I know a lot of parents with young children have trouble getting to the movies. As Allison explained in her post about the new ArcLight Theaters, it’s tough for some parents to justify a date-night in which you’re just sitting alone in the dark not speaking. That’s why it’s so important to know which movies ARE worth the considerable investment of a babysitter and a night away from the family.
As a member of the Washington Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), I’m lucky enough to be one of 55 area critics who vote on the best films and screen performances each year. After a year of going to the movies watching screeners at home, our group chose “Boyhood” as the best film of 2014, as well as Richard Linklater as the best director for the same movie. Here is our list (not everything I voted for made the final cut, most notably “Selma” directed by Ava DuVernay), but I encourage you to put all of these movies on your “must see” list.
THE 2014 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:
Best Film:
“Boyhood”
Best Director:
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Best Actor:
Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Actress:
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Best Supporting Actor:
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Best Acting Ensemble:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Youth Performance:
Ellar Coltrane, “Boyhood”
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”
Best Original Screenplay:
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Best Animated Feature:
“The LEGO Movie”
Best Documentary:
“Life Itself”
Best Foreign Language Film:
“Force Majeure” (Sweden)
Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C., “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Best Editing:
Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione, ACE, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Best Original Score:
Mica Levi, “Under the Skin”
The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
