More Critics Get "Lost," Dig "River"

That's about the truest line one can draw from the latest pair of critics awards released this week.

Multiplex mullers in Boston declared named Clint Eastwood's Mystic River 2003's best film; their San Francisco counterparts opted for Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation.

In both polls, Peter Jackson's Return of the King figured prominently, with Jackson named runnerup to Coppola in the Boston critics' Best Director race. Per the San Francisco scribes, Jackson was the outright best.

Mystic River, also honored for its ensemble cast by the Boston critics, previously was named Best Film by the National Board of Review. Return of the King scored its highest honor to date from the New York critics. Both were named to the American Film Institute's best-of-2003 list, as was Lost in Translation. Additionally, all three are Best Film nominees, per the Broadcast Film Critics Association.

Elsewhere, Bill Murray seemingly upped his Oscar-nomination chances, sweeping the Best Actor categories in Boston and San Francisco critics voting.

Murray's Lost in Translation companion, 19-year-old Scarlett Johansson, was named Best Actress by the Boston writers; Charlize Theron was the pick of the Bay Area for her turn as a highway-trolling serial killer in the not-yet released Monster.

Non-household names Peter Sarsgaard and Patricia Clarkson may become otherwise after pulling a Bill Murray, and dominating the supporting-acting races in Boston and San Francisco.

Sarsgaard was named top supporting actor for his portrayal of faker Stephen Glass' vexed editor in Shattered Glass. Clarkson was honored for her take on the vexed mother in Pieces of April. The Boston critics also called her out for her performance in The Station Agent.

Clarkson, for one, is proof that critics' awards don't always add up to Oscar glory. Last year, the always-working actress, who made her big-screen debut as Kevin Costner's wife in The Untouchables, received much kudos as Julianne Moore's best friend in Far From Heaven, including a Best Supporting Actress honor from the New York critics. But come the Academy Award nominations, Clarkson got zip.

Awards-show guru Tom O'Neil said Tuesday that critics groups such as Boston and San Francisco have proved to have "no noticeable impact" on Oscar voting. But their awards, he said, can help boost the odds of smaller films in need of promotional help.

"The big cliffhanger is, what will be the little Goliaths that will take on the giant epics?" O'Neil asked.

To that end, O'Neil, author of Movie Awards: The Ultimate, Unofficial Guide to the Oscars, Golden Globes, Critics, Guild and Indie Honors, said lauded films such as Lost in Translation, In America and Mystic River, which is technically not an indie release, have been helped; mostly ignored films such as 21 Grams and Cold Mountain may have been hurt.

American Splendor, meanwhile, was honored with Best Screenplay honors by the Boston critics. Perhaps befitting writers' prestigious place in Hollywood, the San Francisco critics didn't bother with a screenplay award.

Capturing the Friedmans, the tale of a family torn apart by child-abuse allegations, was named Best Documentary by both groups.

Also out: Nominations for the London Film Critics Circle Awards. Per MovieCityNews.com, Mystic River and Return of the King will go up against Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Hours and Far From Heaven for Best Film honors.

Lost in Translation wasn't lost in the shuffle--it won't open in the United Kingdom until next year. Similarly, 2002 Oscar players The Hours and Far from Heaven are eligible because they weren't released in the U.K. until this year.

Next up: Nominations for the 61st Golden Globes, due out Thursday.

Here's a complete look at the 2003 winners of the Boston Society of Film Critics:

Film: Mystic River
Actor: Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Actress: Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation
Supporting Actor: Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass
Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson, The Station Agent and Pieces of April
Director: Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
Screenplay: American Splendor
Cinematography: Winged Migration
Foreign-Language Film: The Triplets of Belleville
Documentary: Capturing the Friedmans
Acting Ensemble: Mystic River
New Filmmaker: Andrew Jarecki, Capturing the Friedmans

And here's a look at the top 2003 winners of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle:

Film: Lost in Translation
Actor: Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Actress: Charlize Theron, Monster
Supporting Actor: Peter Saarsgard, Shattered Glass
Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April
Director: Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Foreign-Language Film: The Son
Documentary: Capturing the Friedmans
Special Citation Russian Ark, a "better than than never" honor to a 2002 film "released too late to honor