Over the weekend a lot of critic's groups all around the country gathered to make their picks for the best films of the year, and there was more consensus than you might expect. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, The New York Film Critics Online (I'm part of that group) and the Boston Society of Film Critics all picked The Social Network as Best Picture and rewarded Aaron Sorkin with Best Screenplay. There's a lot of variation in the prizes from there, but The Social Network's dominating Best Picture among such different critic's groups is a hugely positive sign for the movie's strengthening Oscar campaign.
Additionally the Broadcast Film Critics Association announced their nominees today, with Black Swan snagging the most nods as 12; The Social Network is very much in the running there, though, as were The King's Speech and True Grit. It's hard to do too much interpreting of all these critic's awards coming at the same time, especially with more to come soon-- the New York Film Critics Circle announces today, and the Golden Globe nominations hit tomorrow. But the Best Picture sweep for The Social Network and the surprising strength of Black Swan (both Aronofsky and the picture itself came close to winning NYFCO prizes, and it took home three from us in the end) are interesting trends to watch going forward.
Full list of winners from all groups (and the BFCA nominees) below.
PICTURE: "The Social Network"
Runner-up: "Carlos"
DIRECTOR: Olivier Assayas, "Carlos," and David Fincher, "The Social Network" (tie)
ACTOR: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
Runner-up: Edgar Ramirez, "Carlos"
ACTRESS: Kim Hye-ja, "Mother"
Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Niels Arestrup, "A Prophet"
Runner-up: Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"
Runner-up: Olivia Williams, "The Ghost Writer"
SCREENPLAY: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"
Runner-up: David Seidler, "The King's Speech"
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: "Carlos"
Runner-up: "Mother"
ANIMATION: "Toy Story 3"
Runner-up: "The Illusionist"
DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM: "Last Train Home"
Runner-up: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Matthew Libatique, "Black Swan"
Runner-up: Roger Deakins, "True Grit"
MUSIC/SCORE: Alexandre Desplat, "The Ghost Writer," and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, "The Social Network" (tie)
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Guy Hendrix Dyas, "Inception"
Runner-up: Eve Stewart, "The King's Speech"
Picture: “The Social Network”
Actor: James Franco, “127 Hours”
Actress: Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
Director: David Fincher, “The Social Network”
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, “The Fighter”
Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”
Breakthrough Performer: Noomi Repace, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”
Debut Director: John Wells, “The Company Men”
Ensemble Cast: “The Kids Are All Right”
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network”
Documentary: “Exit Through The Gift Shop”
Foreign Language: “I Am Love”
Animated: “Toy Story 3”
Cinematography: “Black Swan”
Film Music or Score: “Black Swan”
Best Picture: The Social Network
Runner up: Toy Story 3
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
Runner up: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech (by one vote)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Runner up: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Runner Up: Andrew Garfield for The Social Network
Best Supporting Actress: Juliette Lewis for Conviction>
Runner Up: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Best Director: David Fincher for The Social Network
Runner up: Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
Runner up: Nicole Holofcener for Please Give
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for True Grit
Runner Up: Matthew Libatique for Black Swan
Best Documentary: Marwencol
Runner up: Inside Job
Best Foreign-Language Film: Mother
Runner-up: I Am Love
Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Runner Up: The Illusionist
Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer): Andrew Weisblum for The Black Swan
Runner Up: Lee Smith for Inception
Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy): Jeff Malmberg for Marwencol
Runner Up: David Michod for Animal Kingdom
Best Ensemble Cast: The Fighter
Runner Up: The Kids Are All Right
Best Use of Music in a Film: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross forThe Social Network
Runner Up: Carter Burwell for True Grit
BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges – “True Grit”
Robert Duvall – “Get Low”
Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network”
Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”
James Franco – “127 Hours”
Ryan Gosling – “Blue Valentine”
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening – “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman – “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”
Noomi Rapace – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Michelle Williams – “Blue Valentine”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale – “The Fighter”
Andrew Garfield – “The Social Network”
Jeremy Renner – “The Town”
Sam Rockwell – “Conviction”
Mark Ruffalo – “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush – “The King’s Speech”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter – “The King’s Speech”
Mila Kunis – “Black Swan”
Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver – “Animal Kingdom”
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – “Somewhere”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Winter’s Bone”
Chloe Grace Moretz – “Let Me In”
Chloe Grace Moretz – “Kick-Ass”
Kodi Smit-McPhee – “Let Me In”
Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit”
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
The Town
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky – “Black Swan”
Danny Boyle – “127 Hours”
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “True Grit”
David Fincher – “The Social Network”
Tom Hooper – “The King’s Speech”
Christopher Nolan – “Inception”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Another Year” – Mike Leigh
“Black Swan” – Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin
“The Fighter” – Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson (Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson)
“Inception” – Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” – Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg
“The King’s Speech” – David Seidler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“127 Hours” – Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle
“The Social Network” – Aaron Sorkin
“The Town” – Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Sheldon Turner
“Toy Story 3” – Michael Arndt (Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
“True Grit” – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter’s Bone” – Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“127 Hours” – Anthony Dod Mantle
“Black Swan” – Matthew Libatique
“Inception” – Wally Pfister
“The King’s Speech” – Danny Cohen
“True Grit” – Roger Deakins
BEST ART DIRECTION
“Alice in Wonderland” – Stefan Dechant
“Black Swan” – Therese DePrez and Tora Peterson
“Inception” – Guy Hendrix Dyas
“The King’s Speech” – Netty Chapman
“True Grit” – Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh
BEST EDITING
“127 Hours” – Jon Harris
“Black Swan” – Andrew Weisblum
“Inception” – Lee Smith
“The Social Network” – Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Alice in Wonderland” – Colleen Atwood
“Black Swan” – Amy Westcott
“The King’s Speech” – Jenny Beavan
“True Grit” – Mary Zophres
BEST MAKEUP
Alice in Wonderland
Black Swan
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
True Grit
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
Tron: Legacy
BEST SOUND
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
BEST ACTION MOVIE
Inception
Kick-Ass
Red
The Town
Unstoppable
BEST COMEDY
Cyrus
Date Night
Easy A
Get Him to the Greek
I Love You Phillip Morris
The Other Guys
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
I Am Love
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
BEST SONG
“I See the Light” – performed by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi/written by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater – Tangled
“If I Rise” – performed by Dido and A.R. Rahman/music by A.R. Rahman/lyrics by Dido Armstrong and Rollo Armstrong – 127 Hours
“Shine” – performed and written by John Legend – Waiting for Superman
“We Belong Together” – performed and written by Randy Newman – Toy Story 3
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me Yet” – performed by Cher/written by Diane Warren – Burlesque
BEST SCORE
“Black Swan” – Clint Mansell
“Inception” – Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech” – Alexandre Desplat
“The Social Network” – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“True Grit” – Carter Burwell
