The Critics' Chosen: "Brokeback," Reese, Philip

Brokeback Mountain continued to break down the competition Monday night at the Critics' Choice Awards.

The gay cowboy romance, which led the field with eight nominations going into the ceremony, rode away with three awards in all, including the all important Best Picture prize, which is considered a key Oscar prognosticator.

Five of the last six pictures chosen by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for the Critics' Choice Best Picture prize have gone on to win the Academy Award in the same category.

Brokeback also earned a Best Director nod for Ang Lee and a Best Supporting Actress award for Michelle Williams, an honor she shared with Junebug star Amy Adams.

New mom Williams was not present to accept her award, giving Adams the stage to herself to deliver her acceptance speech.

"Can you believe this? We made this film for under a million dollars," Adams said. "And it is just unbelievable what can happen when you put your heart and soul into something. So, everybody out there who has a really small script and wants to get it made, it is possible and it is so exciting. So, do it. We need more of that."

The Best Supporting Actor prize went to Paul Giamatti for Cinderella Man, who was presented his trophy by his overjoyed Sideways costar Virginia Madsen.

"I was glad to see Philip Hoffman didn't wear a tie," the somewhat unkempt Giamatti said, motioning to his unbuttoned shirt collar. "Because I didn't either. And I should have shaved and..."

However, unshaven and tie-less proved to be the winning look of the night, as a bearded Philip Seymour Hoffman would soon take the stage to accept the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Truman Capote in the true-life drama, Capote, beating out the buzz-generating likes of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix.

"Making this film wasn't always easy. I didn't always have the best time," Hoffman said of his transformation into the eccentric author who chronicled his obsession with the murders of a wealthy Kansas family in the crime classic In Cold Blood. He thanked his girlfriend and son for making "everything better."

Slightly better groomed was Reese Witherspoon, who took home the Best Actress prize for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. The Johnny Cash biopic also won the award for Best Soundtrack, thanks in part to the vocal chops of Witherspoon and Phoenix, both of whom are featured on the recording.

In other musical accomplishments, John Williams won Best Composer for Memoirs of a Geisha, while the Best Song honor went to Terrence Howard for "Hustle & Flow."

The cast of Crash was deemed the Best Acting Ensemble, while the film's writers, Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, shared the Best Writer award.

For one night, at least, virgins were cool, as The 40-Year-Old Virgin made off with the inaugural Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy Movie, beating out sidesplitting competitors including Wedding Crashers and The Producers.

In the kiddie corner, Dakota Fanning took home the Best Child Actress award for War of the Worlds, while Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star Freddie Highmore was named Best Child Actor. The Chronicles of Narnia won the prize for Best Family Film and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was named Best Animated Film.

Andy Serkis, who played the computer-generated giant ape Kong in King Kong, as well as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, received the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Distinguished Achievement in Performing Arts award for his groundbreaking work in the industry. His award represented the sole victory for King Kong, which was shut out in the Best Director and Best Picture categories.

Former awards show regular Julia Roberts emerged from domestic bliss to present her Ocean's Eleven costar George Clooney with the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Freedom Award, which he received for illuminating "values of freedom, tolerance and democracy" with his film Good Night, and Good Luck.

Clooney was also nominated in three categories, including Best Director and Writer for Good Night and Best Supporting Actor for Syriana, but was shut out across the board.

The 11th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were hosted by Dennis Miller and telecast on the WB.

Here's a complete roundup of this year's winners:

Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain
Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Best Supporting Actor: Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Best Supporting Actress: (tie) Amy Adam, Junebug; Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
Best Acting Ensemble: Crash
Best Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Best Writer: Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash
Best Animated Feature: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Best Young Actor:Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Best Young Actress: Dakota Fanning, War of the Worlds
Best Comedy Movie: The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Best Family Film (Live Action): The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Best Picture Made for Television: Into the West
Best Foreign-Language Film: Kung Fu Hustle
Best Song: "Hustle & Flow" by Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Best Soundtrack: Walk the Line
Best Composer: John Williams, Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Documentary Feature: March of the Penguins
Distinguished Achievement in Performing Arts: Andy Serkis
Freedom Award: George Clooney