OFCS Announces 2005 Award Winners

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The Online Film Critics Society has voted "A History of Violence" Best Picture for 2005 and awarded its director, David Cronenberg, the Best Director's prize. Cronenberg's controversial film explores the upheaval in an Indiana family's life when a man kills in order to stop criminals from murdering innocent people in his diner.

The winners were announced on Sunday, January 15. OFCS is an international, professional association for film journalists, scholars and historians who publish their reviews, interviews and essays primarily in the online media. It's the ninth time that the society's 140 members have handed out end-of-year awards.

This year, OFCS members voted Philip Seymour Hoffman Best Actor ("Capote") for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote, whose "In Cold Blood" blended fiction and non-fiction in chilling fashion.

Reese Witherspoon was honored as Best Actress for her spirited and spunky performance as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line," for which she did her own vocals.

The Best Supporting Actor award went to Mickey Rourke ("Sin City") for his tough but sensitive portrayal of a facially disfigured ex-con who avenges the murder of a prostitute--the only beauty to ever make love to this beast.

Mario Bella won the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance as the wife of the hero in "A History of Violence" who has her life turned upside down.

George Clooney and Grant Heslov were honored for Best Original Screenplay for "Good Night, and Good Luck," which chronicled the feud between legendary CBS anchorman Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the time of the senator's communist "witch hunts."

The Best Adapted Screenplay award went to Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, who adapted a short story by L. Annie Proulx in order to create "Brokeback Mountain," the story of two cowboys who find themselves sexually attracted to each other.

In a year that was rich in camerawork, Robert Rodriguez won Best Cinematography for "Sin City," which was based on Frank Miller's violent-noir graphic novels. Rodriguez also won for Best Editing.

"Grizzly Man" was honored as the Best Documentary for 2005. To make the film, Werner Herzog distilled more than 100 hours of footage shot by naturist Timothy Treadwell, who, with his girlfriend Amy Hogenard, was killed and devoured by a grizzly.

"Downfall" (Germany) won for Best Foreign-Language Film. Oliver Hirschbiegel's powerful film covered the last 10 days of the Third Reich as seen through the eyes of Hitler's 22-year-old secretary.

The Best Animated Feature award went to "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

Founded in 1997, the Online Film Critics Society seeks "to further the growth of an informed film audience through the online media and to promote awareness of the Internet as a viable media alternative." DVD Town's John J. Puccio and James Plath are voting members.

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