Austin Film Critics Pick Boyhood

The Austin Film Critics Association this week voted Boyhood as the Best Film of the year. Richard Linklater was also named Best Director for his innovative drama in addition to Boyhood taking two other awards – Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette and the Best Austin Film award for movies shot by local filmmakers – in addition to topping the critics' combined Top 10 list.

Before the usual charges kick in about local boosterism, which arise whenever any of Linklater's projects receive hometown recognition, it should be pointed out that Boyhood has been named Best Film by a number of national critics' groups, received several Golden Globe nominations, and is considered a top contender for Oscar nominations in numerous categories. For starters, the influential Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Chicago Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, among many others, have named Boyhood best in show for 2014. The Austin critics can either be accused of kowtowing to group think, or having been right all these years regarding their hometown filmmaker's work. Boyhood is the fifth Linklater film to be awarded the Austin Film Award.

The Central Texas-shot Joe was recognized with a special award for the late Gary Poulter, for his outstanding performance in the film; Poulter died before David Gordon Green's take on the Larry Brown Southern Gothic novel reached the screen. Poulter's searing performance as a homeless, toothless alcoholic was not too far removed from the actual life of this one-shot movie star.

The Austin Chronicle's film critics will weigh in on their Top 10s in our Jan. 2 issue.

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The Austin Film Critics Association is a group dedicated to supporting the best in film, whether at the international, national, or local level. AFCA's 33 members contribute to publications and outlets as diverse as Ain't It Cool News, the Austin American-Statesman, The Austin Chronicle, Badass Digest, The Daily Texan, DVDActive, Fandango, Film School Rejects, FirstShowing.net, GotchaMovies, Hill Country News, Horror's Not Dead, KOOP Radio, Movies.com, One of Us, Paste, ScreenCrush, Slackerwood, Smells Like Screen Spirit, and YNN Austin, among others.

AFCA Bests of 2014

Best Film: Boyhood

Best Director: Richard Linklater (Boyhood)

Best Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)

Best Actress: Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Best Original Screenplay: Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman: or [The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance])

Best Score: Antonio Sanchez (Birdman: or [The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance])

Best Foreign Language Film: Force Majeure (D: Ruben Östlund)

Best Documentary: Citizenfour (D: Laura Poitras)

Best Animated Film: The LEGO Movie (Phil Lord, Christopher Miller)

Best First Film: Nightcrawler (D: Dan Gilroy)

Breakthrough Artist: Jennifer Kent, writer/director of The Babadook

Best Austin Film: Boyhood (D: Richard Linklater)

Special Honorary Award: Gary Poulter, for his outstanding performance in Joe

AFCA 2014 Top 10 Films

1) Boyhood

2) Whiplash

3) The Grand Budapest Hotel

4) Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

5) Snowpiercer

6) Nightcrawler

7) Selma

8) The Imitation Game

9) TIE: Inherent Vice and Gone Girl