NEW YORK -- New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was chosen as the year's best film Monday by the New York Film Critics Circle. According to outgoing chairman Andrew Johnston, the film, which opens Wednesday, scored a "fairly decisive" victory.

But despite the honor, the third film in director Peter Jackson's trilogy based on the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien was shut out of the remaining categories.

Sofia Coppola edged out Jackson as top director for her hip Tokyo-set tale of disillusionment, "Lost in Translation," from Focus Features.

Films from various specialty companies dominated the remainder of the list.

"Lost's" Bill Murray was named best actor by the NYFCC, beating out heavier dramatic performances this year by the likes of Sean Penn ("Mystic River," "21 Grams") and Russell Crowe ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World").

Murray wasn't the only comedic actor to shine in the eyes of the NYFCC. The group also chose Eugene Levy as its best supporting actor for his performance as a burned-out folkie making a comeback in Warner Bros. Pictures' "A Mighty Wind."

Said Johnston of Levy's win: "That was a surprise and definitely a pleasant one. He's just a terrific performer who is consistently funny, even in the worst movies. And we do not recognize comedies as much (as we should)."

HBO Films/Fine Line Features' "American Splendor" also made a splendid showing with awards for best first film (by co-helmers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini) and best actress for Hope Davis. Davis' award also cited her performance in Alan Rudolph's "The Secret Lives of Dentists."

Rolled out by indie shingle Manhattan Pictures International, "Dentists" also drilled the NYFCC's best screenplay award for Craig Lucas.

Shohreh Aghdashloo of DreamWorks' upcoming release "House of Sand and Fog" won as best supporting actress.

Absent from the NYFCC's list was Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River," which has so far been hailed as the year's best film by a handful of awards bodies, including the National Board of Review and the Boston Society of Film Critics.

Johnston said "Mystic" "ran really strongly in a lot of categories" and that the film succumbed to very tight races in several categories.

Also missing from the NYFCC list was another critics' favorite, "21 Grams."

Rounding out the NYFCC's picks, Miramax Films' edgy Brazilian import "City of God" was tapped as best foreign film, while rival Sony Pictures Classics drew the best animated film award for its Festival de Cannes acquisition "The Triplets of Belleville," which is in release.

In a year when documentaries proved a genuine boxoffice draw, Magnolia Pictures' controversial Sundance Film Festival acquisition "Capturing the Friedmans" took the top nonfiction film honors.

Harris Savides was named best cinematographer for his work on two Gus Van Sant movies, the Palme d'Or-winning release "Elephant," from HBO/Fine Line, and ThinkFilm's "Gerry."

The NYFCC is an organization of film reviewers from New York-based publications that honors excellence in U.S. and world cinema. Its members write for publications including Time, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, New York Observer, Village Voice, New York Daily News, New York Post and Us Weekly, among others.

Founded in 1935, the organization's awards have historically predicted the Oscars' best picture more than 40% of the time. The 33-member group voted for its annual awards Monday morning at Manhattan's Muse Hotel.

The critics group will present its awards at ceremonies Jan. 11 at the Manhattan restaurant Noche.