Critics Choice Awards: People vs Critics

It happens a lot. Professional critics and pundits think one thing, and regular citizens think another. It happens with movies, it happens with TV shows, it happens with rock ‘n’ roll. Last night at the Critics Choice Awards it happened again.

During the past month, we asked you guys to vote for your favorite actors, actresses and movies, and in several spots there was a schism between what the ones you chose and those the crit’s preferred. Of course you did agree on a few things, too. We’re entering in the Awards Show season; the Grammys and Oscars are on the horizon. Let’s just see how close the two sides were at the CCA extravaganza.

Watch the entire show right here.

Watch the full red carpet presentation here.

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Although you wouldn’t call it an art film, it seemed to quack like one. Few on-line voters were in sync with the professionals’ opinion, that’s for sure.  They only gave it 8% of the vote, heaving all the support to The Dark Knight, which picked up a sizable 54%. Mr Ben Buttons and his tale took 13%. Think Brad’s old-baby fable or Batman himself will do better at the Oscars?

Best Actor: Sean Penn

Old Spicoli did a damn good job portraying the gay activist in a movie both touching and thrilling. But our online voters weren’t buying. They only coughed up 20% to Penn’s work. Brad Pitt was the man to beat as far as on-line goes - evidently superstardom has its privileges.

Beat Actress: Anne Hathaway & Meryl Streep

When your name is in the tabs every day of the year, it rolls off people’s tongues. Angelina Jolie was the choice of the VH1 voters this time round, but great work in Changeling or not, their 42% wasn’t the right bet. And even the critics were wringing their hands in the category this year. In a kind of wimpy move, they split the prize between the young upstart and the veteran diva.

Best Comedy Movie: Tropic Thunder

Here’s a place where the stars aligned. You put Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and a blackfaced Robert Downey Jr together in a jungle and something’s gotta give. 35% of the on-line crowd knew that this made them laugh the loudest in 2008, and the critic’s concurred.

Best Action Movie: The Dark Knight

Schism be gone! Christian Bale’s Batman was both popcorn action fest and eerie existential brooder. Ticket buyers loved it for both reasons, as did their critical brethren. Isn’t it nice when we all get along? Of course, there was that extra oomph of a crazed performance of the guy who played The Joker. Which leads us to…

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

His tragic January passing was a horrible way to begin 2008. But combined with with a dazzling spin as the evil loony, it sure put people on his side. This is where the crits and the citz were of one mind as well. Somewhere in that whiteface make-up we all found someone to respect and revile.

Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet

Not that many people saw The Reader, but Winslet must have turned the heads of all who did. The on-line voters had her in the lead at 40%, and she strolled away with the pros on her side, too.

Best Animated Movie: Wall-E

Kung Fu Panda had Jack Black and Angie J. Bolt had a cool storyline. But the sad sack robot had the heart of the of someone who cares about the planet, its greeness, and therefore its future. On-liners were split (39% for Wall-E; 34% for Bolt; 19 for KFP), but the critics knew that Disney created magic this time around. There were plenty of commentators saying it should have been Best Picture, animated or not.  Maybe Oscar will fix that.

See show photos, red carpet photos, and after-party photos of the CCA show right here.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 5:29 pm