News4

Dec 10
National Board Names Top Films; IFILM and FilmTrust
by Eugene Hernandez and Maud Kersnowski/indieWIRE

NBR Names "Quills" Top Film of 2000; "Hank Greenberg" Takes Doc Prize and
"Crouching Tiger" Wins Foreign Honor

(indieWIRE/ 12.7.00) -- Philip Kaufman's "Quills," a story about the Marquis
de Sade," won the award for Best Film of 2000 from the National Board of
Review of Motion Pictures. The group announced its top ten yesterday, along
with awards in directing, writing, acting and other categories. The Board's
selections are typically an early indicator of other awards season notices,
including the annual Academy Awards.

Steven Soderbergh won the award for Best Director, for his work on "Traffic"
and "Erin Brockovich," while the prize for Best Writing went to Ted Tally
for "All the Pretty Horses."

Aviva Kempner's "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" has been named Best
Documentary and Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Tiger" nabbed the award
for Best Foreign Film.

The award for Best Actor went to Javier Bardem for "Before Night Falls,"
while Julia Roberts was honored for "Erin Brockovich." Joaquin Phoenix was
recognized as Best Supporting Actor for "Quills" and Lupe Ontiveros won the
Best Supporting Actress prize for "Chuck and Buck." The award for
Breakthrough Performance went to Michelle Rodriguez for "Girlfight" and the
Outstanding Young Actor award went to Jamie Bell for "Billy Elliot." Actress
Bjork, star of "Dancer in the Dark" was singled out, winning the prize for
Outstanding Dramatic Musical Performance by an Actress.

A list of the National Board of Review of Films' Ten Best Films of 2000
follows:

1. "Quills"
2. "Traffic"
3. "Croupier"
4. "You Can Count on Me"
5. "Billy Eliot"
6. "Before Night Falls"
7. "Gladiator"
8. "Wonder Boys"
9. "Sunshine"
10. "Dancer in the Dark"

The National Board of Review (NBR) began its annual top ten list in 1919.
The organization was founded as the National Board in 1909 in NYC as a
protest to Mayor George McClennan's revocation of exhibition licenses on
the grounds that, in the words of the NBR, "the new medium degraded the
morals of the community." The National Review Committee was formed as an
anti-censorship group, according to the NBR, "that endorsed films of merit
and encouraged the new 'art of the people' that was transforming America's
cultural life. Among its more than 100 members are teachers, editors,
screenwriters, historians and film students.

Jan 6, 2001
NY DAILY NEWS...MITCHELL FINK

Sorry, girls. You never had a chance. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did not succumb to pressure to come up with dates on New Year's Eve and instead rang in 2001 in each other's company.

Mind you, they weren't exactly alone or feeling sad. What Damon and Affleck did was to plan a very hush-hush New Year's Eve party at the Tribeca lounge La Parue.

The two were supposed to have a quiet dinner elsewhere and then start their party at 10 p.m. But dinner never happened, and when Affleck arrived at La Parue he had a giant McDonald's bag under his arm. Other fast food was brought in by Joaquin Phoenix, whose date for the night was "Gladiator" co-star Connie Nielsen.

Other friends who came out were Affleck's brother, Casey, and Famke Janssen. The lounge provided a TV so everyone could watch the ball drop at midnight.

If all this sounds perfectly mundane for a New Year's Eve, I'm told that's exactly what it was. Until the early morning hours, that is, when the noise level got a little out of hand, prompting a visit from a few of New York's Finest. Of course, a visit was all it turned out to be, thanks to Affleck who used his celebrity charm to smooth-talk the cops.