Southeastern US Film Critics Announce Awards

"Up in the Air" Named Best Picture



The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SETCA), of which I am one of 44 voting members, has announced its winners for 2009 excellence in films.
Earning the Best Picture of 2009 award is Jason Reitman's serio-comic look at love on the fly, "Up in the Air."
I respectfully disagree with SEFCA on that. My favorite was the bittersweet Valentine to romantic love, "(500) Days of Summer," which earned slot No. 6 in the voting.
The awards were all over the place in other categories: George Clooney as the skirt-chasing corporate downsizing expert in "Up in the Air," with Jeremy Renner as runner-up for the explosive Iraq War drama, "Hurt Locker.
Meryl Streep got the nod as Best Actress for her incomparable French chef Julia Child in "Julie & Julia." Second place was Gabourey Sidibe as the tortured teenaged unwed mother in "Precious."
Best Supporting actor went to Christoph Waltz for Quentin Tarantino's violent "Inglourious Basterds" and Best Supporting Actress went to Mo 'Nique for "Precious."
Kathryn Bigelow was named Best Director for "Hurt Locker." Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber got the nod for Best Original Screenplay for their time-tripping "(500) Days of Summer." Best Adapted Screenplay was Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for "Up in the Air."
France's "Summer Hours" was named Best Foreign Film while "Food, Inc." nudged out the eco shocker "The3 Cove" as Best Documentary.
The Wyatt Award for the best best representing the Southern region was "That Evening Sun," starring Hal Holbrook.

The top Ten Films are as follows.

1 "Up in the Air."
2 "The Hurt Locker"
3. "Up"
4. "Inglourious Basterds"
5. "A Serious Man"
6. (500) Days of Summer"
7. "Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire"
8. "The Messenger"
9. "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
10. "District 9."

Due for voting this Friday is the Florida Film Critics Association, of which I am also a member.