Film News: ‘The Social Network’ Wins Three Chicago Film Critics Awards

Submitted by BrianTT on December 20, 2010 - 2:12pm

CHICAGO – David Fincher’s “The Social Network” was the big winner at the 2010 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. “Black Swan” and “Inception,” also nominees for Picture and Director, were the only other films with two wins. “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter,” “True Grit,” “A Prophet,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” “Toy Story 3,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Blue Valentine” all received one award.

The Social Network
Photo credit: Sony Pictures

The most-awarded film of the season continued its dominance as “The Social Network” won yet another prize for Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. It is undeniably the frontrunner for the Oscar in all three categories.

The acting awards might be a bit more unpredictable but the CFCA went with two favorites for Actor and Actress, citing Colin Firth’s highly-acclaimed work for “The King’s Speech” and the career-best performance by Natalie Portman in “Black Swan.” Darren Aronofsky’s fever dream also won Best Original Score for composer Clint Mansell.

An Oscar frontrunner, Christian Bale, won the prize for Best Supporting Actor for “The Fighter,” but his two co-stars, nominees Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, were edged out by a newcomer, Hailee Steinfeld for “True Grit.”

Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” may be widely considered a technical masterpiece but the Chicago Film Critics Association awarded the daringly ambitious script, giving Nolan Best Original Screenplay. The film also won Best Cinematography for Wally Pfister.

In a pair of very close races, “A Prophet” edged out the competition for Best Foreign Language Film while “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” a movie that seems to redefine the term documentary, won the prize in its category. The blockbuster “Toy Story 3” was named Best Animated Feature.

Finally, the “Most Promising” awards went to two people associated with a pair of the most-acclaimed films of the year as Jennifer Lawrence claimed Most Promising Performer for her work in the Best Picture-nominated “Winter’s Bone” and Derek Cianfrance won Most Promising Filmmaker for “Blue Valentine.”

Black Swan
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Best Picture: The Social Network

Best Director: David Fincher for “The Social Network”

Best Actor: Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”

Best Actress: Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale “The Fighter”

Best Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”

Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan for “Inception”

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin for “The Social Network”

Best Foreign Language Film: A Prophet

Best Documentary: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister for “Inception”

Best Original Score: Clint Mansell for “Black Swan”

Most Promising Performer: Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”

Most Promising Filmmaker: Derek Cianfrance for “Blue Valentine”

HollywoodChicago.com film critics Adam Fendelman and Patrick McDonald are members of the Chicago Film Critics Association and critic Brian Tallerico is proud to sit on the Board of Directors.