Good Night and Good Luck Named 2005 Best Film of the Year  12/12/05

"Good Night, And Good Luck" Named 2005 Best Film of the Year by the National Board of Review

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Felicity Huffman Named Best Actor and Best Actress

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 12/12/05 -- The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named "Good Night, And Good Luck" the 2005 Best Film of the Year. Directed by George Clooney and released by Warner Independent Pictures, "Good Night, And Good Luck" takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950s America. The film chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy.

For Best Actor and Actress of 2005, the NBR honors two performers whose mesmerizing metamorphosis into their characters was truly inspiring. The 2005 Best Actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, was selected for his performance in the title role of "Capote." For the 2005 Best Actress honor, the NBR has selected Felicity Huffman for her performance in "TransAmerica."

"Every year the NBR screens many wonderful films," said President Annie Schulhof, "and it is always challenging to decide our top candidates. The 2005 Ten Best Films list reflects stories of human spirit, sacrifice, desire and political awareness, and also singles out the biopics of two extraordinary American artists. We are also proud to honor the special career achievements of Jane Fonda, Howard Shore, Saul Zaentz, David Cronenberg and George Feltenstein. The accounting firm of Konigsberg Wolf & Co., P.C. tabulated the actual ballots."

The 2005 NBR Awards will be presented at the annual gala on Tuesday, January 10, 2006, at Tavern on the Green in New York City. Actor Paul Reiser will serve as the event's Master of Ceremonies.

BEST TEN FILMS OF 2005

Best Film: "Good Night, And Good Luck"

And, in alphabetical order:

"Brokeback Mountain"

"Capote"

"Crash"

"History of Violence"

"Match Point"

"Memoirs of a Geisha"

"Munich"

"Syriana"

"Walk the Line"

BEST FIVE FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILMS OF 2005

Best Foreign-Language Film: "Paradise Now"

And, in alphabetical order:

"2046"

"Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress"

"Downfall"

"Walk on Water"

BEST FIVE DOCUMENTARIES OF 2005

Best Documentary: "March of the Penguins"

And, in alphabetical order:

"Ballets Russes"

"Grizzly Man"

"Mad Hot Ballroom"

"Murderball"

Best Animated Feature: "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride"

Best Director: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"

Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"

Best Actress: Felicity Huffman, "TransAmerica"

Best Supporting Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"

Best Supporting Actress: Gong Li, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

Best Acting By An Ensemble: "Mrs. Henderson Presents"

Breakthrough Performance Actor: Terrence Howard, "Crash,"

"Get Rich or Die Tryin'" and "Hustle & Flow"

Breakthrough Performance Actress: Q'Orianka Kilcher, "The New World"

Best Directorial Debut: Julian Fellowes, "Separate Lies"

Best Adapted Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana"

Best Original Screenplay: Noah Baumbach, "The Squid and the Whale"

Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV: "Lackawanna Blues"

Career Achievement: Jane Fonda

Career Achievement in Film Music Composition: Howard Shore

Outstanding Achievement in Special Effects: "King Kong"

Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Direction: David Cronenberg

William K. Everson Award for Film History: George Feltenstein

Producer of the Year Award: Saul Zaentz

Special Recognition of Films That Reflect Freedom of Expression:

"Innocent Voices" and "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till"

Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking:

The National Board of Review, in keeping with its long tradition of recognizing excellence in filmmaking, is proud to salute the following films crafted by visionary artists, which demonstrate the creativity and determination always vital to the film industry.

(Listed Alphabetically)

"Breakfast on Pluto"

"Cape of Good Hope"

"The Dying Gaul"

"Everything Is Illuminated"

"Hustle & Flow"

"Junebug"

"Layer Cake"

"Lord of War"

"Nine Lives"

"The Thing About My Folks"

"The Upside of Anger"

The 2005 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Screening Committee, comprised of 150 members, votes on the following awards: Best Film, Best Foreign-Language Film, Best Documentary, Best Animated Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Members of the Screening Group also vote on Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV, and must have seen all qualifying films before voting. The remaining awards are chosen by the Exceptional Photoplay Committee, first created in 1929. This committee, consisting of 12 members, also votes with the Screening Committee.

Formed in 1909, the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is dedicated to film, foreign and domestic, as both art and entertainment. The NBR has supported free expression in motion picture arts for over 96 years when, in an effort to avoid government censorship of films, the National Board became the unofficial clearinghouse for new movies. From 1916 into the 1950s, thousands of motion pictures carried the legend "Passed by the National Board of Review" in their main titles. To the public, this was the catchphrase of confidence. The organization screens over 300 films each year and works to foster commentary on all aspects of film production, to endow scholarships for film students and to underwrite educational film programs and seminars; included amongst others are The Producers: Power-brokers, Women Directors: How to Hack It in Hollywood, The Documentary: Here's Looking at You, and The Art of Screenwriting. For more information about the National Board of Review, log onto www.nbrmp.org.