The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association will announce its Best of the Year picks on Monday, Dec. 8, in the early hours of the morning. Thankfully, for us awards season devotees, the organization was kind enough to tease what movies, performances, and technical achievements were in the mix. If you are of the opinion that a nomination can only help a fighting film”s chances, then you”ll want to check out this full list of D.C. contenders.
The heavies are where you expect them: “Birdman” leads the pack with 11 nominations, Richard Linklater”s “Boyhood” taking second place with eight. Both pictures are Best Film contenders.
“Sure thing” actor picks like Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) and J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”) get their due too. Aside from a few upsets it”s a solid list that finds room for a few films that aren”t picking up accolades from other guilds and critics groups. Come Oscar time, it”s hard to imagine films like “The Babadook,” “Under the Skin,” or “Snowpiercer” cracking into Academy”s competitive categories. Even “Interstellar” could lose ground in the technical races by February.
And a loud applause for WAFCA”s “The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC,” the only category this season that finds room for “Anita,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Kill the Messenger,” “Selma,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” If only traditional categories could be that eclectic.
See the full list of nominees below:
Best Film
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“Gone Girl”
“Selma”
“Whiplash”
Best Director
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
David Fincher, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Oscar Isaac, “A Most Violent Year”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
David Oyelowo, “Selma”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Best Actress
Scarlett Johansson, “Under the Skin”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore,”Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon “Wild”
Best Supporting Actor
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
Andy Serkis, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Emma Stone, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Tilda Swinton, “Snowpiercer”
Best Acting Ensemble
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Into the Woods”
“Selma”
Best Youth Performance
“Boyhood”
“Interstellar”
“St. Vincent”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Babadook”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Gone Girl”
“The Imitation Game”
“Inherent Vice”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Wild”
Best Original Screenplay
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The LEGO Movie”
“Whiplash”
Best Animated Feature
“Big Hero 6”
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The LEGO Movie”
Best Documentary
“CITIZENFOUR”
“Jodorowsky's Dune”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Life Itself”
“The Overnighters”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Force Majeure”
“Ida”
“Mommy”
“Two Days, One Night”
“Wild Tales”
Best Art Direction
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Snowpiercer”
Best Cinematography
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”
“Under the Skin”
Best Editing
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“Gone Girl”
“Interstellar”
“Whiplash”
Best Original Score
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Gone Girl”
“Interstellar”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Under the Skin”
The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC
“Anita”
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
“Kill the Messenger”
“Selma”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Check back Monday for the results.