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Update on Critics Top Ten Lists & Some Bold Predictions

© Nicholas Moreau

It's 2001, and with the holidays behind us, the film awards season is getting back into full swing. It begins this weekend with the National Society of Film Critics, and since we spoke last, a newer organization, the Online Film Critics Society, also announced their choices for the best achievements in film for 2000. This week, I've compiled some of the more well known film critics who have come out with their lists of the best films of the year, and we'll see if we can't find any consensus on a possible frontrunner for the Academy Award nominations, which are now just a little over a month away.

Let's take a look first at Mike Clark's Top Ten ... he writes for USA Today ...

MIKE CLARK, USA TODAY
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Almost Famous
3. Yi Yi
4. You Can Count on Me
5. Chicken Run
6. One Day in September
7. High Fidelity
8. Erin Brockovich
9. Cast Away
10. La Buche

In his detailed article talking about these films, he also makes a great point about the film Almost Famous, which I agree was one of the year's best films. Quote: "But when a studio can't reap a hit out of a movie this entertaining, you have to wonder about the industry's future. In a marketplace dominated by the mind-set of 15-year-old male doofuses, what's the motivation for a filmmaker to pour sweat into the kind of achievement that'll still impress decades from now?" I have to agree. I'm still baffled as to why Almost Famous, a film so universally praised, failed to find an audience. I hope this does not hurt its Oscar chances come February.

The two film critics from CNN also came out with their top ten lists, not listed in order of which they were the best.

PAUL CLINTON, CNN
(in order of release)
Erin Brockovich
Gladiator
Chicken Run
Billy Elliot
You Can Count On Me
Sunshine
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Quills
Traffic
Chocolat

PAUL TATARA, CNN
(in alphabetical order)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Dancer in the Dark
Dr. T and the Women
Erin Brockovich
The Filth and the Fury
Jesus' Son
New Waterford Girl
Tigerland
Unbreakable
Wonder Boys

Tatara may be the first critic I've seen putting Dr. T and The Women on his top ten!

Another critic who I respect very much is Good Morning, America's Joel Siegel, and he has also come out with his ten best of the year.

Joel Siegel's Top Ten Films of 2000
1 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2 Traffic
3 Cast Away
4 Almost Famous
5 Best in Show
6 Chicken Run
7 Croupier
8 George Washington

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