Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” and its director took top honors at the Critics’ Choice Awards, while Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and James Cameron’s “Avatar” won the most awards.
Director-producer Kathryn Bigelow was named best director at Friday’s ceremony for “Locker,” winner of the best picture prize.
Accepting the best picture award, screenwriter-producer Mark Boal said the award belongs to Bigelow “for her singular vision, for her endless inspiration and for never taking no as an answer.”
Bigelow had thanked Boal when she accepted the director’s honor, saying, “I stand here really because of one man, and that’s Mark Boal.”
“It’s wonderful to have this honor,” she continued, “but the recognition should also go to the men and women who are in the field to this day.”
“Crazy Heart” was a double winner, with Jeff Bridges claiming the best actor prize for his turn as hard-drinking country singer Bad Blake. The film’s theme, “The Weary Kind,” won for best song.
“Up” won a pair of prizes, too: Best animated feature and best score.
“Nine,” which came into the contest tied with “Basterds” with a leading 10 nominations, ended up winless.
The “Basterds” cast was the critics’ pick for best ensemble. The film’s villain, Christoph Waltz, was named best supporting actor and Tarantino won for his original screenplay.
“There’s really only one group of people to thank,” Tarantino said, “and that’s the actors who actually took it from the printed page and put it up on the screen. My material is not easy. It’s hard. I cannot have dumb actors do my material.”
“Avatar” was named best action movie and it collected a heap of technical awards, including honors for cinematography, editing, art direction, sound and visual effects.
There were actually two winners in the actress category, with Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock tying for the honor.
Streep said she loved playing Julia Child in “Julie & Julia.”
“I’m really, really thrilled because I really love what I do,” she said. “I love to work, and I love food and I love sex. And so did Julia Child. So it wasn’t that much of a stretch.”
Bullock, who won for her performance in “The Blind Side,” said she hadn’t prepared a speech, but she used her time at the microphone to honor her fellow actresses and call for compassion for people who are suffering.
“We’re all so lucky to be here tonight when so many others are in pain,” she said. “I hope we can all send good love and thoughts and whatever we can.”
Jason Reitman, who won best adapted screenplay for “Up in the Air” with co-writer Sheldon Turner, thanked his father, filmmaker Ivan Reitman, calling him “one of the best storytellers I know and … the person who taught me everything.”
“I’m so proud I made this film with you, Dad,” he said.
Other honors went to Mo’Nique, who was named best supporting actress for her visceral portrayal of an abusive mother in “Precious”; Saoirse Ronan, who won best young actress for her work in “The Lovely Bones”; and “The Hangover,” which was voted best comedy.
“District 9” won for best makeup, “Grey Gardens” was best TV movie and “The Cove” was named best documentary.
Winners are chosen by members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the largest such group in North America comprising 200 TV, radio and online film critics.
AP Television Producer Mike Cidoni contributed to this report.
Kamala Harris Receives Chairman’s Prize At NAACP Image Awards
Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.
"While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us," Harris said after receiving the NAACP's Chairman's Award. "The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people."
The 56th annual Image Awards was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area.
Harris, defeated by Trump in last year's presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the state's attorney general.
In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trump's actions since entering the Oval Office, although Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Harris spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and America's future.
"Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask 'What do we do now?'" Harris said. "But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power. We organize, mobilize. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path."
Other winners of the Chairman's prize have included former... Read More