Fri, February 23, 2007

This is the first year for the Onebies – our very own movie awards! – so some of the categories will need explaining along the way. Winners are highlighted. Enjoy!

Best Film of the Year

One of the main features of the Onebies is the distinction between a "film" and a "movie" – something akin to the Golden Globes' separation of "drama" from "musical/comedy," which is well-intentioned but moronic (cf. Dreamgirls). How do you know which are films and which are movies? You kind of know it when you see it. If it might win Best Picture, it's probably a film; if it has a better chance at Best Screenplay, it may be a movie. With Babel and Talladega Nights, it's an easy call. In some cases, it's much harder. Stranger Than Fiction was fun to watch, like a movie, but it dealt with serious themes, like a film. The final decision rests with whomever is doing the nominating (in this case, me). I'm putting Stranger Than Fiction in with the films, because otherwise I doubt I'd reach five nominees.

Inside Man 
The Prestige 
Stranger Than Fiction 
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story 
United 93 

Best Movie of the Year

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan 
Casino Royale 
Idiocracy 
Lucky Number Slevin 
Little Miss Sunshine 

Best Performance in a Film

Here we do away with this notion that there are "boy actors" and "girl actors" – especially this year, the movies have served up some excellent parts for women, so I don't think it needs to be like golf where they get their own tee. However, the nominees are expanded to six, to make sure there's room for everyone.

Christian Bale in The Prestige
Matt Damon in The Departed
Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Brick
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby
Clive Owen in Children of Men

Best Performance in a Movie

Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Nathan Fillion in Slither
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Mission: Impossible III
Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta
Parker Posey in The OH in Ohio
Paul Rudd in The OH in Ohio

Best Supporting Performance in a Film

Alec Baldwin in The Departed
Vera Farmiga in The Departed
Jodie Foster in Inside Man
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Stranger Than Fiction
Jack Nicholson in The Departed
Mark Wahlberg in The Departed

Best Supporting Performance in a Movie

Steve Carell in Little Miss Sunshine
Gregg Henry in Slither
Scarlett Johansson in Scoop
Lucy Liu in Lucky Number Slevin
Jane Lynch in For Your Consideration
Paul Newman in Cars

Best Film Screenplay

Brick 
The Departed 
The Good Shepherd 
The Prestige 
Stranger Than Fiction 

Best Movie Screenplay

Cars 
Little Miss Sunshine 
Lucky Number Slevin 
Mission: Impossible III 
Monster House 

Best Story Idea of the Year

The idea here is to recognize motion pictures that had a fantastic concept, even if the script or the directing or the performances fell short of making the finished product all that great.

Children of Men 
Idiocracy 
The Prestige 
Stranger Than Fiction 
Thank You for Smoking 

Most Judicious Use of Visual Effects

A friend has often suggested that future Oscars will include a category for "Best Use of Actual Photography" – with the preponderance of digital effects, it will be necessary to recognize filmmakers who can still get by without computer enhancement. I don't think we need to encourage a ban on CG effects, but I'd love to encourage filmmakers who make appropriate choices about how to incorporate effects. These are the top movies that matched the type and quantity of effects to the demands of the story without allowing the eye candy to become a distraction.

Children of Men 
The Departed 
The Fountain 
Poseidon 
Stranger Than Fiction 

Most Awesome Visual Effects

However, we should still recognize the achievements of those who make the over-the-top stuff, too.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 
Poseidon 
Superman Returns 
V for Vendetta 
X-Men: The Last Stand 

Best Editing

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan 
The Departed 
Poseidon 
The Prestige 
United 93 

Best Direction/Cinematography

Certainly, directors and cinematographers each bring unique talents to a project, but I think there's enough overlap in their collaboration that we can recognize them together.

Brick 
Children of Men 
The Departed 
Monster House 
The Prestige 

Best Art Direction/Costume Design

Again, everyone in the art department works very hard. But you can't really separate one from the other – I think they all go together.

Casino Royale 
Dreamgirls 
Idlewild 
Marie Antoinette 
The Prestige 

Best Music

The best songs and/or the best musical scores get recognition here.

Cars 
Casino Royale 
Charlotte's Web 
Idlewild 
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny 

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