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New York, NY, December 3, 2003 -- The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named Warner Brother's Mystic River 2003 Best Film of the Year. Starring a talented cast that includes Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon, Mystic River is based on the acclaimed novel by Dennis Lehane.
TOP TEN FILMS
OF 2003 |
TOP FIVE FOREIGN FILMS
OF 2003 |
1. Mystic River Best Film
2. The Last Samurai
3. The Station Agent
4. 21 Grams
5. House of Sand and Fog
6. Lost in Translation
7. Cold Mountain
8. In Amercia
9. Seabiscuit
10. Master and Commander
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1. The Barbarian Invasions Best Foreign Film
2. Best of Youth
3. Monsieur Ibrahim
4. Autumn Spring
5. The Man on the Train
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| TOP FIVE DOCUMENTARIES OF 2003 |
1. The Fog of War Best Documentary
2. Capturing the Friedmans
3. My Architect
4. Winged Migration
5. Spellbound
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The following honorees will be presented with awards at the annual gala on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 in New York City.
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Mystic River and 21 Grams
Best Actress: Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give
Best Supporting Actor: Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April and The Station Agent
Best Acting by an Ensemble: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Breakthrough Performance Actor: Paul Giamatti, American Splendor
Breakthrough Performance Actress: Charlize Theron, Monster
Best Director: Edward Zwick, The Last Samurai
Best Directorial Debut: Vadim Perelman, House of Sand and Fog
Best Adapted Screenplay: Cold Mountain, Anthony Minghella
Best Original Screenplay: In America, Jim Sheridan, Naomi & Kirsten Sheridan
Best Animated Feature: Finding Nemo
Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV: Angels in America
Career Achievement: Morgan Freeman
Career Achievement - Film Music Composition: Hans Zimmer
Career Achievement - Cinematography: John Toll
Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Directing: Norman Jewison
Special Filmmaking Achievement - Sofia Coppola, for writing, directing, and producing Lost in Translation
William K. Everson Award for Film History: Richard LaGravanese and Ted Demme for A Decade Under the Influence
Producers Award: Gale Anne Hurd, Kathleen Kennedy, and Christine Vachon
Special Recognition of Films that Reflect the Freedom of Expression:
Capturing the Friedmans, Dirty Pretty Things,
The Magdalene Sisters, September 11
Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking
The National Board of Review, in keeping with its long tradition of recognizing excellence in filmmaking is proud to salute the following films, crafted by visionary artists which demonstrate the creativity and determination which have always been vital to the film industry:
(Listed alphabetically)
American Splendor
Bend It Like Beckham
The Cooler
Dirty Pretty Things
Girl With A Pearl Earring
Pieces of April
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Shattered Glass
The Statement
Thirteen
Whale Rider
"This was a strong year for the studios." commented NBR President Annie Schulhof. "They produced films with powerful storylines and characters with their own moral codes."
New to the NBR's annual announcement of winners this year is a list of the 2003 top five documentaries. The NBR frequently honored a list of top documentaries in the 1940's but later went on to awarding just one annually. Due to the deluge of quality films in the category this year and the growing popularity of the documentary genre, the NBR felt it necessary to include a top five list. Also an addition this year is the Producer's Award category. Often unrecognized in the filmmaking process, the NBR chose to honor three outstanding female producers who have brought distinctly different projects to the screen and entertained a variety of audiences.
The NBR will mark its 95th year of supporting excellence and free expression in film with this January's awards gala at Tavern on the Green. The multi-talented writer and actor Charles Busch will host for the evening.
With no commercial ties to the industry, the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures screens over 300 films per year in order to honor the very best in a variety of categories. The Board's core activities also include granting scholarships to promising film students and directors and underwriting free educational film seminars. For more information about the National Board of Review, log onto www.nbrmp.org.
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