(MENAFN- Arab Times) LOS ANGELES Jan 16 (Agencies): The Broadcast Film Critics Assn.'s Critics Choice Awards spread top awards between best picture winner 'Boyhood' and 'Birdman' with an array of less-often recognized films also taking prizes.
Michael Keaton won best actor for 'Birdman.' The most nominated film of the evening it also took prizes for score original screenplay ensemble and comedy actor award for Keaton. 'Boyhood' also racked up wins for director Richard Linklater supporting actress Patricia Arquette and young performer Ellar Coltrane. 'A year ago I really didn't think anyone was going to care about this movie' said Coltrane. Comparisons to the Academy Awards are limited because the Critics Circle has many different categories but in the crucial race of best-picture it has matched the eventual Oscar-winner in 12 of the last 15 years. The event was held at the Palladium in Hollywood Thursday evening continuing the Critics Choice tradition of beginning ceremonies about 12 hours after the announcement of Oscar nominations. That means a long day which inspires muttering from awards strategists and journalists (including the BFCA members). But it pays off with bragging rights: This is the public debut of the morning's newly anointed Oscar contenders. Among the Academy Awards contenders on hand was Julianne Moore who won best actress for 'Still Alice.' 'Thank you for noticing a little movie' she said recognizing the other nominees as well as Alzheimer's disease sufferers. Best adapted screenplay went to Gillian Flynn for 'Gone Girl.' J.K. Simmons added to his long list of awards with his supporting actor win for 'Whiplash.' The CCMA has 24 categories with six contenders in each and separate categories for comedy film action film and sci-fi/horror in addition to its top prize which is labeled simply best picture. In comedy 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' was tapped top pic and Jenny Slate from 'Obvious Child' for comedy actress. 'The Lego Movie' which had been surprisingly shut out of Oscar noms won best animated film. 'What a roller-coaster of emotions today has been' said co-director Phil Lord. Referencing the Charlie Hebdo attack he continued 'Artists shouldn't be silenced by fear.' Diversity 'A Most Violent Year's' Jessica Chastain won the first-time MVP award getting in a plug for diversity and acceptance in her speech. Ron Howard was honored with the Genius Award from Louis XIII. 'The creative horizons are broadening' Howard said. 'Let's just find a story that we believe in and let's go out and make it.' Another honor went to Kevin Costner for lifetime achievement. 'Nobody has it better than the actors so try to act grateful' he said. Best song went to 'Glory' from 'Selma' with Common dedicating the award to his father. Action movies get several categories at the Critics Choice with 'Guardians of the Galaxy' winning for movie Bradley Cooper as actor for 'American Sniper' and Emily Blunt actress for 'Edge of Tomorrow.' Sci-fi The first award of the evening went to 'Interstellar' for top sci-fi or horror film. New Oscar nominees on hand included Eddie Redmayne Robert Duvall Alexandre Desplat Dan Gilroy Gregg Alexander Danielle Brisebois Linklater Common Keaton and Moore. There were also plenty of Oscar shutouts who nevertheless looked sunny and upbeat including Ava DuVernay Angelina Jolie Flynn Chastain and the 'Lego Movie' team of directors Lord and Christopher Miller and producer Dan Lin. The Broadcast Film Critics Assn. consists of nearly 300 reviewers from TV radio and online. Airing live on A&E it was hosted by Michael Strahan star of the upcoming 'Magic Mike XXL' who gamely dropped trou and boogied along with suggestive male dancers. The mood was loose which made for a fun evening but some long and sometimes rambling speeches. Most dramatic moment came after Keaton accepted his prize and then tumbled off the stage as he went to greet Ethan Hawke seated at a nearby table. It was a slightly 'Birdman' moment but Keaton jumped up and smiled apparently OK. Fox Seachlight had led the CCMA nominations with two films 'Birdman' (13 noms) and 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' (11). IFC Films' 'Boyhood' followed with eight. Meanwhile moviegoers didn't think everything was awesome about 'The Lego Movie' missing out on an Oscar nomination for best animated feature. The hit film's omission from the race was cited by audiences as the top snub of this year's Academy Awards nominations according to a poll conducted by Fandango. The online ticketer surveyed more than 1000 ticket buyers to get its results. In addition to 'The Lego Movie' audiences were upset that 'Selma' was left out of many key categories. David Oyelowo's exclusion from the best actor race and Ava DuVernay's rejection from the director list were cited as the second and third biggest snubs respectively. 'Selma' did receive a best picture nod but the fact that it didn't perform better at this year's Oscars and that the major acting categories are exclusively made up of white performers has raised questions about the Academy's lack of diversity. It wasn't just a bad morning for team 'Selma.' 'American Sniper' director Clint Eastwood and 'Unbroken' helmer Angelina Jolie nabbed fourth and fifth place on the snubs list after getting the cold shoulder from Oscar voters. When it came to surprises Fandango clients were most stunned that Marion Cotillard elbowed into the best actress race for her work as a cleaning woman on the ropes in 'Two Days One Night.' 'American Sniper's' Bradley Cooper and 'Foxcatcher's' Steve Carell were respondents' second and third biggest shocks respectively for their best actor nominations. In related story Oscar voters don't tend to have long memories but this week they proved that 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' a film that debuted nine months ago had lingered in their minds long after the credits rolled. The story of a concierge (Ralph Fiennes) and his pupil (Tony Revolori) who become entangled in a struggle over a painting hadn't been expected to be a major awards contender primarily because it had been out of theaters for so long. But it bucked the odds nabbing a leading nine nominations including bids for best picture and director for Wes Anderson. Fox Searchlight the indie label behind the whimsical comedy maintains that time was on 'The Grand Budapest Hotel's' side. 'It was a strong and resonant film that stood the test of time' said Nancy Utley president of Fox Searchlight. 'It's not a movie you watch and forget about. It's a movie that stays with you.' Because the film had been on home entertainment platforms since last summer and is now showing on HBO voters had more opportunities to see it Utley argues. 'It can be difficult for voters to work their way through the big stack of screeners they accumulate in the last few months of the year' she argued. Winners Picture Winner: Boyhood; Birdman; Gone Girl; The Grand Budapest Hotel; The Imitation Game; Nightcrawler; Selma; The Theory of Everything; Unbroken; Whiplash. Actor Winner: Michael Keaton Birdman; Benedict Cumberbatch The Imitation Game; Ralph Fiennes The Grand Budapest Hotel; Jake Gyllenhaal Nightcrawler; David Oyelowo Selma; Eddie Redmayne The Theory of Everything. Actress Winner: Julianne Moore Still Alice; Jennifer Aniston Cake; Marion Cotillard Two Days One Night; Felicity Jones The Theory of Everything; Rosamund Pike Gone Girl; Reese Witherspoon - Wild. Director Winner: Richard Linklater Boyhood; Wes Anderson The Grand Budapest Hotel; Ava DuVernay Selma; David Fincher Gone Girl; Alejandro G. Inarritu Birdman; Angelina Jolie - Unbroken. Comedy Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel; Birdman; St. Vincent; Top Five; 22 Jump Street. Actress in A Comedy Winner: Jenny Slate Obvious Child; Rose Byrne Neighbors; Rosario Dawson Top Five; Melissa McCarthy St Vincent; Kristen Wiig The Skeleton Twins. Actor In A Comedy Winner: Michael Keaton Birdman; Jon Favreau Chef; Ralph Fiennes The Grand Budapest Hotel; Bill Murray St Vincent; Chris Rock Top Five; Channing Tatum 22 Jump Street. Song Winner: Glory ('Selma'); Big Eyes ('Big Eyes'); Everything Is Awesome ('The Lego Movie'); Lost Stars ('Begin Again'); Yellow Flicker Beat ('The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'). Supporting Actress Winner: Patricia Arquette Boyhood; Jessica Chastain A Most Violent Year; Keira Knightley The Imitation Game; Emma Stone Birdman; Meryl Streep Into the Woods; Tilda Swinton - Snowpiercer. Supporting Actor Winner: J.K. Simmons Whiplash; Josh Brolin Inherent Vice; Robert Duvall The Judge; Ethan Hawke Boyhood; Edward Norton Birdman; Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher. Animated Feature Winner: The Lego Movie; Big Hero 6; The Book of Life; The Boxtrolls; How to Train Your Dragon 2. Action Movie Winner: Guardians of the Galaxy; American Sniper; Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Edge of Tomorrow; Fury. Actress in an Action Movie Winner: Emily Blunt Edge of Tomorrow; Scarlett Johansson Lucy; Jennifer Lawrence The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1; Zoe Saldana Guardians of the Galaxy; Shailene Woodley - Divergent. Actor in an Action Movie Winner: Bradley Cooper American Sniper; Tom Cruise Edge of Tomorrow; Chris Evans Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Brad Pitt Fury; Chris Pratt Guardians of the Galaxy. Young Actor/Actress Winner: Ellar Coltrane Boyhood; Quvenzhane Wallis Annie; Ansel Elgort The Fault in Our Stars; Mackenzie Foy Interstellar; Jaeden Lieberher St. Vincent; Tony Revolori The Grand Budapest Hotel; Noah Wiseman The Babadook. Acting Ensemble Winner: Birdman; Boyhood; The Grand Budapest Hotel; The Imitation Game; Into the Woods; Selma. Score Winner: Antonio Sanchez Birdman; Alexandre Desplat The Imitation Game; Johann Johannsson The Theory of Everything; Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Gone Girl; Hans Zimmer - Interstellar. Sci-Fi/Horror Movie Winner: Interstellar; The Babadook; Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Snowpiercer; Under the Skin. Original Screenplay Winner: Birdman Alejandro G. Inarritu Nicolas Giacobone Alexander Dinelaris Jr Armando Bo; Boyhood Richard Linklater; The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson Hugo Guinness; Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy; Whiplash Damien Chazelle. Adapted Screenplay Winner: Gone Girl Gillian Flynn; The Imitation Game Graham Moore; Inherent Vice Paul Thomas Anderson; The Theory of Everything Anthony McCarten; Unbroken Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Richard LaGravenese William Nicholson; Wild Nick Hornby. Art Direction Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel Adam Stockhausen/Production Designer Anna Pinnock/Set DecoratorBirdman Kevin Thompson/Production Designer George DeTitta Jr/Set Decorator; Inherent Vice David Crank/Production Designer Amy Wells/Set Decorator; Interstellar Nathan Crowley/Production Designer Gary Fettis/Set Decorator; Into the Woods Dennis Gassner/Production Designer Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator; Snowpiercer Ondrej Nekvasil/Production Designer Beatrice Brentnerova/Set Decorator. Editing Winner: Birdman Douglas Crise Stephen Mirrione; Boyhood Sandra Adair; Gone Girl Kirk Baxter; Interstellar Lee Smith; Whiplash Tom Cross. Cinematography Winner: Birdman Emmanuel Lubezki; The Grand Budapest Hotel Robert Yeoman; Interstellar Hoyte Van Hoytema; Mr Turner Dick Pope; Unbroken Roger Deakins. Costume Design Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel Milena Canonero; Inherent Vice Mark Bridges; Into the Woods Colleen Atwood; Maleficent Anna B. Sheppard; Mr Turner Jacqueline Durran. Hair & Makeup Winner: Guardians of the Galaxy; Foxcatcher; The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies; Into the Woods; Maleficent. Visual Effects Winner: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Edge of Tomorrow; Guardians of the Galaxy; The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies; Interstellar. Foreign Language Film Winner: Force Majeure; Ida; Leviathan; Two Days One Night; Wild Tales. Documentary Feature Winner: Life Itself; Citizenfour; Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me; Jodorowsky's Dune; Last Days in Vietnam; The Overnighters.
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