It seems a bit cruel, on the outset, to host the Critics’ Choice Awards the night that Oscar nominations are unveiled. Not just for awards watchers who, as a result, have a very long day, but for hopefuls themselves: what if the Oscar plan didn’t really pan out. That’s what happened for Ben Affleck two years ago he won the Critics’ Choice prize for Best Director for the eventual Oscar Best Picture Argo despite being left off the Academy Awards roster. The whole thing just whiffs of an awkwardness rather unseemly or – for a more cynically-minded perspective – a real PR opportunity for the Broadcast Film Critics Association, who hosts the annual Critics’ Choice Awards. Thankfully, no awkwardness was necessary for their top pick. Boyhood which earned four awards including Picture, Director for Linklater and Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette. Boyhood is one of Oscar frontrunners this year and earned 6 Academy Award nominations this morning.
Celebrating their 19th year, the Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics’ group in North America. Their membership consists of nearly 300 television, radio and internet critics. While the group is typically a successful harbinger for the Academy Awards, there were more than a few winners this evening that were surprisingly not on the Oscar call sheet. Call it a silver lining or sweet revenge, or merely bittersweet. For instance, Gillian Flynn, who adapted her best-selling novel Gone Girl into a critically and commercially successful film for director David Fincher won the Adapted Screenplay prize from the Critics’ Choice despite surprisingly failing to make the Oscar list. Same goes for Animated Feature winner The LEGO Movie, Documentary Feature winner Life Itself (fittingly acknowledged by the critics as it centers on the late Roger Ebert) and Foreign-Language Film winner Force Majeure. All three were considered locks for Oscar nominations, perhaps even odds-on-favorites for statues.
The proceedings didn’t all play with such a tinge of melancholy, however, as all four acting winners – Michael Keaton (Birdman), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Arquette – won their respective categories and were acknowledged by the Academy; all four feel so strongly ahead in the Oscar race actually that the rest of the season may prove a bit dull as result. Overall, Birdman topped the list with 7 awards, Boyhood came in second with 4 wins and The Grand Budapest Hotel picked up a pair of technical prizes.
The Critics’ Choice Awards also share the wealth with their long list of prizes. Along with the usual prizes, they also signal out the best in genre filmmaking (action, comedy, science fiction) allowing for more winners. Surprise Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper won Best Actor in an Action Movie for American Sniper and Emily Blunt won Best Actress in an Action Movie for Edge of Tomorrow.
Ron Howard received the Louis VII Genius Award honoring his work behind the camera while Kevin Costner (whose Oscar campaign for the late-breaking Black or White never received any traction) was bestowed with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jessica Chastain received the inaugural Most Valuable Player Award, which honors the body of work of an actor throughout prior calendar year. Chastain appeared in four 2014 films: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Interstellar, A Most Violent Year and Miss Julie – well technically six if you count the three theatrically released versions of Eleanor Rigby. Chastain was also nominated for an individual Critics’ Choice prize this year for her supporting work in A Most Violent Year, an award she lost tonight after being snubbed by the Academy this morning. The whole business really is just awkward. Full list of winners below:
- PICTURE: Boyhood
- DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
- ACTOR: Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- ACTRESS: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
- SUPPORTING ACTOR: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
- SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
- ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)– Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Nicolás Giacobone, Armando Bo
- ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Gone Girl– Gillian Flynn
- ANIMATED FEATURE: The LEGO Movie
- DOCUMENTARY: Life Itself
- FOREIGN FILM: Force Majeure
- ENSEMBLE CAST: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- YOUNG ACTOR: Ellar Coltrance, Boyhood
- ART DIRECTION: The Grand Budapest Hotel– Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
- CINEMATOGRAPHY: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)– Emmanuel Lubezki
- COSTUME DESIGN: The Grand Budapest Hotel– Milena Canonero
- FILM EDITING: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)– Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
- ORIGINAL SCORE: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)– Antonio Sanchez
- ORIRIGNAL SONG: “Glory,” Selma– Common, John Legend
- MAKE-UP / HAIRSTYLING: Guardians of the Galaxy
- VISUAL EFFECTS: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- ACTION MOVIE: Guardians of the Galaxy
- ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
- ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow
- COMEDY: The Grand Budapest Hotel
- ACTOR IN A COMEDY: Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: Jenny Slate, Obvious Child
- SCI-FI / HORROR FILM: Interstellar
- MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD: Jessica Chastain
- LOUIS XIII GENIUS AWARD: Ron Howard
- LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Kevin Costner
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