L.A. Film Critics Assn. toasts 'Sideways' as year's best
Cheers to 'Sideways'
Dec 13, 2004
Lifting a glass of vintage pinot noir in a celebratory toast, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. on Saturday hailed Fox Searchlight's "Sideways" as its favorite film of the year.
Alexander Payne's sad and funny but always sagacious coming-of-middle-age tale about the misadventures of two male friends in California wine country was voted best picture of 2004. The film collected five awards, including Virginia Madsen and Thomas Hayden Church as best supporting actress and best supporting actor.
Payne, who two years ago claimed the L.A. Film Critics' best picture prize for "About Schmidt," was honored as best director and shared the best screenplay award with his longtime collaborator, Jim Taylor, for their adaptation of a novel by Rex Pickett.
The critics chose Liam Neeson as best actor for his performance as the redoubtable sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in Bill Condon's biopic "Kinsey." The runner-up was Paul Giamatti from "Sideways."
Imedla Staunton was named best actress for the role as a working-class mum and backroom abortionist in 1950s Britain in Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake." Julie Delpy came in second in voting for "Before Sunset."
In recent years, the annual picks by the Los Angeles-based critics have not been any harbinger of things to come from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Last year's best picture choice, "American Splendor," was mostly ignored by Oscar voters, receiving its only nomination in the adapted screenplay category.
Other than "Sideways," the only film to claim more than two awards was Brad Bird's hugely popular CG-animated film "The Incredibles" from Pixar and Disney. Along with being named best animated picture, "The Incredibles" won best music for Michael Giacchino's tongue-in-cheek film score, a rambunctious affair reminiscent of any number of 1960s era action-spy movies. Alexander Desplat's score for "Birth" was runner-up.
The day's biggest surprise may have been that "The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's highly regarded and critically applauded Howard Hughes biopic, took home only one award. Dante Ferretti's production design for the Miramax-distributed epic won over Huo Tingxiao's art work in "House of Flying Daggers." Scorsese was runner-up to Payne for best director. The runner-up for best picture was Clint Eastwood's boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby."
There may have been a second, smaller surprise when "Born into Brothels," a Sundance-winning documentary by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman that has played at L.A. film festivals, won over Michael Moore's much higher-profile "Fahrenheit 9/11" for best documentary. ThinkFilm is releasing the docu this month in New York.
The organization's new generation award, normally given to an individual whose early contributions to cinema may presage a career to watch, went to the director and the female star of Fine Line Features' "Maria Full of Grace." Both Joshua Marston, who has directed several award-winning shorts, and Catalina Sandino Moreno, who took acting lessons in her native Bogota, Colombia, were making their feature debut in that film. Moreno won a Silver Bear at this year's Berlin International Film Festival for this role while the film itself won the audience award at 2004 Sundance.
Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" from Sony Pictures Classics earned the group's accolade for best foreign-language film, beating out Walter Salles' "The Motorcycle Diaries."
Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron's half-toned shooting of the nighttime streets of downtown Los Angeles for "Collateral" won as best cinematography. Xiaoding Zhao finished second for "House of Flying Daggers."
Cate Blanchett was runner-up as the best supporting actress for her work in two films, "The Aviator," in which she played Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn, and Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee & Cigarettes." Morgan Freeman came in second in the balloting for best supporting actor for his turn as an aging ex-boxer in "Million Dollar Baby."
The group issued a special citation to Brian Jamieson of Warner Bros. and Richard Schickel, who is also a member of the group, for their painstaking reconstruction of Samuel Fuller's 1980 World War II epic "The Big Red One." The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video award went to "Star-Spangled to Death" by Ken Jacobs.
As previously announced, Jerry Lewis will receive the group's career achievement award. LAFCA's 30th annual ceremony will be held Jan. 13 at the soon-to-close St. Regis Hotel in Century City.
Alexander Payne's sad and funny but always sagacious coming-of-middle-age tale about the misadventures of two male friends in California wine country was voted best picture of 2004. The film collected five awards, including Virginia Madsen and Thomas Hayden Church as best supporting actress and best supporting actor.
Payne, who two years ago claimed the L.A. Film Critics' best picture prize for "About Schmidt," was honored as best director and shared the best screenplay award with his longtime collaborator, Jim Taylor, for their adaptation of a novel by Rex Pickett.
The critics chose Liam Neeson as best actor for his performance as the redoubtable sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in Bill Condon's biopic "Kinsey." The runner-up was Paul Giamatti from "Sideways."
Imedla Staunton was named best actress for the role as a working-class mum and backroom abortionist in 1950s Britain in Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake." Julie Delpy came in second in voting for "Before Sunset."
In recent years, the annual picks by the Los Angeles-based critics have not been any harbinger of things to come from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Last year's best picture choice, "American Splendor," was mostly ignored by Oscar voters, receiving its only nomination in the adapted screenplay category.
Other than "Sideways," the only film to claim more than two awards was Brad Bird's hugely popular CG-animated film "The Incredibles" from Pixar and Disney. Along with being named best animated picture, "The Incredibles" won best music for Michael Giacchino's tongue-in-cheek film score, a rambunctious affair reminiscent of any number of 1960s era action-spy movies. Alexander Desplat's score for "Birth" was runner-up.
The day's biggest surprise may have been that "The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's highly regarded and critically applauded Howard Hughes biopic, took home only one award. Dante Ferretti's production design for the Miramax-distributed epic won over Huo Tingxiao's art work in "House of Flying Daggers." Scorsese was runner-up to Payne for best director. The runner-up for best picture was Clint Eastwood's boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby."
There may have been a second, smaller surprise when "Born into Brothels," a Sundance-winning documentary by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman that has played at L.A. film festivals, won over Michael Moore's much higher-profile "Fahrenheit 9/11" for best documentary. ThinkFilm is releasing the docu this month in New York.
The organization's new generation award, normally given to an individual whose early contributions to cinema may presage a career to watch, went to the director and the female star of Fine Line Features' "Maria Full of Grace." Both Joshua Marston, who has directed several award-winning shorts, and Catalina Sandino Moreno, who took acting lessons in her native Bogota, Colombia, were making their feature debut in that film. Moreno won a Silver Bear at this year's Berlin International Film Festival for this role while the film itself won the audience award at 2004 Sundance.
Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" from Sony Pictures Classics earned the group's accolade for best foreign-language film, beating out Walter Salles' "The Motorcycle Diaries."
Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron's half-toned shooting of the nighttime streets of downtown Los Angeles for "Collateral" won as best cinematography. Xiaoding Zhao finished second for "House of Flying Daggers."
Cate Blanchett was runner-up as the best supporting actress for her work in two films, "The Aviator," in which she played Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn, and Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee & Cigarettes." Morgan Freeman came in second in the balloting for best supporting actor for his turn as an aging ex-boxer in "Million Dollar Baby."
The group issued a special citation to Brian Jamieson of Warner Bros. and Richard Schickel, who is also a member of the group, for their painstaking reconstruction of Samuel Fuller's 1980 World War II epic "The Big Red One." The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video award went to "Star-Spangled to Death" by Ken Jacobs.
As previously announced, Jerry Lewis will receive the group's career achievement award. LAFCA's 30th annual ceremony will be held Jan. 13 at the soon-to-close St. Regis Hotel in Century City.
Share on LinkedIn
