Tis the Season: Broadcast Film Critics Association

According to their website, the Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest of its kind in the U.S.A. and Canada. It consists of 199 critics who contribute regularly to television, radio and the internet. I always thought they were exclusively TV and radio but now that I know better, I think I'll be applying for membership as soon as I'm done with this post. Regardless of whether they want me or not, the BFCA are good people with equally good taste. The association issues a list of nominees now and follow up with winners in each category on the 8th of January. They call it the Critic's Choice Awards. Leading the nominations this year are Gus Van Sant's MILK and David Fincher's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Each took in eight nominations, including nods in the Best Picture category and the director category, as well as the Best Actor category, where Brad Pitt finally sees some love with Sean Penn continues to soak it up. MILK seems to be a solid performer thus far and BENJAMIN BUTTON is gaining momentum it lost before things even got started. Next up, tied with six nominations a piece were THE DARK KNIGHT, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and DOUBT (which I am very excited to be seeing tomorrow). FROZEN RIVER's Melissa Leo continues her surprising journey toward potential Oscar gold while yet another obscure title sees some unexpected love. NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. from director Rod Lurie, earned some love for actresses, Kate Beckinsale and Vera Farmiga. Finally, a new category was added this year that will definitely have no bearing on the Oscars, Best Action Movie. We all know how much the Oscars love action movies ... as long as they know their place and keep to the sound and special effects categories.

Here are the nominees in the major categories.

BEST PICTURE
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
THE WRESTLER

BEST ACTOR
Clint Eastwood, "Gran Turino"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

BEST ACTRESS
Kate Beckinsale, "Nothing but the Truth"
Cate Blanchett, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
James Franco, "Milk"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Vera Farmiga, "Nothing but the Truth"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

SCREENPLAY
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
MILK
FROST/NIXON
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT

ANIMATED FEATURE
BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA
MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
WALL-E
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

ACTION MOVIE
THE DARK KNIGHT
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
WANTED

COMEDY
BURN AFTER READING
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
ROLE MODELS
TROPIC THUNDER
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

You gotta love a category where the Coen Brothers and Woody Allen end nominated alongside a movie where a guy flops his penis around on screen countless times (that's you, Sarah Marshall!). For a full list of nominess, visit the Broadcast Film Critic Association website.