“The Artist” waltzed away with its first wins of Hollywood’s awards season.
The black-and-white ode to the silent-film era directed by Michel Hazanavicius led winners with four honors at Thursday’s 17th annual Critics’ Choice Awards, which are presented by the 250 members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
“The Artist” took the evening’s top prize, best picture, as well honors for best score, costume design and director.
“I made a silent movie,” French director Hazanavicius joked in English while accepting the award for best picture. “I don’t like to speak so much.”
“The Help,” the adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel about black maids speaking out about their white employers during the civil-rights movement, followed behind “The Artist” with three wins in the ceremony’s acting categories: Viola Davis as best actress, Octavia Spencer as best supporting actress and the film’s cast as best acting ensemble.
“I absolutely knew I wanted to be an actor because I wanted to be somebody,” an emotional Davis said accepting her award. “I wanted to dream big and make a mark somehow. That’s something absolutely that Aibileen was not afforded. I considered it my honor to pay homage to these women at this time period who were not allowed to dream and not allowed to find their purpose.”
Others who accepted trophies at the lavish Hollywood Palladium ceremony included George Clooney as best actor for “The Descendants,” Christopher Plummer as best supporting actor for “Beginners” and Thomas Horn as best young actor for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.”
“Frankly, I didn’t even imagine I would get this, but I have,” beamed a surprised Horn.
Funnymen Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast live on VH1.
Other winners included “Bridesmaids” as best comedy movie, “Drive” as best action movie, “Rango” as best animated feature, “Midnight in Paris” as best original screenplay, “Moneyball” as best adapted screenplay, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” for best editing and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” for best makeup and best sound.
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Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and R&B star Jhené Aiko, and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events. Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens. Thousands of structures have been destroyed but damage assessments are just beginning. More than 180,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt. Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards. That fire had been largely contained without damage to Hollywood landmarks. Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry: Stars whose homes have burned in the fires Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost. The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years. "Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this," the Crystals wrote in the statement. After her learning her Pacific Palisades home was lost in the fires, Melissa Rivers says she was... Read More