"Boyhood" named year's best by L.A., Boston film critics

"Boyhood," a coming-of-age tale that was filmed over a span of 12 years, capturing the simultaneous maturation of its actors and characters, was named the best film of the year Sunday by critics' groups in Los Angeles and Boston.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards picked "Boyhood" as Best Picture, and also cited director Richard Linklater and actress Patricia Arquette. The L.A. critics also gave its Best Editing award to "Boyhood"'s Sandra Adair, who culled the narrative from 12 years' worth of footage.

Among the L.A. critics' group eclectic choices for year-end honors is Tom Hardy as Best Actor for his virtually solo performance in "Locke," filmed almost entirely in the confines of a car.

J.K. Simmons was named Best Supporting Actor for "Whiplash," while Polish actress Agata Kulesza received the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in "Ida," as the aunt of the film's central character, a young novitiate at a convent, who takes the young girl on a journey of discovery about her past.

Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel," a runner-up for both Best Picture and Best Director, won awards for its screenplay and production design.

The group awarded its New Generation prize to writer-director Ava DuVernay, for "Selma," her account of Martin Luther King Jr. leading civil rights marches in the 1960s.

Laura Poitras' "CitizenFour," about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, received the Best Documentary prize. "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya," from Japanese director Isao Takahata, was named Best Animated Film.

Jonny Greenwood, for "Inherent Vice," and Mica Levi, for "Under the Skin," shared the Best Music Score Award.

The LAFCA also announced runners-up in their voting, which are listed below.

2014 LAFCA Awards:

Best Picture: "Boyhood"
Runner-up: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Actor: Tom Hardy, "Locke"
Runner-up: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"

Best Actress: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Runner-up: Edward Norton, "Birdman"

Best Supporting Actress: Agata Kulesza, "Ida"
Runner-up: Rene Russo, "Nightcrawler"

Best Director: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Screenplay: Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runner-up: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo, "Birdman"

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"
Runner-up: Dick Pope, "Mr. Turner"

Best Foreign Film: "Ida"
Runner-up: "Winter Sleep"

Best Documentary: "CitizenFour"
Runner-up: "Life Itself"

Best Animation: "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"
Runner-up: "The Lego Movie"

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runner-up: Ondrej Nekvasil, "Snowpiercer"

Best Editing: Sandra Adair, "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Barney Pilling, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Music Score (tie): Jonny Greenwood, "Inherent Vice"; and Mica Levi, "Under the Skin"

Douglas Edwards Independent/Experimental Film/Video Award: Walter Reuben, "The David Whiting Story"

New Generation Prize: Ava DuVernay, "Selma"

Career Achievement Award (previously announced): Gena Rowlands

Boston Critics

Also on Sunday, the Boston Society of Film Critics awarded its top prize to "Boyhood," which also earned top honors for Best Director, Best Ensemble Cast and Best Editing.

Michael Keaton was named Best Actor for her performance as a washed-up superhero movie star trying to make a comeback on Broadway in "Birdman."

Marion Cotillard received the Best Actress award for two performances -- "The Immigrant" and the Belgian drama, "Two Days, One Night."

2014 Boston Society of Film Critics picks:

Best Picture: "Boyhood"
Best Actor: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard for "The Immigrant" and "Two Days, One Night"
Best Supporting Actor: J. K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress: Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Best Director: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Best Screenplay (tie): Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo for "Birdman," and Richard Linklater for "Boyhood"
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"
Best Documentary: "Citizenfour"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "Two Days, One Night"
Best Animated Film: "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"
Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair, "Boyhood"
Best New Filmmaker: Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"
Best Ensemble Cast: "Boyhood"
Best Use of Music in a Film: "Inherent Vice"

Not to be outdone in ecelectic choices, on Saturday the Boston Online Film Critics Association selected an unconventional winner for best of 2014: Bong Joon-ho's dystopian action film, "Snowpiercer," for which Tilda Swinton was also named Best Supporting Actress.

Also honored: director Alejandro G. Inarritu and Best Supporting Actor Edward Norton for "Birdman"; Best Actor Brendan Gleeson for "Calvary"; and Marion Cotillard for Best Actress for "Two Days, One Night."

The critics also cited the Tom Cruise action film "Edge of Tomorrow" for its editing, and Mica Levi's score for the science fiction thriller "Under the Skin." "Life Itself," about the late film critic Roger Ebert, won Best Documentary. "The Lego Movie" took the Best Animated Film award.