Spike Jonze’s Her is named Best Picture of the Year by the National Board of Review

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Yesterday came word that AMERICAN HUSTLE was named Best Picture by the New York Film Critics Circle and today we have another group naming their winner. This time the honor comes from the National Board of Review and they named Spike Jonze's HER as the top movie of 2013. Both HER and AMERICAN HUSTLE are amongst the numerous films that will likely vie for Oscar nominations in a few months and both will probably take home a number of trophies.

Spike Jonze took home the honor of Best Director of the year while acting awards went to Bruce Dern and Emma Thompson for NEBRASKA and SAVING MR. BANKS. The group also named their top 12 movies of the year which were (in alphabetical order):

12 YEARS A SLAVE
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
LONE SURVIVOR
NEBRASKA
PRISONERS
SAVING MR BANKS
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

The National Board of Review is often another reliable predictor for what to expect from the Golden Globes and Academy Awards and they recognized a much more varied list of films as compared to the NYFCC yesterday. It looks like we are going to have a pretty big group of nominees for the Oscars and that is all good with me.

Absent from this list is Scarlett Johansson's voice work in HER which has been the subject of debate as to whether it is worthy of an acting nomination despite no physical presence on screen. She has already been ruled out of a Golden Globe nomination, so stay tuned for more on that front.

HER opens in theaters on December 18, 2013. Check out the full list of winners below.

Best Film
HER

Best Director
Spike Jonze, HER

Best Actor
Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA

Best Actress
Emma Thompson, SAVING MR. BANKS

Best Supporting Actor
Will Forte, NEBRASKA

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, FRUITVALE STATION

Best Original Screenplay
Joel and Ethan Coen, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

Best Adapted Screenplay
Terence Winter, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Animated Feature
THE WIND RISES

Breakthrough Performance
Michael B. Jordan, FRUITVALE STATION

Breakthrough Performance
Adele Exarchopoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

Best Directorial Debut
Ryan Coogler, FRUITVALE STATION

Best Foreign Language Film
THE PAST

Best Documentary
STORIES WE TELL

William K. Everson Film History Award
George Stevens, Jr.

Best Ensemble
PRISONERS

Spotlight Award
Career Collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio

NBR Freedom of Expression Award
WADJDA

Creative Innovation in Filmmaking Award
GRAVITY

Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
12 YEARS A SLAVE
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
LONE SURVIVOR
NEBRASKA
PRISONERS
SAVING MR BANKS
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
BEYOND THE HILLS
GLORIA
THE GRANDMASTER
A HIGHJACKING
THE HUNT

Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order)
20 FEET FROM STARDOM
THE ACT OF KILLING
AFTER TILLER
CASTING BY
THE SQUARE

Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
IN A WORLD…
MOTHER OF GEORGE
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
MUD
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
SHORT TERM 12
SIGHTSEERS
THE SPECTACULAR NOW