Rejoice, Drive Fans: The BFCA Just Saved Your Awards Hopes

Good news for those Drive fans who’ve spent the last three months wondering who they had to head-stomp to get some awards recognition around here: The Broadcast Film Critics Association has singlehandedly boosted the film back into the seasonal spotlight, nominating Drive for eight Critics Choice Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. That tied with The Help’s showing, and while it isn’t quite the haul enjoyed by The Artist and Hugo — which nabbed 11 nods apiece — it’s something! Be encouraged! Read on for more notes and the complete list of this year’s Critics Choice nominees. I know, I know: “But it’s just the Critics Choice Awards!” Fair enough, but as Steve Pond astutely notes this morning, the BFCA’s Best Picture category “generally coincides almost exactly with the Academy’s.” This year might be a slight exception with that whole 5-percent rule; nevertheless, finally finding Drive in the company of frontrunners like The Artist, The Descendants, War Horse and, apparently, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has to brighten even the glummest countenance. Also of note: “Andrew” Serkis broke through Rise of the Planet of the Apes’s mo-cap barrier for a Supporting Actor nomination, Glenn Close was snubbed in favor of Elizabeth Olsen, and Margin Call, which has camped squarely on the awards bubble for last month or so, is nowhere to be found. Literally not one thing for J.C. Chandor’s acclaimed, buzzy debut. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo didn’t fare much better, earning recognition only for Best Score and Best Editing. Womp wommmmp. Fingers crossed for the Golden Globes! And now your complete list of nominees: BEST PICTURE The Artist The Descendants Drive Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close The Help Hugo Midnight in Paris Moneyball The Tree of Life War Horse BEST ACTOR George Clooney - The Descendants Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar Jean Dujardin - The Artist Michael Fassbender - Shame Ryan Gosling - Drive Brad Pitt - Moneyball BEST ACTRESS Viola Davis - The Help Elizabeth Olsen - Martha Marcy May Marlene Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin Charlize Theron - Young Adult Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn Albert Brooks - Drive Nick Nolte - Warrior Patton Oswalt - Young Adult Christopher Plummer - Beginners Andrew Serkis - Rise of the Planet of the Apes BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Berenice Bejo - The Artist Jessica Chastain - The Help Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids Carey Mulligan - Shame Octavia Spencer - The Help Shailene Woodley - The Descendants BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS Asa Butterfield - Hugo Elle Fanning - Super 8 Thomas Horn - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Ezra Miller - We Need to Talk About Kevin Saoirse Ronan - Hanna Shailene Woodley - The Descendants BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE The Artist Bridesmaids The Descendants The Help The Ides of March BEST DIRECTOR Stephen Daldry - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist Alexander Payne - The Descendants Nicolas Winding Refn - Drive Martin Scorsese - Hugo Steven Spielberg - War Horse BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius 50/50 - Will Reiser Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen Win Win - Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni Young Adult - Diablo Cody BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Descendants - Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Eric Roth The Help - Tate Taylor Hugo - John Logan Moneyball - Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman Drive - Newton Thomas Sigel Hugo - Robert Richardson The Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki War Horse - Janusz Kaminski BEST ART DIRECTION The Artist - Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan Hugo - Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo The Tree of Life - Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank War Horse - Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales BEST EDITING The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion Drive - Matthew Newman The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall Hugo - Thelma Schoonmaker War Horse - Michael Kahn BEST COSTUME DESIGN The Artist - Mark Bridges The Help - Sharen Davis Hugo - Sandy Powell Jane Eyre - Michael O’Connor My Week With Marilyn - Jill Taylor BEST MAKEUP Albert Nobbs Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 The Iron Lady J. Edgar My Week With Marilyn BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Hugo Rise of the Planet of the Apes Super 8 The Tree of Life BEST SOUND Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Hugo Super 8 The Tree of Life War Horse BEST ANIMATED FEATURE The Adventures of Tintin Arthur Christmas Kung Fu Panda 2 Puss in Boots Rango BEST ACTION MOVIE Drive Fast Five Hanna Rise of the Planet of the Apes Super 8 BEST COMEDY Bridesmaids Crazy, Stupid, Love Horrible Bosses Midnight in Paris The Muppets BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM In Darkness Le Havre A Separation The Skin I Live In Where Do We Go Now BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Buck Cave of Forgotten Dreams George Harrison: Living in the Material World Page One: Inside the NY Times Project Nim Undefeated BEST SCORE The Artist - Ludovic Bource Drive - Cliff Martinez The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Hugo - Howard Shore War Horse - John Williams BEST SONG “Hello Hello” - performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin - Gnomeo & Juliet “Life’s a Happy Song” - performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie - The Muppets “The Living Proof” - performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. - The Help “Man or Muppet” - performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie - The Muppets “Pictures in My Head” - performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman - The Muppets ###