Critics' Choice Hails "King"

Broadcast film critics heap accolades on Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Sean Penn and Charlize Theron also honored

By Joal Ryan Jan 11, 2004 5:30 PMTags

The third time was the charm for the hobbits.

The Lord of the Rings franchise ruled the 9th annual Critics' Choice Awards, taking a field-best four awards Saturday night, including Best Picture, for the epic trilogy's closer, The Return of the King.

The series' first two installments, 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and 2002's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, were Critics' Choice Best Picture nominees but never winners.

In his second shot at Best Director, Rings master Peter Jackson also ruled. (He previously was nominated as a helmer for 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.)

"Looking back on this experience, the last seven years, it's been so incredible," Jackson said via satellite from New Zealand, where he (seriously) joked he was hard at work on making the already three-hour-plus Return of the King even longer (for special-edition purposes).

Return of the King also took awards for Best Composer (Howard Shore) and Best Acting Ensemble (wizards, hobbits and elves presumably included). Shore previously took a Critics' Choice award for his score for The Fellowship of the Ring.

Critics' Choice Awards
Get all the winners and E!'s exclusive coverage.
The Critics' Choice Awards are presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. As host Eric McCormack quipped on the E! Entertainment Television telecast, "This event is the first of the over 350 awards shows that will air in the next six weeks."

To that end, Charlize Theron and Sean Penn got a head start on polishing their thank-you speeches.

Theron, who made herself look very much unlike Charlize Theron to play prostitute turned serial-killer Aileen Wournos, was named Best Actress for the brutal Monster. "This movie has changed my life," a this-close-to-tears Theron told the Beverly Hills Hotel audience.

Standing-ovation recipient Penn was doubly honored as Best Actor for his turn as the grieving and vengeful father in Mystic River. Usually an awards-show no-show, Penn proved himself capable of (a) showing up; (b) being gracious; and (c) possessing a sense of humor. (We're guessing he'll get to the part about wearing a tie later.)

Penn's Mystic River costar Tim Robbins was named Best Supporting Actor. Despite the drama's dour subject matter, Robbins called the film "a joy to make."

With Robbins' and Penn's wins, Mystic River was the only film besides Return of the King to take multiple honors.

Renée Zellweger, last year part of Chicago's group win for Best Acting Ensemble, soloed as Best Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain. Her director, Anthony Minghella, picked up the trophy for the MIA star, said to be in London at work (and porking out) on the new Bridget Jones comedy.

Unlike most other awards-show voters, members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association offer up an open accounting of their balloting.

Oscar watchers then might be interested to know that Return of the King didn't just win Best Picture; it destroyed the competition--no small feat considering it was up against nine other films. King received 43 critics' votes, more than double its nearest competitor, Mystic River, with 18.

Jackson's Best Director win was even more impressive. He captured 80 votes, far outdistancing Mystic River captain Clint Eastwood, who earned 17.

Likewise, Theron was a Monster-size winner. The former model received 70 votes for her breakthrough dramatic performance. Diane Keaton, up for Something's Gotta Give, trailed--a lot--with 27 votes.

Compared to Theron's, Penn's victory was a squeaker. He picked up 40 votes, holding off Lost in Translation's Bill Murray, with 35, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl's Johnny Depp, with 28.

Directors Eastwood (shut out as Best Director) and Peter Weir (shut out of even the nominating field for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) didn't need no stinking wins to win. Both received honorary awards from the broadcast critics.

Complete list of winners.