“Social Network” Sweeps National Board of Review Awards

David Fincher’s “The Social Network” has swept this year’s National Board of Review awards, taking prizes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay (Aaron Sorkin) and best actor (Jesse Eisenberg).

NBR – a non-profit organization made up of 110 film enthusiasts, academics, professionals, and students – also lent their support toward “Another Year”‘s Lesley Manville for best actress, “The Fighter”‘s Christian Bale for best supporting actor, and “Animal Kingdom”‘s Jacki Weaver for best supporting actress. “Toy Story 3” expectedly won best animated film, “Of Gods and Men” took best foreign language film, and “Waiting For ‘Superman'” won best documentary. In perhaps the biggest surprise of the announcement, Chris Sparling won best original screenplay for “Buried,” topping “The King’s Speech,” “Inception,” “Another Year” and “The Kids Are All Right,” among others.

The other big surprises came with what wasn’t included. Namely, Fox Searchlight’s entire slate, save for a “NBR Freedom of Expression” award for “Conviction.” Searchlight’s favored “127 Hours” and “Black Swan” in particular were not recognized anywhere, including in the NBR’s top eleven films of the year, or in the “Top Ten Independent Films” list. Meanwhile, Focus’ “The Kids Are All Right,” Lionsgate’s “Rabbit Hole,” and The Weinstein’s “Blue Valentine” were also absent from both those lists, and in any other category. Combined, the absence of these four films are likely to cause outrage in the Oscar blogosphere.

On a more celebratory note, indieWIRE network blogger Leonard Maltin was honored with the William K. Everson Film History Award.

Last year,”Up In The Air” topped the awards, while Carey Mulligan, George Clooney, Morgan Freeman, Anna Kendrick, and Woody Harrelson all won acting honors. None ended up winning an Oscar, but all of them were nominated. In the two years before that, the winner of the NBR’s best picture award has gone on to win the top Academy Award. .

Full list of the awards given by the National Board of Review:

Best Film: The Social Network

Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Foreign Film: Of Gods and Men

Best Documentary: Waiting For “Superman”

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Best Ensemble Cast: The Town

Breakthrough Performance: Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone

Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, Restrepo

Best Original Screenplay: Chris Sparling, Buried

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Special Filmmaking Achievement Award: Sofia Coppola, for for writing, directing, and producing Somewhere

William K. Everson Film History Award: Leonard Maltin

NBR Freedom of Expression: Fair Game, Conviction, Howl

Top Eleven Films (In alphabetical order):
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King’s Speech
Shutter Island
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Top Ten Independent Films (In alphabetical order):
Animal Kingdom
Buried
Fish Tank
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
Let Me In
Monsters
Please Give
Somewhere
Youth in Revolt

Top Six Foreign Films (In alphabetical order):
I Am Love
Incendies
Life, Above All
Of Gods And Men
Soul Kitchen
White Material

Top Six Documentary Films (In alphabetical order):
A Film Unfinished
Inside Job
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
The Tillman Story
Waiting For “Superman”

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