Some could classify 2014 as a down year for cinema. And not only because of the box office receipts. In terms of quality, there wasn’t one film that had a certain “it” factor. The closest was maybe Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, in large part because it was shot over the course of twelve years. But having seen well over 150 new films in theaters this year, I found more than enough to enjoy. And as someone who is a member of the Houston Film Critics Society it is my pleasure to share with you the nominees as determined by the group. I’m am especially pleased with the nominations for Best Picture as it ranges from small (Whiplash) to big (Guardians of the Galaxy) and includes at least six of my own top ten films of the year.
Best Picture
A Most Violent Year
Birdman
Boyhood
Guardians of the Galaxy
Inherent Vice
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Actor
Bendict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Eddie Redmayne, Theory Of Everything
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Tom Hardy, Locke
Actress
Essie Davis, The Babadook
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Supporting Actor
Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edward Norton, Birdman
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
Supporting Actress
Emma Stone, Birdman
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Kiera Knightley, The Imitation Game
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer
Screenplay
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Armando Bo; Birdman
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Animated
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Book of Love
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Hoyte van Hoytema, Interstellar
Robert Elswit, Inherent Vice
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Roger Deakins, Unbroken
Documentary
Citizenfour
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Life Itself
The Overnighters
Foreign
Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
The Raid 2
Two Days, One Night
Original Score
Alexander Desplat, The Imitation Game
Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Antonio Sánchez, Birdman
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Johann Johannson, The Theory of Everything
Original Song
“Big Eyes”, Big Eyes
“Everything is Awesome”, The Lego Movie
“Glory”, Selma
“I’m Not Going to Miss You”, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars”, Begin Again
Texas Independent Film Award
Above All Else
Boyhood
Hellion
Joe
No No: A Dockumentary
Stop the Pounding Heart
Best Poster
Birdman
Godzilla
Guardians of the Galaxy
Inherent Vice
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Technical Achievement
Birdman – Creation of single long take for bulk of film
Boyhood – Filming over 12 years
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – creation of ape characters
Worst Film of the Year
Blended
Dumb and Dumber To
Left Behind
The Identical
Transformers: Age of Extinction