The biggest Critics' Choice 2009 winner was Slumdog Millionaire, which received five awards: best film, best director (Danny Boyle), best young actor (Dev Patel), best writer (Simon Beaufoy), and best composer (A. R. Rahman). As for the biggest loser, that was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which lost every single one of its eight nominations.
Milk fared a little better, with two wins — best actor for Sean Penn and best ensemble — out of eight nods.
Expect the Academy's choices to be quite similar — perhaps even identical — to the Broadcast Critics' choices in just about every category, from best film to best song. Do not, however, expect a tie for the two The Devil Wears Prada co-stars. That said, either Meryl Streep or Anne Hathaway will likely be the Academy's choice come next February.
Also, though hardly a supporting player in The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger seems destined to nab the best supporting actor Oscar come next February.
The Broadcast Film Critics' top nominees were The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Milk, followed by The Dark Knight, Doubt, and Slumdog Millionaire, with six nods each.
Surprisingly, Revolutionary Road is nowhere to be found in the list and neither is Michael Sheen (for Frost/Nixon) or Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long), while Clint Eastwood failed to get a best director nomination (for either Gran Torino or Changeling).
On the other hand, Nothing But the Truth received two unexpected nods: best actress (Kate Beckinsale, above) and best supporting actress (Vera Farmiga). (Director Rod Lurie's "direct marketing" approach may have helped his film.)
Curiously, even though each film received only one acting nomination, both The Dark Knight and Rachel Getting Married are to be found in the best ensemble shortlist. As previously mentioned, both lost to Milk.