'Belfast' and 'King Richard' win big at "Movies for Grownups" Awards

by Nathaniel R

Alan Cumming hosts the Movies For Grownups Award © PBS

The AARP 'Movies For Grownups' Awards aired as a special on PBS last night to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Alan Cumming hosted the audience-absent virtual awards with disturbing laugh and applause track.  You can watch it on the PBS site through April 15th. Belfast which had led their nominations won the top prize but they spread the wealth. The only film to win more than one prize was King Richard (Actor & Supporting Actress). You have to be 50+ to be eligible for their prizes which is why some of the biggest Oscar contenders are absent.

Winners and comments and a few pics from acceptance speeches are after the jump...

BEST PICTURE

Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh accepted the top prize together

• Being the Ricardos
• ★ Belfast
• King Richard
• Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

Though Belfast has been steadily losing steam for weeks, it had a good week, winning a few Critics Choice prizes and now the Movies for Grownups Awards.

BEST DIRECTOR

• Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
• ★  Jane Campion, Power of the Dog
• Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley
• Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
• Denis Villeneuve, Dune

BEST ACTRESS

Kidman follows up her Globe win with the AARP Award

• Halle Berry, Bruised
• Sandra Bullock, Unforgivable
• ★  Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
• Frances McDormand, The Tragedy of Macbeth
• Helen Mirren, The Duke

Sorkin presented this award by zoom and they discussed Lucy's gestures and the two voices she deployed (Lucille Ball and "Lucy Ricardo")

BEST ACTOR

• Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
• Jim Broadbent, The Duke
• Peter Dinklage, Cyrano
• ★  Will Smith, King Richard
• Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley
• Judi Dench, Belfast
• ★  Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
• Marlee Matlin, CODA
• Rita Moreno, West Side Story

Very happy to see Aunjanue Ellis get a little love pre-Oscar since DeBose has been so dominant

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
• ★  Jared Leto, House of Gucci
• JK Simmons, Being the Ricardos
• Timothy Spall, Spencer
• David Strathairn, Nightmare Alley

It was always strange that they ignored Troy Kotsur here, given that he's the right age (53) and in a film they liked (it was Best Intergenerational Film). Curious that Leto took this when Ciarán Hinds was right there in their favourite movie of the Year. MOST Supporting ACTING.

BEST SCREENWRITER

Rita Moreno presented to Tony Kushner

• Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
• Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
• Jane Campion, Power of the Dog
• Guillermo del Toro & Kim Morgan, Nightmare Alley
• ★  Tony Kushner, West Side Story

Is this trolling the Academy? If so we approve since Kushner is brilliant. 

BEST GROWNUP LOVE STORY

• 23 Walks
• Belfast
• ★  Cyrano
• The Duke
• Tragedy of Macbeth

BEST INTERGENERATIONAL FILM

Marlée Matlin and Daniel Durant accepted. Note the 1986 Best Actress Oscar behind Marlee. She wants you to see it!

• Belfast
• C'mon C'mon
• ★  CODA
• King Richard
• The Tender Bar

BEST BUDDY PICTURE

• 12 Mighty Orphans
• ★  Finch
• The Harder They Fall
• Off the Rails
• Queen Bees

BEST ENSEMBLE

• Don't Look Up
• The Harder They Fall
• House of Gucci
• ★  Nightmare Alley
• West Side Story

Hmmm. Curious award to give that picture, don't you think? Still angry that Mass (in which everyone is a genius and over 50) was utterly ignored by this group. 

BEST TIME CAPSULE

• Belfast
• Being the Ricardos
• Licorice Pizza
• ★  Spencer
• West Side Story

Hilariously enough what we wrote when we commented on the nominations we have to point out again since our grievance defied us and won!

Time Capsule is a really strange honor to give Spencer given that it's purposefully make-believe and takes place in one weekend at one secluded local that's cut off from any sign of the real world or, thus, a time frame. It's an interesting idea for a category though.

BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Beatles: Get Back
• Julia
• My Name is Pauli Murray
• ★  Summer of Soul
• Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America

Summer of Soul has been so dominant in awards season that a loss at the Oscars would be totally shocking.

BEST FOREIGN FILM

• Drive My Car (Japan)
• Hand of God (Italy) 
• ★  Sheep Without a Shepherd (China) 
• There Is No Evil (Iran)
• Two of Us (France) 

Interesting that this is one of the rare 'foreign film' categories that didn't go to Drive My Car. 

TV AWARDS

BEST SERIES

• The Chair
• The Crown
• Hacks
• Succession
• ★  Ted Lasso

What would Apple TV+ do without Ted Lasso? 

BEST LIMITED SERIES

• Halston
• Maid
• ★  Mare of Easttown
• Nine Perfect Strangers
• Underground Railroad

BEST ACTRESS

Smart is either on set in costume or she wears giant hats in real life!

• Gillian Anderson, The Crown
• Andie MacDowell, Maid
• Sandra Oh, The Chair
• ★  Jean Smart, Hacks
• Lily Tomlin, Grace & Frankie

Jean Smart's mantle is getting heavier and heavier. 

BEST ACTOR

• Kevin Costner, Yellowstone
• ★  Michael Keaton, Dopesick
• Ewan McGregor, Halston
• Billy Porter, Pose
• Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

It will be interesting to see if Michael Keaton's current reign can last through September when the Emmys arrive. Or will some more recent limited series rare up to steal his thunder? He is very very good on Dopesick though, wow. 

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT (NON-COMPETITIVE)

Goldie Hawn presented to Lily Tomlin

• ★ Lily Tomlin

What do you think of their winners? 

Comments

[Frank Zappa]

Believe it or not, Jared Leto is also the right age for this award.

[par]

some of these results suggest early onset dementia...

[Gallavich]

Oh, no! This means that everyone on Awards Daily will take a week motivating that Belfast will win at the Oscar cause it took home the AARP