Giles

D.C. Critics Give Top Honors to United 93

Posted Dec 11th 2006 5:31PM by Erik Davis


Yes, the critics from around the country want you to know which films they think were the best of 2006 -- and, while there aren't too many surprises, those folks from Washington, DC tossed out a couple of interesting picks, ones that may or may not affect the Oscar race. With their fifth annual awards ceremony, the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) named Paul Greengrass' United 93 the best film of 2006. As United 93, as well as Greengrass himself, show up on more and more lists, it's becoming clear which 9/11-related film will be in the hunt this year. It's definitely a slick choice, one that might help the film land a spot in the Best Picture race at the Academy Awards.

Jennifer Hudson continues to impress everyone around the country, despite the fact that Dreamgirls hasn't opened in theaters yet, as the former American Idol star was a two-time winner (Best Supporting Actress, Best Breakthrough Performance) in D.C. Not surprisingly, Helen Mirren was named Best Actress for her performance in The Queen, and Forest Whitaker took Best Actor for The Last Kind of Scotland. Perhaps the most surprising moves were in naming Djimon Hounsou Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Blood Diamond, as well as giving two first-time scribes (Michael Arndt, Jason Reitman) the screenplay honors (Little Miss Sunshine for original, Thank You for Smoking for adapted). In my opinion (and I never thought I'd be saying this), the year's most enjoyable and exciting races will exist in the screenwriting categories -- with Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen, Babel and United 93 duking it out for Best Original Screenplay and films like The Departed, Dreamgirls and Little Children fighting over Best Adapted Screenplay. Needless to say, it shall be fun to watch.

A full list of D.C. critic's picks is waiting for you after the jump.

Best Film
United 93/Universal

Best Actor
Forest Whitaker - The Last King Of Scotland

Best Actress
Helen Mirren - The Queen

Best Supporting Actor
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls

Best Director
Martin Scorsese - The Departed

Best Screenplay, Original
Michael Arndt - Little Miss Sunshine

Best Screenplay, Adapted
Jason Reitman - Thank You For Smoking

Best Foreign Film
Pan's Labyrinth/Picturehouse

Best Animated Feature
Happy Feet/Warner Brothers

Best Documentary
An Inconvenient Truth/Paramount Classics

Best Breakthrough Performance
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls

Best Ensemble
Little Miss Sunshine/Fox Searchlight

Best Art Direction
Marie Antoinette/SONY Pictures


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guess the critics missed the EU screening of 'The Lives of Others' over at the AFI - for shame. 'Pan's Labyrinth' is great, but I thought 'Lives' was superior.

'Little Miss Sunshine' - oh brother, how fickle the critics are...

Mr. Cinema

San Francisco Film Critics gave more steam to United 93 as Paul Greengrass took home another Best Director Award. Little Children won for Best Picture. I would love to see that, but New Line totally fucked up handling that film.

William Fuld

Is there a list of the members of the "DC Area Film Critics Association" anywhere?

MartinBlank

Wow, I wonder if it'll have a shot at an Oscar? I thought it was a great film

lordwow

I hope it has a shot at on Oscar. Either way, Greengrass should definitely be up for Best Director, one of the most beautiful shot films of the last few years.