Many of last night’s Critics’ Choice award winners were expected (well done, Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique!), but the night did offer a few surprises. In my mind, here are the biggest winners and losers from the evening.
WINNERS
The Hurt Locker The Broadcast Film Critics Association often goes for the little guy over the Oscar frontrunner (L.A. Confidential over Titanic, Fargo over The English Patient, Sideways over Million Dollar Baby), but the indie drama’s Best Picture and Best Director wins proved it can hold its own against Avatar.
Sandra Bullock The Blind Side star soared past Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe to tie with Meryl Streep for Best Actress. Never a bad thing to be mentioned in the same breath as Streep.
Inglourious Basterds Three big wins (compared to one each for Precious and Up in the Air) cement its status as a real player this season.
LOSERS
Nine It went into the night with the most nominations (ten) and went home empty-handed. Ouch.
Up in the Air Best Adapted Screenplay was well deserved. But if this film wants to contend with the likes of Avatar and The Hurt Locker, it’s going to have to score more than one win at the Globes.
TOSS-UP
Avatar It went 6 for 9, all but sweeping the big technical prizes. But it couldn’t close the deal on the two biggest categories of the night. Is it just because critics were voting, or will it have similar problems for the rest of the season?
Here is the complete list of winners:
Best Picture The Hurt Locker
Best Director Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Original Screenplay Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Acting Ensemble Inglourious Basterds
Best Actor Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress (tie) Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia; Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Young Actress Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Best Documentary The Cove
Best Foreign Language Film Broken Embraces
Best Animated Movie Up
Best Comedy Movie The Hangover
Best Score Michael Giacchino, Up
Best Song “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart
Best Costume Design The Young Victoria
Best Make-Up District 9
Best Action Movie Avatar
Best Cinematography Avatar
Best Visual Effects Avatar
Best Art Direction Avatar
Best Editing Avatar
Best Sound Avatar
I watched The Blind Side after Bullock tied with Streep. I didn’t expect it to be very good, but I ended up really enjoying it.
Really glad that The Hurt Locker held its own against Avatar because HL was good. If it can do this again at the Gloden Globes then I am betting it will win the Oscars for director and picture.
See Dave, You had nothing to worry about.
why is there a best young actress (saoirse ronan)but not a best young actor? surely there was a film out this year that featured a boy/young man…
It’s actually Best Young Actor/Actress. There were both boys and girls nominated in the category, like the boy from Where The Wild Things Are.
The boys from The Road and The Blind Side were both nominated alongside Saoirse in the young actor category. What I don’t understand is how Saoirse was nominated for both best young actor and best actress.
Cuz her performance was the best child performance as well as being one of the best overall performances by an actress.
As anyone who saw Atonement knows, the girl is INCREDIBLY talented and I can’t wait to see her blossom into a movie star.
The award is for Best young actor/actress. There were 3 boys and 2 girls nominated. I guess it says best young actress since a female won.
Can’t believe Sandra Bullock won over Carey Mulligan. I thought Bullock was good in The Blind Side, but she wasn’t anywhere near as great as Mulligan was in An Education. Which movie was Meryl Streep nominated for? She would deserve a win for either It’s Complicated or Julie and Julia, though. I really hope this is a good sign that Waltz wins an Oscar. He really, really deserves it!
Maybe Carey lost because not a lot people saw An Education.
These are the critics’ awards; if anyone saw it, they did. And about as many people saw it as saw “The Hurt Locker”.
That said, there’s no overwhelming standout in the Best Actress category this year. You could make a good case for most of the nominees as the best.
Carey who??? sandra is this year best actress.
Being the most famous one doesn’t necessarily make you the best.
awful silly of you to assume that because someone thinks Sandra Bullock is good means its because of her fame and not her talent.
Looks like Carlos likes to judge others.
Hey carlos, being not famous doesn’t make you the best either, so go suck it
I’m with Carlos on this. Juan, Carey has a last name and it’s not “who.” See all the performs and then say who is the best.
@Fidel: funny, Carey Mulligan guest starred on Doctor Who.
Best Score for “Up” — maybe that means it can contend for more than just “Best Animated Feature” at the Oscars!
My daughter and I were just saying (while watching the movie for the umpteenth time) that the score is absolutely gorgeous. I’m so happy it won.
Surprised you didn’t mention the real loser last night–Kristin Chenoweth. Seriously, that woman could not get a laugh for anything.
She just came off as shrill and unfunny. So sad.
Seriously, I can’t tell if it was the writing, or perhaps that few people in the room knew her… but something felt off/awkward. I am a huge Cheno fan, and whenever she had to speak, I CRINGED.
Kristen Chenoweth should sue the director and writers of that show. She was poorly used. The photography was shockingly bad during the first half hour, as if the director had never seen an awards show on TV.
Honestly, I thought Avatar was a waste of special effects. So much money and talent putting together another planet for such a lousy, awful script and really bad directing of dull, predictable characters.
I agree, all the time and effort went into the special effects and the story was secondary and was so basic. It deserves the technical awards but does not even come close to deserving Best Pic.
Couldn’t agree more
100% agree
Oh give me a break. What the hell is wrong with a new take on an age old theme? I have never seen anything like that. I really hope Avatar sweeps the Oscars.
Honestly, I don’t know what planet you’re from.
A planet where most of us have actually seen another movie besides “Avatar” ever, in our lives, and therefore are aware how shallow and derivative it is?
I’m with you Kat. Some people just don’t know how to enjoy movies anymore.
I totally agree. It was a visually interesting movie, and the acting was fine for what it was, but the story was a lame copy of about 10 other movies at least, with not one single surprise to be had. A technical sweep is what “Avatar” deserves, no more.
I kind of agree esp when you know that D9 cost $30Mil.
Honestly, if movies like Avatar weren’t made…no one would go got the movies. These are the films people love, whether you like it or not.
I kind of think the people bashing Avatar couldn’t take the parallels in the film to modern imperialist practices and the treatment of indigenous societies by the powerful in the quest for commodities. Avatar was amazing and not just for its visuals. The concepts in the film were also groundbreaking and the acting was good, too. You’re telling Zoe Saldana was not a believable alien? Hot wash.
i actually like these wins a lot. with the exception of the bullock streep tie, it’s where i’d love to see oscar go (minus monique). up in the air made me want to stab myself in the eye it was so horrible.
im so happy Mo’nique won
Gabby from PRECIOUS deserved that award! (best supporting actress).
She was nominated for Best Actress.
How would she be best supporting actress? She’s the main character.
Finally saw Inglourious Basterds yesterday . . . great movie and incredibly suspenseful, but doesn’t exactly scream “Oscar.” Oh well, neither did Pulp Fiction and it got to sit at the big boys table.
But it’s so awesome! And Up in the Air is so smart! I haven’t seen The Hurt Locker yet, but otherwise those two films deserve the top awards. Avatar should win nothing more than technical, and even all of those, I’m not sure about.
avatar is way overated its sa marvel to look at but thats all – glad hurt locker won- sandra bullock you go girl !!!
“Up in the Air” got robbed. “Basterds” is over-rated crap.
Inglourious Basterds was not overrated crap it was a knockout and you ought to have your head examined!
Yay for The Hurt Locker’s wins for best pic and best director too.