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Whitaker, Mirren Win Board Of Review

Helen Mirren and Forrest Whitaker are the king and queen of this year's National Board of Review of Motion Pictures awards.

Mirren earned a best actress award for the title role of "The Queen" and Whitaker won for his on-target portrayal of Idi Amin in "Last King Of Scotland."

Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima" was named best film of the year. Opening Dec. 20, it tells the story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Jennifer Hudson won the breakthrough performance award for her role as Effie in "Dreamgirls." She shared the award with Rinko Kikuchi, who won for "Babel."


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The 2006 NBR Awards will be presented with Bvlgari at the annual gala on Jan. 9, 2007 at Cipriani's 42nd St in New York.

Below is a full list of the awards given by the National Board of Review:

  • Best film: "Letters From Iwo Jima"
  • Best director: Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"
  • Best actor: Forest Whitaker, The "Last King Of Scotland"
  • Best actress: Helen Mirren, "The Queen"
  • Best supporting actor: Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"
  • Best supporting actress: Catherine O'Hara, "For Your Consideration"
  • Best foreign film: "Volver"
  • Best documentary: "An Inconvenient Truth"
  • Best animated feature: "Cars"
  • Best ensemble cast: "The Departed"
  • Breakthrough performance by an actor: Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"
  • Breakthrough performance by an actress: (2)
    Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls" and Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel"
  • Best directorial debut: Jason Reitman, "Thank You For Smoking"
  • Best original screenplay: Zach Helm, "Stranger Than Fiction"
  • Best adapted screenplay: Ron Nyswaner, "The Painted Veil"
  • Top 10 films:
    "Letters From Iwo Jima"
    (and, in alphabetical order)
    "Babel"
    "Blood Diamond"
    "The Departed"
    "The Devil Wears Prada"
    "Flags Of Our Fathers"
    "The History Boys"
    "Little Miss Sunshine"
    "Notes On A Scandal"
    "The Painted Veil"
  • Top 5 foreign films:
    "Volver"
    (and, in alphabetical order)
    "Curse Of The Golden Flower"
    "Days Of Glory"
    "Pan's Labyrinth"
    "Water"
  • Top 5 documentary films
    "An Inconvenient Truth"
    " (and, in alphabetical order)
    "51 Birch Street"
    "Iraq In Fragments"
    "Shut Up & Sing"
    "Wordplay"
  • Top independent films
    (in alphabetical order)
    Akeelah And The Bee
    Bobby
    Catch A Fire
    Copying Beethoven
    A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
    Half Nelson
    The Illusionist
    Lonesome Jim
    Sherrybaby
    10 items or less
    Thank You For Smoking
  • Career achievement: Eli Wallach
  • Billy Wilder award for excellence in directing: Jonathan Demme
  • Career achievement in producing: Irwin Winkler
  • William K. Everson film history award: Donald Krim
  • The Bvlgari award for freedom of expression: "Water" and "World Trade Center"
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