We voted. Early.
Somebody said Dec. 8 was the earliest deadline ever for the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) critics' poll. I've been a member for 20 years and seem to remember at least one other time when we voted on the first weekend of the month. There is always a contingent that favors early voting, with the thinking being that the SEFCA results might draw more attention if they are released before anyone else's.
My preference is that we should wait as late as possible to give our members more time to see more movies. When I was president of the organization, I hoped they'd use the extra time to dive deeper into foreign and independent releases. But I don't think it matters that much; there's a point where cramming starts to yield diminishing returns.
Despite the early voting, I feel pretty good about my ballot in this year's poll. I didn't see Cats or the latest Star Wars episode, but I think I'm up to speed on the year in cinema. You always miss something, you always go down rabbit holes. While I recognize the utility of these polls as marketing devices, there's no need for anyone to take them all that seriously. (I don't think anyone does, either.) The Top 10 that I turned in with my ballot will change before the end of the month when I write an annual piece on the year in film.
And, while I'm not always copacetic with the group decision, this year's results align pretty well with my preferences. SEFCA voted Bong Joon-ho's Parasite the year's best picture, and I agree with that, at least for the moment.
Here are the results of the poll, and the ballots I and my wife, Karen -- the founder of this section and also a SEFCA member -- filled out. There are two other Arkansas-based critics in SEFCA, Noel Murray and Philip Vandy Price, both of whom I'll ask for Top 10 lists in a couple of weeks.
SEFCA'S TOP 10 FILMS of 2019
- Parasite
- The Irishman
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood
- Marriage Story
- 1917
- Jojo Rabbit
- Little Women
- The Farewell
- Uncut Gems
- Ford v Ferrari
My ballot: 1. Parasite 2. Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood 3. Marriage Story 4. The Irishman 5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire 6. Uncut Gems 7. The Souvenir 8. The Farewell 9. The Last Black Man in San Francisco 10. Toy Story 4
Karen's ballot: 1. Parasite 2. The Irishman 3. Little Women 4. Marriage Story 5. Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 6. The Farewell 7. Jojo Rabbit 8. Knives Out 9. 1917 10. Ford v. Ferrari
BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Runner-Up: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
My ballot: 1. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker 2. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems 3. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Karen's ballot: 1. Matt Damon, Ford v. Ferrari 2. Robert De Niro, The Irishman 3. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
BEST ACTRESS
Renee Zellweger, Judy
Runner-Up: Lupita Nyong'o, Us
My ballot: 1. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story 2. Awkwafina, The Farewell 3. Julianne Moore, Gloria Bell
Karen's ballot: 1. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story 2. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women 3. Renee Zellweger, Judy
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood
Runner-Up: Joe Pesci, The Irishman
My ballot: 1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 2. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit 3. Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Karen's ballot: 1. Joe Pesci, The Irishman 2. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 3. Timothee Chalamet, Little Women
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Runner-Up: Florence Pugh, Little Women
My ballot: 1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story 2. Margot Robie, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 3. Florence Pugh, Little Women
Karen's ballot: 1. Annette Bening, The Report 2. Laura Dern, Marriage Story 3. Emma Watson, Little Women
BEST ENSEMBLE
Knives Out
Runner-Up: The Irishman
My ballot: 1. Parasite 2. Little Women 3. The Irishman
Karen's ballot: 1. Parasite 2. Downton Abbey 3. Little Women
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Runner-Up: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
My ballot: 1. Bong Joon Ho, Parasite 2. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 3. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Karen's ballot: 1. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman 2. Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story 3. Greta Gerwig, Little Women
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bong Joon-ho and Jin Won Han, Parasite
Runner-Up: Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
My ballot: 1. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 2. Pedro Almodovar, Pain & Glory 3. Bong Joon-ho and Jin Won Han, Parasite
Karen's ballot: 1. Bong Joon-ho and Jin Won Han, Parasite 2. Lulu Wang, The Farewell 3. Rian Johnson, Knives Out
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Runner-Up: Greta Gerwig, Little Women
My ballot: 1. Greta Gerwig, Little Women 2. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit 3. Steve Zaillian, The Irishman
Karen's ballot: 1. Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey 2. Greta Gerwig, Little Women 3. Micah Fitzrman-Blue and Noah Harpster, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Apollo 11
Runner-Up: American Factory
My ballot: 1. Apollo 11 2. Maiden 3. David Crosby: Remember My Name (I completely forgot about the sensational Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound which I would have put first had I remembered I saw it this year.)
Karen's ballot: 1. Maiden 2. One Child Nation 3. Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Parasite
Runner-Up: Pain and Glory
My ballot: 1. Parasite 2. Pain and Glory 3. Les Miserables
Karen's ballot: 1. Parasite 2. The Farewell 3. Pain and Glory
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Toy Story 4
Runner-Up: I Lost My Body
My ballot: 1. Toy Story 4 2. I Lost My Body 3. Weathering With You
Karen's ballot: 1. Toy Story 4 2. Funan 3. Children of the Sea
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, 1917
Runner-Up: Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood
My ballot: 1. Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman 2. Phedon Papamichael, Ford v Ferrari 3. Hong Kyung-pyo, Parasite
Karen's ballot: 1. Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood 2. Phedon Papamichael, Ford v. Ferrari 3. Mihai Malaimare Jr., Jojo Rabbit
THE GENE WYATT AWARD FOR FILM THAT BEST EVOKES THE SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Runner-Up: Just Mercy
My ballot: 1. Flannery 2. Burning Cane 3. Light of Light
Karen's ballot: 1. Flannery
Email:
pmartin@arkansasonline.com
www.blooddirtangels.com
MovieStyle on 12/13/2019