The Faith and Film Critics: Preparing the Best of 2007 Awards

Thanks to Ron Reed for making it public!

This year’s nominees for the best films of 2007 according to the Faith and Film Critics Circle are quite surprising! That is to say, when the critics were polled, their favorite narrative films did not include one of the titles you’d most expect to see there. You’ll see what I mean in the list below.

The winners will be announced next week.

Who are the Faith and Film Critics Circle? Find out here.¬†I managed this endeavor for a while, and eventually had to step down due to the increasing demands of my writing endeavors. But I’m still a voting member, and the group goes on. I’m excited about this year’s nominations.

Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes 
After the Wedding
Amazing Grace
Atonement
Into Great Silence
Into the Wild
Lars and the Real Girl

Best Narrative Film
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Lars and the Real Girl
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Documentary
The Devil Came on Horseback
In the Shadow of the Moon
Into Great Silence
The King of Kong
No End in Sight

Best Film for the Whole Family
The Bridge to Terabithia
Dan in Real Life
Enchanted
In the Shadow of the Moon
Ratatouille

Best Director 
Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood
Brad Bird – Ratatouille
Joel and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
Todd Haynes – I’m Not There
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Performance by an Actor
Christian Bale – Rescue Dawn
Russell Crowe – 3:10 to Yuma
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl

Best Performance by an Actress 
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Julie Christie – Away from Her
Marion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney – The Savages
Ellen Page – Juno

Best Performance by a Child 
Dillon Freasier – There Will Be Blood
AnnaSophia Robb – The Bridge to Terabithia
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Ed Sanders – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Thomas Turgoose – This Is England

Best Supporting Performance by an Actor 
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Paul Dano – There Will Be Blood
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook – Into the Wild

Best Supporting Performance by an Actress 
Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There
Jennifer Garner – Juno
Emily Mortimer – Lars and the Real Girl
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

Best Ensemble Cast 
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
I’m Not There
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton

Best Cinematography 
Roger Deakins – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Roger Deakins – No Country for Old Men
Robert Elswit – There Will Be Blood
Eric Gautier – Into the Wild
Janusz Kaminski – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Original Screenplay
Brad Bird (et al.) – Ratatouille
Diablo Cody – Juno
Todd Haynes & Oren Moverman – I’m Not There
Anders Thomas Jensen & Susanne Bier – After the Wedding
Nancy Oliver – Lars and the Real Girl

Best Adapted Screenplay 
Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard – Gone Baby Gone
Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood
Joel and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
Andrew Dominik – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Ronald Harwood – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Sooni Taraporevala – The Namesake

Best Original Score 
Klaus Badelt – Rescue Dawn
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Michael Giacchino – Ratatouille
Jonny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood
Dario Marianelli – Atonement
Philip Sheppard – In the Shadow of the Moon