Broadcast Film Critics 2009 Award Nominations Announced

“At the Movies” co-hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz announced the 14th annual Broadcast Film Critics Association’s Critics Choice Awards in Gotham’s Time Square. The proceedings were aired live on VH1, which will broadcast the ceremony January 8th from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received the most critical love, tied with eight nominations apiece. Milk, which opened last month to rave reviews, received key nominations for director Gus Van Sant, lead actor Sean Penn and supporting co-star James Franco. The much-anticipated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which opens Christmas Day, was honored with nods for director David Fincher, star Brad Pitt and actresses Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson. Both movies are also nominated for best acting ensemble, screenplay (Dustin Lance Black for Milk, Eric Roth for Button) and are among the 10 titles nominated for best picture. Other nominees in the category include: Changeling, The Dark Knight, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire, Wall-E and The Wrestler.

This year the BFCA added a new, offbeat category: Best Action Movie. The nominees are: The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, Quantum of Solace and Wanted. Other idiosyncratic categories include Best Comedy and Best Young Actor/Actress Under 21.

For a complete list of nominees, go to www.bfca.org.