Ohio Critics Name WALL-E Best of 2008

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 8, 2009

cofca_walle

This evening my fine colleagues of the Central Ohio Film Critics Association held their annual private party to announce our year-end awards, complete with booze and chatter about who voted for what movie and who voted to snub The Dark Knight. I am told it was a joyous affair. I was not there however, as I was at home sick. So instead of coming home at the end of the evening and face planting into my bed, I’ve saved energy this year to provide you with the results of the aforementioned awards.

Check out the official press release below.

WALL·E collects top prize in 7th annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association awards

(Columbus, January 8, 2009) Andrew Stanton’s WALL·E was named Best Film in the Central Ohio Film Critics Association’s 7th annual awards, which recognize excellence in the film industry for 2008. The film also won two other awards, including Best Screenplay-Original (Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon) and Best Animated Film. Stanton was runner-up for Best Director.

The Dark Knight, which finished fourth on the Best Film list, was awarded three prizes: Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger), Best Ensemble, and Best Cinematography (Wally Pfister). Ledger’s win marks the third time COFCA has honored the actor. He won 2005’s Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work) and Best Lead Performance for that year’s Brokeback Mountain.

Other multiple award winners include Slumdog Millionaire, Frozen River, and The Wrestler. Best Film runner-up Slumdog Millionaire claimed Best Director (Danny Boyle) and Best Screenplay-Adapted (Simon Beaufoy). Frozen River’s two awards went to Melissa Leo for Best Actress and Breakthrough Film Artist. Frozen River placed third on the Best Films list. Best Actor Mickey Rourke and Best Supporting Actress Marisa Tomei pinned down two awards for The Wrestler, which ranked seventh in COFCA’s Top 10.

Other individual winners include: Actor of the Year Robert Downey Jr. for his exemplary work in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s Alexandre Desplat for Best Score.

Other honored films include: Man on Wire for Best Documentary; 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile) for Best Foreign Language Film; and Ghost Town for Best Overlooked Film.

Founded in 2002, the Central Ohio Film Critics Association is comprised of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Its membership consists of more than 25 print, radio, television, and new media critics. COFCA’s official website at www.cofca.org contains links to member reviews and past award winners.

Winners were announced at a private party on January 8.

Complete list of awards:

Best Films

1. WALL·E

2. Slumdog Millionaire

3. Frozen River

4. The Dark Knight

5. Frost/Nixon

6. Milk

7. The Wrestler

8. Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in)

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

10. In Bruges

Best Director

-Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

-Runner-up: Andrew Stanton, WALL·E

Best Actor

-Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

-Runner-up: Sean Penn, Milk

Best Actress

-Melissa Leo, Frozen River

-Runner-up: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor

-Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

-Runners-up (tie): Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt and Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Supporting Actress

-Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

-Runner-up: Misty Upham, Frozen River

Best Ensemble

-The Dark Knight

-Runner-up: Slumdog Millionaire

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)

-Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man and Tropic Thunder

-Runner-up: James Franco, Milk and Pineapple Express

Breakthrough Film Artist

-Melissa Leo, Frozen River (for acting)

-Runner-up: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River (for directing and screenwriting)

Best Cinematography

-Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight

-Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Screenplay – Adapted

-Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

-Runner-up: Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon

Best Screenplay – Original

-Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, WALL·E

-Runner-up: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River

Best Score

-Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

-Runner-up: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Documentary

-Man on Wire

-Runner-up: American Teen

Best Foreign Language Film

-4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile)

-Runner-up: Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in)

Best Animated Film

-WALL·E

-Runner-up: Kung Fu Panda

Best Overlooked Film

-Ghost Town

-Runner-up: RocknRolla

COFCA offers its congratulations to the winners.

Previous Best Film winners:

2002: Punch-Drunk Love

2003: Lost in Translation

2004: Million Dollar Baby

2005: A History of Violence

2006: Children of Men

2007: No Country for Old Men

For more information about the Central Ohio Film Critics Association, please visit www.cofca.org.


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  • Way to go Ohio. I wish the WGA had nominated Wall-E. It has virtually no chance of winning an Oscar for Writing, which is unfortunate because the competition isn't THAT great. Wall-E script was better than Shrek's and that got nominated for Best Original. Oh well. Still a great film.
  • Critic's Choice Awards, take note. Slumdog was great but not WALL-E caliber. At least neither of these groups were fanboy-ish enough to award the inferior TDK. Go WALL-E!
  • Josh
    Even though "The Wrestler" was my second favorite (after "Wall-E") and I hated "Button", I think this is overall my favorite "list" I've seen. Penn's been winning a lot, and he was great, but I think Rourke was a lot better. Also, James Franco love is always great. But, and I may just be remembering wrong, I can't remember Stanton getting a lot of love for directing. I'm glad to see some here (as well as the script). I really hope "Wall-E" wins Best Picture.
  • I think WALL-E deserve best movie of the year.
  • Jarred
    Wall-E did not get a WGA nomination because it was not written under a WGA contract and was therefore ineligible. I guess Animated films are not written under WGA contracts for Kung Fu Panda was also ineligible as was Ratatouille last year. Ratatouille was on the same boat last year in not getting a WGA nomination, but it ended up with an original sreenplay nomination from the Academy. Wall-E will follow suit and get an original screenplay nomination, and if there's any justice left in this world, it should have a spot in the best picture category.
  • Nice explanation but I disagree. Wall-E isn't even the best Pixar film made, in my opinion. I am starting to think it might be one of the most overrated films of the year. I am cool with the original screenplay nomination but it is not the best film of the year. The good thing is we can all disagree. Yay!
  • Jake
    imho, TDK is the most overrated of the year. it was good, but nowhere near as good as everyone is claiming it to be.
  • Then it is a duel to the death, Jake. Mwahaha. Ok, we will just agree to disagree.
  • Shawn
    Wall-E will get a nomination for original screenplay. I read on several sites that it wasn't eligible for WGA, similar to Ratatouille a year ago for some reason. However, Wall-E meets all Oscar requirements for writing and will definitely be nominated in the original screenplay category, similar to Ratatouile which was nominated a year ago. Anyway, I'm very happy to see more recognition for Wall-E, hope it bags even more nominations and wins in the weeks ahead.
  • Edward
    Wall-E is pixars crowning achievement. Nemo or Toy Story may still be the popular fave by many, But Wall-E is their finest creation.
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