'Slumdog Millionaire' Wins NBR's Best Pic Award

The National Board of Review, typically the first out of the gates during movie awards season, has just announced their winners, and (woohoo!), I'm happy to say that my two personal favorites of 2008, Slumdog Millionaire (go see it now!) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (go see it at Xmas!), have taken the prizes for, respectively, Best Picture and Best Director. Judging by NBR's top ten list, moviegoers have a lot of good options opening the next few weeks. Yet to be released still are Clint Eastwood's drama-thriller Gran Torino, Mickey Rourke's remarkable comeback in The Wrestler, and Daniel Craig in the WW-II action-drama Defiance. It's great to see big, worthy hits like The Dark Knight and Wall-E make the final cut, too, but what do you think...anything missing from NBR's list? Below is the full round-up of winners...

And the winners are:

Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Actor: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Foreign Language Film: Mongol

Documentary: Man On Wire
Animated Feature: Wall-E
Ensemble Cast: Doubt
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, Gran Torino
Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire and Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, Frozen River and Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: Trumbo