Thursday, January 8, 2009

Critics Choice Award Winners

Riding all the way to Best Picture...

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor: Sean Penn - Milk!!
Best Actress: (tie) Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married!!!! and Meryl Streep - Doubt
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Young Actor: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Song: The Wrestler
Animated: Wall-E
Documentary:
Man on Wire
Foreign Film:
Waltz With Bashir
Comedy Film:
Tropic Thunder
Action Film:
The Dark Knight
Ensemble:
Milk

A virtual Slumdog Millionaire sweep in all the major categories. But let's move beyond that. We already knew that Slumdog Millionaire was going to win best picture. Let's talk about what this means for the other categories.

Best Actor: It's barely Sean Penn's to lose at this point. If Mickey Rourke wins best actor at the Globes (which he very well may), then we're looking at a very tight two-way race.

Best Actress: I don't know why people keep saying it's Winslet vs. Streep. I've firmly said that it's Hathaway's to lose since the NBR win. Now that she has the BFCA, it's firmly a two-way race between Streep and Hathaway and I'm sorry, but I don't see Streep winning a third Oscar for this performance. How adorable was Hathaway's speech, by the way? So weepy and gracious and perfect. I love her. Viola Davis's speech on behalf of Streep was awesome too. Please give that woman the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actor: This is Heath Ledger's. I think this is the official kickoff of the steamroll.

Best Supporting Actress: Well, looks like I was wrong. Kate Winslet wins here for The Reader, which makes her look more like a third lock in supporting. They completely sidestepped the two critical darlings (Cruz and Davis), which means she may be in. I have mixed feelings about this win, as I will if Winslet wins the Oscar for this role. Why? Several reasons. It would be such a shame to see her finally win in supporting, when she's such a leading lady and has been for nearly a decade. It would doubly be a shame to see her win best supporting actress for this LEADING performance, however great it may be. And it is a great performance, better than her Revolutionary Road turn and on my shortlist for best actress. This is upsetting indeed.

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