The 81st Academy Awards

Well, it's been a week-- I've gone through the five stages of grief, finally acceptance-- I can now remove the 2008 movie year from my memory. Thankfully!

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Sean Penn, Milk (link to speech)
ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader (link to speech)
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (link to speech)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Milk- Dustin Lance Black (link to speech)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
FOREIGN FILM: Damages (Japan)
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
ANIMATED SHORT FEATURE: La Maison en Petits Cubes
DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Smile Pinki
LIVE ACTION SHORT: Toyland
ART DIRECTION: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Donald Graham Burt & Victor Solfo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle
COSTUME DESIGN: The Duchess- Michael O'Connor
FILM EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire- Chris Dickens
ORIGINAL SCORE: Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman
ORIGINAL SONG: "Jai-Ho," Slumdog Millionaire
SOUND MIXING: Slumdog Millionaire
SOUND EDITING: The Dark Knight
MAKE-UP: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

And that's the end of that one-- and Slumdog brought home 8 of a possible 9 Oscars, as expected. I got over the fact that the film would sweep despite my reservations about it a long time ago-- no point in dwelling on it anymore-- time to prove my right eventually (RIGHT?) On a prediction standpoint I did pretty well (expecting the Slumdog sweep) missing out on Actor and sound editing only. On the Sean Penn point-- he'd been running neck and neck with Mickey Rourke all season-- so that doesn't really count-- and well either way the winner was completely worthy-- Penn's win is still one of the best of decade. And when the biggest surprise is in a sound category, you know it's a lame year.

Not that the whole show was a loss, and a bit more watched than last year (13% up, a modest, but good thing)-- Hugh Jackman proved a terrific showman (link to his opening number), playfully mocking the films and bringing back a little song and dance. Somebody should give him a musical (and for that matter give one to Anne Hathaway too, for her nicely showtuney gamemanship in the Frost/Nixon section.) It just would have been nice if they'd bother to use more of Jackman's movie star charisma (didn't he just disappear after that?) Also, the theme of announcing the categories in the way films get made (from script to production to post-production) kinda worked. It especially would have worked if most movies seemed to be made that way nowadays (just an aside!) Also bring back Steve Martin and Tina Fey, the best presenters of the night (let them host possibly?)

What didn't work was the a strange acting categories by having announed by five previous winners-- it's felt too crowded up there, and more than a bit self-congratulatory in the bad way, not in the sublime way it can be at the Oscars. The musically numbers aside from the opening sucked too (but that goes back to the whole problem of the Oscars continuing to nominate crappy songs-- I've gone off on that one too much as well...) But the numbers about musical numbers with the scrappy kids of High School Musical and Mamma Mia!...boo!

What may stick with me the most are the speeches from the expected winners-- the Man on Wire guy doing magic (beautiful-- more people should have fun with it.) Sean Penn getting political (surprise, surprise), but also astute (his observation about how hard he makes it for everyone to like him had me stitches) and politically incorrect ("commie, homo-loving son-of-a-guns" has to become a trademark expression from now on.) Kate Winslet whistling to her father was the cutest moment-- I'll just pretend in my mind the great Kate won for Eternal Sunshine instead, and Dustin Lance Black's heartfelt speech was the most intelligently optimistic of the night. I heart!

Good Bye 2008, now be better 2009!

Costume Design Guild

AND THE WINNERS:

Contemporary Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Period Film: The Duchess
Fantasy Film: The Dark Knight

So here's the deal-- Slumdog Millionaire has swept the critics awards, wons ever guild award-- when will this madness stop...that's all I'm asking! It's a good movie, but stop! Must it win everything...

Guild Award Winners

A whole slew of guild winners were announced this past week... I haven't posted them yet, due to there utter unimaginative recipients...

AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS (A biggie for Best Picture-- doesn't matter anymore)
Drama: Slumdog Millionaire
Musical or Comedy: WALL-E
Documentary: Man on Wire

ART DIRECTORS GUILD
Period Film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Donald Graham Burt
Fantasy Film: The Dark Knight- Nathan Crowley
Contemporary Film: Slumdog Millionaire- Mark Digby

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle

CINEMA AUDIO SOCIETY
Slumdog Millionaire


Slumdog! Slumdog! Slumdog! Blah! Blah! Blah!

BAFTA Winners

And the British Academy honored:

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
BRITISH FILM: Man on Wire
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (link to his great speech here.)
ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: In Bruges- Martin McDonagh
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
FOREIGN FILM: I've Loved You So Long
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle
SCORE: Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman
FILM EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire- Chris Dickens
COSTUME DESIGN: The Duchess
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
SOUND: Slumdog Millionaire
MAKEUP & HAIR: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
CARL FOREMAN AWARD: Steve McQueen, Hunger

Writers Guild Winners

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Milk- written by Dustin Lance Black

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Slumdog Millionaire- written by Simon Beaufoy

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Waltz With Bashir- written by Ari Foreman

Expected choices, but yay Milk- win the Oscar NOW!

DGA Awards

and the winners are:

DIRECTOR (Feature)
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR (Documentary)
Ari Foreman, Waltz With Bashir

and it's official-- this boring Academy year is decided-- Slumdog Millionaire wins...everything. With this win, a prime indicator of the best picture race, Slumdog adds to it's GLOBE, PGA, SAG ENSEMBLE, CRITICS CHOICE, and plentiful critic's prizes. Very boring...blah. Slumdog also won the USC Scriptor award for best adapted screenplay.

Screen Actors Guild Awards

BEST ENSEMBLE
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR
Sean Penn, Milk

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep, Doubt

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Winslet, The Reader

So here's the deal, I'm actually pretty alright with the acting winners... yay Sean Penn and Meryl Streep and Heath Ledger and I love me some Kate Winslet, but the big award, the award for best ensemble to Slumdog Millionaire is appalling, actually disgusting. That members of the screen actors guild would acknowledge this film as the best acting done in any movie throughout 2008 is just plain wrong. I did like the movie, but the clear star is Danny Boyle, not the pretty stars slumming so attractively. Sorry Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto! And this is the problems-- it seems the members of SAG so eagerly wanted to become Academy Award prognisticators that they flat out lost their minds when voting. All of the other nominees were infinitely better acted-- and that's what this award is supposed to signify, not the best film (still not Slumdog), but the best acted film, where the attractively distressed members of the Slumdog cast were not really that great (not that they screwed up), but they were simply adequate. The casts of Milk, Rachel Getting Married, Synecdoche, New York, The Dark Knight, Doubt, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Wrestler were incredibly better (and only two of those were actually nominated.) Sorry actors, but you made the wrong decision.

Producers Guild Association Winners

BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire- Christian Colson

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Man on Wire- Simon Chinn

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
WALL-E- Jim Morris

STANLEY KRAMER AWARD
Milk- Dan Jinks & Bruce Cohen

BAFTA Nominations

The nominees for the British Academy of Film & Television Awards are:

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST BRITISH PICTURE
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man on Wire
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Clint Eastwood, Changeling
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon

BEST ACTOR
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Burn After Reading- Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Changeling- J. Michael Straczynski
I've Loved You So Long- Phillippe Claudel
In Bruges- Martin McDonagh
Milk- Dustin Lance Black

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Eric Roth
Frost/Nixon- Peter Morgan
The Reader- David Hare
Revolutionary Road- Justin Haythe
Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy

BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Baader Meinof Complex
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz With Bashir

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Persepolis
WALL-E
Waltz With Bashir

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling- Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight- Wally Pfister
The Reader- Chris Menges & Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Changeling- James J. Murakami & Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Donald Graham Burt & Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight- Nathan Crowley & Peter Lando
Revolutionary Road- Kristi Zea & Debra Schutt
Slumdog Millionaire- Mark Digby & Michelle Day

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Changeling- Deborah Hopper
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Jacqueline West
The Dark Knight- Lindy Hemming
The Duchess- Michael O'Connor
Revolutionary Road- Albert Wolsky

BEST FILM EDITING
Changeling- Joel Cox & Gary D. Roach
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall
The Dark Knight- Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon- Mike Hill & Dan Hanley
In Bruges- Jon Gregory
Slumdog Millionaire- Chris Dickens

BEST MUSIC
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Alexandre Desplat
The Dark Knight- Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
Mamma Mia!- Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman
WALL-E- Thomas Newman

BEST MAKEUP/HAIR
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Frost/Nixon
Milk

BEST SOUND
Changeling
The Dark Knight
Quantum of Solace
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace

ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD
Michael Cera
Noel Clarke
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell

Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button lead the way with 11 nominations each, while Kate Winlset added further confusion by being nominated twice for leading actress...plus some really crazy acting nods (Dev Patel- lead actor?, Freida Pinto?, Tilda Swinton?) Hmmmm.

Golden Globe Winners

PICTURE (Drama): Slumdog Millionaire
PICTURE (Musical or Comedy): Vicky Cristina Barcelona
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR (Drama): Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS (Drama): Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
ACTOR (Musical or Comedy): Colin Farrell, In Bruges
ACTRESS (Musical or Comedy): Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader
SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
FOREIGN FILM: Waltz With Bashir
SCORE: Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman
SONG: "The Wrestler," The Wrestler- music & lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

Well, Slumdog Millionaire swept, but the real story was the wonderful Kate Winslet (notorious award show bridesmaid) won both lead and supporting trophies. The second speech was priceless-- it's always more fun when people look naturally surprised to be up there (her forgetting Angelina Jolie's name was priceless.)

Broadcast Film Critics Association

Yes, Slumdog Millionaire topped the Critics Choice Awards, but the real interesting development was the tie between The Devil Wears Prada co-horts in the best actress race-- the battle begins. Since the Critics Choice Awards like to be Oscar prognosticators more so than a divisive critical organization, I'm curious not about how this benefits Streep, but Hathaway-- could she be a stronger threat for the win than expected?

BEST PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ACTOR: Sean Penn, Milk
BEST ACTRESS (tie!)
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Meryl Streep, Doubt
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader
BEST ENSEMBLE: Milk
BEST WRITER: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
BEST DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
BEST FOREIGN FILM: Waltz With Bashir
BEST COMPOSER: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire BEST SONG: "The Wrestler," The Wrestler- written by Bruce Springsteen
BEST YOUNG ACTOR: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ACTION FILM: The Dark Knight
BEST COMEDY FILM:Tropic Thunder

Awards Bait Glut

It's easy to get behind when every major awards packaged film opens in the last couple of weeks of the year. Here are write-ups of three of them. One of which is already the a best picture frontrunner and critical salivation toy. The other two a mixed assortment of pleasures and limitations.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
I've always been a fan of Danny Boyle, from his mid-90s heyday of Trainspotting and Shallow Grave, thru his shape-shifting, genre-bending trifecta of 28 Days Later, Millions and Sunshine. So naturally I went into Slumdog Millionaire with high expectations. Ever since it's debut at the Toronto Film Festival, it has been so heavily drooled over, and that coupled with it's insane strangle hold over mostly every critics organization, I'm officially going to the that lone man in the corner with the confused look on his face. It's not that the film is a disaster-- not at all, like all of Boyle's previous films, there's an energy and kinetic feel, a movement that is enthralling. It's not that the story is bad-- it's not, it's different and for the most part compelling. (A boy raised in the slums of Dubai goes on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and is accused of cheating-- he tells his sad childhood tale to prove his innocence.) So what's my beef with Slumdog Millionaire? Well, it's not that what's on screen is bad, it's the overwhelming, nauseating hype attached to it. It's a simple, plainly acted, somewhat shallow Dickensian tale of poor boy making good. It's not the feel good movie of the year, of many have proclaimed-- 75% of it is actually quite depressing. It's not some globally enhancing tale-- it's just a decent film, not revelatory in the vital early films of Danny Boyle. I apologize to the masses of followers I've just offended. B

DOUBT
Based on the Pulitzer Prize (and just about everything else the theater world could bestow) winning play, Doubt is set in a 1960s Catholic School revolving around what may or may not have happened between a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and a young alter boy, who just happens to the first black child enrolled in school. The suspicion is strong enough for Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep,) and the acting fireworks begin. Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley (who wrote the original play), in the first film since the disastrous Joe Versus the Volcano. The other main characters are Sister James (Amy Adams), a nice girl nun, played in typical sunny Amy Adams fashion, and Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis), the mother of the boy in question, who in one scene shifts the story in ways I can't reveal. Doubt the movie is probably suffers from similar problems that most play to screen transfers probably do-- it's very talky and stagey, of which Shanley doesn't really help matters by liberalizing everything visually way too much-- it's doesn't rain outside, it pours. It's distracting, no matter how prettily photographed by master of the art Roger Deakins. I just felt like telling Mr. Shanley that this isn't necessary when you have an arsenal of major acting. Meryl Streep gives a fierce, surprising and monumental performance here-- her line readings are all perfectly timed and appropriately movie star, and yet she totally essays a time between old school piousness and new age political correctness. B+

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Based on the acclaimed novel by Richard Yates of hopeless in the suburban America, Sam Mendes returns to the world of his first feature American Beauty, reuniting the stars of one of the most classic love stories ever, and plopping them in the middle of 1950s gloom. I'm speaking of Titanic, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, here playing married couple Frank and April Wheeler, fighting there way through ennui and depression while trying desperately to run away from the American Dream. It's a heavy movie-- literally the first five minutes features dramatic war of words. It's at once more mature and more distancing than American Beauty, where dark comedy eased what could have a complete downer. As in Doubt, Roger Deakins photographs pretty images of pristine suburban decay, but it's the majestic power of Kate Winslet that salvages Revolutionary Road-- not only elevating the film from its unease, but also elevating the performance of DiCaprio. B

Kansas City Film Critics

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
DIRECTOR: Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
ACTOR: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, Doubt
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Wrestler- Robert Siegel
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
FOREIGN FILM: Let the Right One In
DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
VINCE KOEHLER AWARD: The Dark Knight

Oklahoma Film Critics

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire

Top Ten:
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-Doubt
-Frost/Nixon
-Happy-Go-Lucky
-Milk
-Rachel Getting Married
-WALL-E
-The Wrestler

DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Wrestler- Robert Siegel
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
FOREIGN FILM: Let the Right One In
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
FIRST FEATURE: Synecdoche, New York
WORST FILM: The Love Guru
NOT SO OBVIOUSLY WORST FILM: Mamma Mia!

San Diego Film Critics Society

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
runner-up: The Dark Knight

DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Visitor- Thomas McCarthy
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
FOREIGN FILM: Let the Right One In
DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Slumdog Millionaire- Anthony Dod Mantle
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Donald Graham Burt
FILM EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire- Chris Dickens
SCORE: Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman
ENSEMBLE: Frost/Nixon
BODY OF WORK: Richard Jenkins- The Visitor; Burn After Reading; Step Brothers; The Tale of Despereaux

Phoenix Film Critics Society

PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire

Top 10:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Frost/Nixon In Bruges Milk The Reader The Visitor WALL-E The Wrestler

DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Sean Penn, Milk
ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, Doubt
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
ENSEMBLE: Milk
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: In Bruges- Martin McDonagh
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
FOREIGN FILM: Let the Right One In
DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
ORIGINAL SONG: The Wrester- "The Wrestler" (Bruce Springsteen)
ORIGINAL SCORE: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Alexander Desplat
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Claudio Miranda
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Dark Knight
COSTUME DESIGN: The Duchess
FILM EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire
STUNTS: The Dark Knight
VISUAL EFFECTS: The Dark Knight
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
CHILD PERFORMANCES: Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Slumdog Millionaire; Dakota Fanning, The Secret Life of Bees
LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM: High School Musical 3
MOST OVERLOOKED FILM: In Bruges

Detroit Film Critics

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
ENSEMBLE: Frost/Nixon
BREAKTHROUGH: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association

BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire

Top Ten:
2. Milk
3. The Dark Knight
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. The Wrestler
6. The Visitor
7. Frost/Nixon
8. Doubt
9. WALL-E
10. Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
runners-up: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight; Gus Van Sant, Milk; Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon

BEST ACTOR
Sean Penn, Milk
runners-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler; Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon; Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
runners-up: Meryl Streep, Doubt; Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky; Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long; Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
runners-up: Josh Brolin, Milk; Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky; Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt; Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, Doubt
runners-up: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona; Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler; Taraji P. Hensen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married

BEST SCREENPLAY
Milk- Dustin Lance Black
runner-up: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Tell No One
runners-up: Waltz With Bashir; Let the Right One In; I've Loved You So Long; Gomorrah

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Man on Wire
runners-up: Waltz With Bashir; Young@Heart; Standard Operating Procedure; Dear Zachary

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
WALL-E
runner-up: Kung Fu Panda

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Dark Knight- Wally Phister
runner-up:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Claudio Miranda

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD:
Wendy & Lucy

Is anybody else getting tired of Slumdog Millionaire-- I'm just saying, I liked the film and all-- a few nods here and there for sure-- but the buckets it's receiving. Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is way overrated. PLEASE SOMEONE!

Florida Film Critics Circle

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS: Melissa Leo, Frozen River
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Dark Knight- Wally Pfister
FOREIGN FILM: Let the Right One In
ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
BREAKTHROUGH: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges

Golden Satellites Award Winners

BEST PICTURE (Drama)
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PICTURE (Musical or Comedy)
Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR (Drama)
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

BEST ACTRESS (Drama)
Angelina Jolie, Changeling

BEST ACTOR (Musical or Comedy)
Ricky Gervais, Ghost Town

BEST ACTRESS (Musical or Comedy)
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Visitor- Thomas McCarthy

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Frost/Nixon- Peter Morgan

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Gomorrah

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
WALL-E

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Man on Wire
and
Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Another Way to Die"- Quantum of Solace

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Australia- Mandy Walker

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Australia- Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Karen Murphy & Beverly Dunn

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Duchess- Michael O'Connor

BEST FILM EDITING
Iron Man- Dan Lebental

BEST SOUND
The Dark Knight

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Australia