Broadcast Crits Wade in "River"

Mystic River is making a big splash in the nominations for the 2003 Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Awards.

The Clint Eastwood adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel--about a tightly knit Boston community separated by tragedy--is up for Best Picture, but that's not where the accolades stop. Sean Penn, as the ex-con whose daughter is missing, also got a nod for Best Actor.

Meanwhile, the dramatic thriller also garnered Best Supporting Actor and Actress nods for Tim Robbins and Marcia Gay Harden. In all, Warner Bros.' Mystic received eight nominations, including Best Acting Ensemble and Best Screenplay; Eastwood himself nabbed two of those nods, for Best Director and Best Composer.

In terms of generating early Oscar buzz, this puts Mystic ahead of the game. The movie has already been named Best Film of 2003 by the National Board of Review (which also honored Penn), while the American Film Institute placed the movie on its Top 10 of 2003 list.

However, the weighty film could be given a run for its money by fellow Critics' Choice nominee The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which garnered four nods: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Acting Ensemble and Best Composer.

The final chapter of the Tolkien trilogy, hitting theaters Tuesday at midnight, also made AFI's best-of list and was named Best Picture of the Year by the New York Film Critics Circle on Monday.

Others joining the Critics' Choice Best Picture race: Tim Burton's family drama Big Fish; the epic Civil War love story Cold Mountain, starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law; Disney's animated hit Finding Nemo; horse-race saga Seabiscuit; Jim Sheridan's Irish-American family drama In America; Tom Cruise's Japanese period epic The Last Samurai; Sofia Coppola's highly acclaimed Lost in Translation; and Russell Crowe's high-seas adventure Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

The semi-autobiographical In America was runner-up in total nominations, with six nods--for everything from Best Actress for Samantha Morton and Best Director for Sheridan to dueling noms for real-life sisters and Best Young Actress contenders Sarah Bolger and Emma Bolger. Next was the jet-lagged Lost in Translation, with five nods, including Best Actor for Bill Murray, Best Supporting Actress for Scarlett Johansson and potential bookend trophies for Coppola, who's up for Best Director and Best Writer. Coppola and Murray were already named Best Director and Best Actor, respectively, by the New York Film Critics Circle.

While Johnny Depp's commercial smash Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl didn't make the Best Picture list, the swashbuckling star was nominated for Best Actor, and the movie is under consideration for Best Family Film.

Joining Depp, Penn and Murray in the Best Actor race are Master and Commander's Crowe and House of Sand & Fog's Ben Kingsley. Representing for Best Actress alongside Morton are Jennifer Connelly, for House of Sand & Fog; Diane Keaton, for Something's Gotta Give; Nicole Kidman, for Cold Mountain; Charlize Theron, for Monster; and Naomi Watts, for 21 Grams.

Getting their props for supporting roles alongside Robbins are Master and Commander's Paul Bettany, The Cooler's Alec Baldwin, 21 Grams' Benicio Del Toro and The Last Samurai's Ken Watanabe. Joining Johansson and Hayden on the Best Supporting Actress list are Patricia Clarkson, for Pieces of April; Holly Hunter, for Thirteen; and Renée Zellweger, for Cold Mountain.

Meanwhile, Best Picture contender Nemo will also compete in the Best Animated Feature category, against fellow Disney entry Brother Bear and the acclaimed French 'toon The Triplets of Belleville. In the Best Foreign-Language Film category, Brazil's City of God goes up against Canada's The Barbarian Invasions and France's Swimming Pool.

The Critics Choice Awards shindig to be broadcast live from the Beverly Hills Hotel, January 10 on E! Entertainment Television. Will & Grace's Eric McCormack will host.

Here's the complete list of nominees for the Ninth Annual Critics' Choice Awards:

Best Picture: Big Fish
Cold Mountain
Finding Nemo
In America
The Last Samurai
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
Seabiscuit

Best Actor: Russell Crowe, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Ben Kingsley, House of Sand & Fog
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Sean Penn, Mystic River

Best Actress: Jennifer Connelly, House of Sand & Fog
Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give
Nicole Kidman, Cold Mountain
Samantha Morton, In America
Charlize Theron, Monster
Naomi Watts, 21 Grams

Best Supporting Actor: Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
Paul Bettany, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams
Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April
Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River
Holly Hunter, Thirteen
Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation
Renée Zellweger, Cold Mountain

Best Acting Ensemble: A Mighty Wind
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Love Actually
Mystic River

Best Director: Tim Burton, Big Fish
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
Clint Eastwood, Mystic River
Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Jim Sheridan, In America

Best Writer: Jim Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, In America
John August, Big Fish
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
Brian Helgeland, Mystic River
Gary Ross, Seabiscuit

Best Young Actor/Actress Sarah Bolger, In America
Emma Bolger, In America
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider
Evan Rachel Wood, Thirteen

Best Animated Feature: Brother Bear
Finding Nemo
The Triplets of Belleville

Best Family Film (live action): Freaky Friday
Holes
Peter Pan
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Whale Rider

Best Picture Made for Television: And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
Angels in America
The Reagans

Best Documentary: Capturing the Friedmans
The Fog of War
Ghosts of the Abyss

Best Foreign-Language Film: The Barbarian Invasions
City of God
Swimming Pool

Best Song: "A Mighty Wind," by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Eugene Levy (A Mighty Wind) "Man of the Hour," by Eddie Vedder; performed by Pearl Jam (Big Fish) "School of Rock," by Sammy James Jr., Mike White; performed by Jack Black (The School of Rock) "The Heart of Every Girl," by Elton John, Bernie Taupin; performed by Elton John (Mona Lisa Smile) "Time Enough for Tears," by Bono, Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer; performed by Andrea Corr (In America)

Best Composer: Clint Eastwood, Mystic River
Danny Elfman, Big Fish
Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Gabriel Yared, Cold Mountain
Hans Zimmer, The Last Samurai