2007 Critics’ Choice Awards: Nominations

There were quite a few surprises among the nominees for the Broadcast Film Critics Association's 2007 Critics' Choice Awards.

Both Todd Field's psychological sex drama Little Children (above, with Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson) and Clint Eastwood's Japanese-language Letters from Iwo Jima were nominated in the best film category, but Eastwood's highly praised Flags of Our Fathers was not.

Letters from Iwo Jima also showed up in the best foreign language film shortlist (a first at the Critics' Choice Awards), along with Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, which has been both panned and praised (sometimes in the same review).

Leonardo DiCaprio received two best actor nods (another first), for Blood Diamond and The Departed, while Ben Affleck (above, with Diane Lane) was included (in the best supporting actor category) for his performance in Hollywoodland. So far, this has been Affleck's first US-based nod since his surprising Venice Film Festival win several months ago.

And finally an American film critics' group has recognized Jack Nicholson's horrendous caricature in The Departed as one of the finest bits of acting of the year. Nicholson is up for a best supporting actor award.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association has a whole array of unique awards, including "Best Comedy Movie" (but sadly no "Best Tragic Movie") and "Best Family Film (Live Action)." It's my firm belief that no dysfunctional film families are allowed in that category, though the much-despised — but highly popular — Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (above, with Johnny Depp) was included.

Those guys aren't broadcast critics for nothing. They know what will attract good TV ratings — much like other film critics' groups know that their worth lies in their power to influence the Academy Awards. As a result, very few of those groups dare to veer too far off into uncharted Academy waters. In other words, few worthy but "esoteric" films and performances have been cited by U.S. critics' groups, especially in recent years.