> “Pan’s Labyrinth”
>
> Best Documentary
> “An Inconvenient Truth”
I saw little children a while ago, maybe a month or so ago and it has held up as my favorite picture of the year. I hope it does well come Oscar season. It’d also be pretty neat if Sacha Baron Cohen gets a nomination but I’d be more than a little surprised.
It still appears that Helen Mirren has a lock on just about every award. I HAVE to see Pan’s Labyrinth but I don’t see it opening any time soon in Canada. We’ll see.