The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

The year is coming to a close, and with it comes top 10 lists of films from various critics and newspapers, as well as smaller award presentations that can be a precursor to what will and will not happen at the Academy Awards. So with not much fanfare, United 93 picked up the Best Picture award from the New York Film Critics Circle. You may not see it as much of a big deal, but it is. First not too many films released in the Spring (in this case, April) carry much momentum during the current award season. And because a lot of the general public and some media felt it was too early to deliver a movie about 9/11, many have not even seen it. But because the film is just plain excellent and struck a chord with those who watched it, maybe it'll get the props it deserves come Oscar time.

Well, truth be told, I don't think it will, simply because I don't think the members of the Academy will give it the attention and thus votes it needs, but this award from the New York film critics is a big victory for a movie that seemed doomed to fail from the start, mainly because of the timing and opposition it faced before filming even started. If it was just an average piece, it would have been quickly dismissed, but it is superb and will continue to get the recognition it deserves once more people are comfortable watching the subject matter.

There are too many movies I haven't seen yet like The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima and The Good Shepherd to be making any top 10 lists for this year, but United 93, An Inconvenient Truth, Borat, Little Miss Sunshine and World Trade Center are definitely up there.