"Spotlight" Wins Best Picture at Critics" Choice Awards

By Andrea Mandell
USA Today
January 18, 2016

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/01/18/spotlight-wins-best-picture-critics-choice/78952416/

Spotlight edged forward in the Oscar race Sunday night.

The film overpowered big-budget movies such as The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road to win best picture at the Critics' Choice Awards, a crucial step as the Academy Awards race tightens.

Spotlight also took home the acting ensemble prize, but the investigative journalism film's major competitors didn't go home empty-handed. The Revenant's Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor (he accepted via video from his media tour for the movie in Europe) and Mad Max cleaned out the action awards, winning action film, actor in an action film (Tom Hardy) and actress in an action film (Charlize Theron).

More telling, Mad Max director George Miller also took home the overall director prize (he wasn't in attendance).

Comedian and Silicon Valley star T.J. Miller hosted the event (even taking a shot at Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais), which saw the Broadcast Film Critics Association award The Big Short the comedy prize over Spy and Trainwreck. Christian Bale also took home comedy actor for the Wall Street satire.

Hollywood hit the awards-season red carpet Sunday night for the Critics' Choice Awards. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux walked the carpet together. Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Those reading the Oscar tea leaves will note that Room's Brie Larson was the Critics' Choice pick for best actress, and Alicia Vikander took home supporting actress for The Danish Girl.

There was Sly again, too. One week after his Golden Globes triumph, Creed's Sylvester Stallone again won supporting actor. But this time, Stallone didn't forget any big names.

"Before I get into any more trouble. I want to say thank you to my director Ryan Coogler. He really is a genius. He made it all happen," said Stallone, also thanking his co-star, Michael B. Jordan. "You’re a great, great talent," he said of Jordan. "And you’re here for a long, long time."

This was the first year that the Critics' Choice Awards combined television and film. Big winners on the small screen included Mr. Robot for drama and Aziz Ansari's Netflix show Master of None for comedy series.

Fargo won big, too, taking home four prizes (including Kirsten Dunst's win for actress in a movie made for TV or limited series).

The multitude of awards meant the show was long, clocking in at just over three hours. That meant spontaneous speeches from new winners were all the more welcome, including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Rachel Bloom (actress in a comedy series), The Leftovers star Carrie Coon (actress in a drama series), and UnREAL's Constance Zimmer (supporting actress in a drama series).

"I want to thank the critics," said Bloom. "We are so grateful that you are such intelligent people, and you understand what we're trying to do with our dark, musical, feminist take on a romantic comedy."

Receiving the Critics' Choice MVP Award, Trainwreck star Amy Schumer (who later won comedy actress) earned laughs by going off-script. "I am plus, plus-sized actress Amy Schumer," she said, introducing herself at the podium. "The reason I had to write my own (stuff) is because of this region right here," she said, pointing to her lower body.

Cue the audience cheering. "This is where I get really 'brave,' as everyone said after my Annie Leibovitz photo," Schumer continued. "That's what you want everyone to say when a naked photo of you goes viral. You want them to say 'What a brave photo.' You're like, thanks. Wow."

But perhaps the most memorable speech of the night came from the show's smallest recipient. When 9-year-old Room star Jacob Tremblay accepted his award for best young actor/actress, he quickly charmed the crowd, calling the win "the best day of my life."

"I know where to put this," he grinned. "Right on my shelf next to my Millennium Falcon."

Film winners

Best picture: Spotlight

Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Actress: Brie Larson, Room

Supporting actor: Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Supporting actress: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Young actor/actress: Jacob Tremblay, Room

Acting ensemble: Spotlight

Director: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Original screenplay: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Adapted screenplay: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short

Animated feature: Inside Out

Action movie: Mad Max: Fury Road

Actor in an action movie: Tom Hardy, Mad Max: Fury Road

Actress in an action movie: Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road

Comedy: The Big Short

Actor in a comedy: Christian Bale, The Big Short

Actress in a comedy: Amy Schumer, Trainwreck

Sci-fi/horror movie: Ex Machina

Foreign language film: Son of Saul

Documentary feature: Amy

Song: See You Again, Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa, Furious 7

Score: Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight

Television winners

Actor in a comedy series: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Actor in a drama series: Rami Malek, Mr. Robot

Actor in a movie made for television or limited series: Idris Elba, Luther

Actress in a comedy series: Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Actress in a drama series: Carrie Coon, The Leftovers

Actress in a movie made for television or limited series: Kirsten Dunst, Fargo

Comedy series: Master of None

Drama series: Mr. Robot

Movie made for television or limited series: Fargo

Supporting actor in a comedy series: Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Supporting actor in a drama series: Christian Slater, Mr. Robot

Supporting actor in a movie made for television or limited series: Jesse Plemons, Fargo

Supporting actress in a comedy series: Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

Supporting actress in a drama series: Constance Zimmer, UnREAL

Supporting actress in a movie made for television or limited series: Jean Smart, Fargo

Animation series: BoJack Horseman

Reality show: The Voice

Structured reality show: Shark Tank

Talk show: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Unstructured reality show: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown