Jackson wins important Oscar precursors

7.00pm

Peter Jackson's quest for Oscar honours got a major boost when the final film in his Lord of the Rings trilogy dominated the Broadcast Film Association awards in Los Angeles today.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won four awards, including best picture and best director for Jackson.

Adding to the plaudits for New Zealand, Whale Rider star Keisha Castle-Hughes took away the award for best young actress.

Jackson said he was "absolutely humbled" to win the best picture award and paid tribute to the "hard work and friendships" established over the last seven years.

"On behalf of film makers everywhere -- it's hard work, it's really tough and for us to be honoured I really do appreciate it, so thank you very much," Jackson said from Wellington in a satellite link-up broadcast at the awards.

Jackson's movie has earned more than US$700 million ($1.05 billion) at the worldwide box office after three weeks, and is likely to pass the US$1 billion mark, according to executives at its distributor, New Line Cinema.

If recent history is any indication, Jackson now stands a huge chance at the Academy Awards following his honouring by the BFA.

The past four winners of the BFA best picture award -- Chicago, A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator and American Beauty -- have all gone on to win best picture Oscars.

In addition, seven of the eight most recent BFA best director winners have subsequently won the best director Oscar.

The other BFA awards won by The Return of the King were for best acting ensemble -- for which there is no Oscar -- and best composer for Howard Shore.

Castle-Hughes was not present to accept her award, in which she defeated Evan Rachel Wood for Thirteen and sisters Sarah Bolger and Emma Bolger for In America.

The film, adapted from Witi Ihimaera's story, was also nominated for best family film (live action).

At the New Zealand Film Awards last year Castle-Hughes won the best actress award and the film won nine of the 14 categories it had been nominated for, including best picture and best director for Niki Caro.

The film has taken more than $60 million at box offices worldwide. It has won awards at major film festivals from Toronto to Rotterdam to Sundance.


The blue-collar crime saga Mystic River won two prizes, best actor and supporting actor, for Sean Penn and Tim Robbins respectively, while its director, Clint Eastwood, took home a previously announced lifetime achievement award.

Other winners included Charlize Theron as best actress for playing real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, and Renee Zellweger for her supporting turn in the United States Civil War drama Cold Mountain.

The writing award went to Irishman Jim Sheridan and his daughters Kirsten and Naomi for their immigrant saga In America. Finding Nemo won for best animated feature, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl for best family film, for which Whale Rider was a nominee.

French-Canadian director Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions was named best foreign language film, while A Mighty Wind took home the best song award for its tune of the same name. The documentary prize went to Capturing the Friedmans.

The event was organised by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which bills itself as the largest such group in the United States and Canada, with 182 members from the television, radio and online worlds.

The next major awards will be the Golden Globes on January 26 NZ time. Academy Award nominations will be announced on January 28, with winners announced on March 1.

- NZPA

Critics' Choice Awards winners 2004

Best Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best Actor: Sean Penn - Mystic River

Best Actress: Charlize Theron - Monster

Best Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins - Mystic River

Best Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain

Best Acting Ensemble: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best Director: Peter Jackson - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best Writer: Jim Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan - In America

Best Young Actor/Actress: Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider

Best Animated Feature: Finding Nemo

Best Family Film (live action): Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Best Picture Made for Television: Angels in America

Best Documentary: Capturing the Friedmans

Best Foreign Language Film: The Barbarian Invasions

Best Song: "A Mighty Wind", Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Eugene Levy - A Mighty Wind

Best Composer: Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King


Critics' Choice Awards

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings