The 29th Critics Choice Awards Honor a Wide Variety of Film and TV

The 29th annual Critics Choice Awards, held this past January 14th, moved to the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. Hosting a show that was broadcast live on the CW channel, the prior year's emcee, Chelsea Handler, had everyone in stitches from the get-go. "Oppenheimer" won Best Film, also winning the most awards with eight. "Barbie" won six, including Best Comedy. Best Actor went to Paul Giamatti for "The Holdovers," with Best Actress going to Emma Stone in "Poor Things." Best Director went to Christopher Nolan for "Oppenheimer" with Best Adapted Screenplay going to Cord Jefferson for “American Fiction,” and Best Original Screenplay to Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach for "Barbie."

On the TV side, "Succession" scored the Best Drama Series, Best Actor, and Best Actress for Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook, respectively. "The Bear" took home Best Comedy and won all its acting awards for Jeremy Allen White (Best Actor), Ayo Edebiri (Best Actress), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Best Supporting Actor).

My evening began three-and-a-half hours before the show on the red carpet outside the venue, where talent conversed with journalists while wearing the latest trends in fashion. Fantasia Barrino of "The Color Purple" looked stunning in her white flowing silk dress and ultra-long feather cape. America Ferrera of the film "Barbie" wore a gorgeous brown sequin gown that appeared to reflect gold when in bright light. Speaking of "Barbie," Margot Robbie made a splash wearing a custom red column dress with roses bordering the off-the-shoulder look. Later in the show, she presented America Ferrera the SeeHer Award.

A definite standout was Colman Domingo, nominated for Best Actor for his role as Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist in the ‘60s. He chose an all-mustard yellow suit designed by Valentino Haute Couture. A shimmering, gold-textured trench coat with a royal blue satin lining with a swivel design was draped over his shoulders. The Louboutin gold-pointed statin boots completed the look. "Colman's my buddy, we have a great time together sharing ideas," said fashion icon, composer, and singer Lenny Kravitz." He spoke with me about the historical drama film movie "Rustin" for which he was nominated for writing and performing the song, “Road to Freedom.”

Dominic Sessa, the student from "The Holdovers," spoke about his role in the film, "I play Angus, and I auditioned at my own boarding school, Deerfield Academy, where I was attending school in Massachusetts. They were looking for real school locations to shoot the movie, and they also auditioned a few of us who looked like 70s students. It took about a month before I found out; I had several meetings with the director, Alexander Payne, who told me that one of the reasons I was hired was because of my long, curly hair. At any rate, my life has been changed forever."

One of the highlights of the red carpet was meeting the Japanese-based director, writer, and creator of the visual effects for the movie "Godzilla Minus One," Takashi Yamazaki. He was carrying a large statue of Godzilla that is portrayed in the movie. Yamazaki told me (through an interpreter at times) that it is a Kaiju monster movie with human drama that also shines a spotlight on post-war Japan in Tokyo and how everyone is overcoming the challenges of the aftermath. I asked him if people visit Tokyo where they could go to learn about Godzilla. Yamazaki replied with a big smile, "Go to the 'Godzilla the Ride" it's an amusement experience with a battle that I programmed." In asking if there is anything else he'd like to say about his movie, he replied, we are releasing a black-and-white version of the film very soon named, "Godzilla Minus Color."

Lastly, I spoke to David Krumholtz, who played J. Robert Oppenheimer's best friend, the real-life Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Isidor Isaac Rabi, in the film "Oppenheimer." He told me he had to gain quite a lot of weight for the part and that he was very surprised he was cast. He said he enjoyed working with the master filmmaker Christopher Nolan. He also said that he thought his part would be small, and was surprised by the number of scenes he had when he read the script. He was grateful that Nolan saw something in him he didn't see in himself.

I sat at the Lionsgate table with the team behind "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret": Abby Ryder Fortson (nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress), her mother Christie Lynn Smith, writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay), and production designer Steve Saklad. We were seated in the middle of the room with great views of the three large screens. When I learned that morning that I was sitting at the Lionsgate table, I couldn't help but think it was a bit fortuitous as I had just met the author of the book, Judy Blume, in Key West, Florida, at her bookstore. Blume has been quoted as saying, "I may be the only book writer who has ever said that the movie is better than my book, and I mean it," when she was honored at a Power of Women luncheon. She also has a cameo in the film.

James Mangold presented Harrison Ford's Lifetime Achievement Award. Ford gave a heartfelt acceptance speech, saying, "I'm really happy to be here tonight to see what our business is turning into and all of the talented people who are getting opportunities that probably would not have existed in the early part of my career. I'm here because of a combination of luck and the work of wonderful directors, writers, and filmmakers. I feel enormously lucky. I'm happy for this honor, and I appreciate it very much." He ended by thanking his wife and the fine actors he worked with, saying, “many of you are in this room tonight."

One of my favorite parts of the show is the SeeHer Award, established in 2016. The goal is to recognize a woman who embodies the values set forth by the SeeHer movement. It's given to women who push boundaries, defy stereotypes and acknowledge the importance of authentic portrayals of women and girls across the entertainment landscape. Margot Robbie presented SeeHer to her co-star America Ferrera of "Barbie," who portrayed Gloria.

Ferrera began by thanking the Critics Choice Association, "Truly, your voices shape how people think about and value the stories we tell. I'm deeply thankful to you for this acknowledgment and this honor." 

"Receiving the SeeHer Award for my contributions to more authentic portrayals of women and girls could it be more meaningful to me? Because I grew up as a first-generation Honduran-American girl in love with TV, film, and theater, who desperately wanted to be a part of a storytelling legacy that I could not see myself reflected in."

Ferrera said she would often see herself "... in strong and complex characters. But these characters rarely, if ever, looked like me. I yearned to see people like myself onscreen as full humans."

When she started working over 20 years ago, "... it seemed impossible that anyone could make a career portraying fully dimensional Latina characters, but because of writers, directors, producers, and executives who are daring enough to rewrite outdated stories and to challenge deeply entrenched biases, I, and some of my beloved Latina colleagues, have been supremely blessed to bring to life some fierce and fantastic women." 

She said she sees growth with the work of actors like Ariana Greenblatt, who portrayed her daughter in "Barbie," Jenna Ortega, and Selena Gomez, who have come after her.

"To me, this is the best and highest use of storytelling to affirm one another's full humanity, to uphold the truth that we are all worthy of being seen—Black, brown, indigenous Asian, trans, disabled, any body type, any gender," Ferrera said. "We are all worthy of having our lives richly and authentically reflective."

She also thanked other women who helped her along the way, adding, "I wouldn't be standing up here right now if it wasn't for Margot Robbie and 'Barbie' director Greta Gerwig, as they believed in me." She also thanked the film's 'Kens.' "Thank you to our Kens: Noah Baumbach, Tom Ackerley, David Heyman, and Ryan Gosling for all being man enough to support women's work. You are all brilliant, and you are more than 'Kenough.'"

After a commercial break, Handler announced, "Earlier tonight, "Barbie" was awarded Best Comedy, but wasn't on stage, so I'm going to go rogue because I feel like Greta and Margot deserve the opportunity to make an acceptance speech. So ladies, would you mind coming up here and accepting the award for Best Comedy?" Gerwig and Robbie were visibly surprised and then made their way to the stage, where Robbie, after expressing how unexpected their moment was, said, "This was not part of the show." She then looked to Gerwig to accept the award.

What Gerwig said next extracted roaring laughter from the audience, "Thank you so much for letting this happen! We were just very excited in our chairs." She went on to thank her cast and husband, co-writer Noah Baumbach. It truly was a comical yet poignant moment for all.

As the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards ended, this critic always appreciates meeting talent, learning more about their projects, and being part of an atmosphere that's heightened by excitement, gratitude, and enthusiasm in honoring film and TV as an art form.

Here is the full list of winners:

Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”

Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”

Best Actress: Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

Best Young Actor or Actress: Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers”

Best Acting Ensemble: “Oppenheimer”

Best Director: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”

Best Original Screenplay: “Barbie”

Best Adapted Screenplay: “American Fiction”

Best Cinematography: “Oppenheimer”

Best Production Design: “Barbie”

Best Editing: “Oppenheimer”

Best Costume Design: “Barbie”

Best Hair and Makeup: “Barbie”

Best Visual Effects: “Oppenheimer”

Best Comedy: “Barbie”

Best Animated Feature: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Best Foreign-Language Film: “Anatomy of a Fall”

Best Song: “I’m Just Ken,” from “Barbie”

Best Score: Ludwig Göransson, “Oppenheimer”

Television

Best Drama Series: “Succession”

Best Actor, Drama Series: Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Best Actress, Drama Series: Sarah Snook, “Succession”