2001 Leaman Awards

One Sentence Summary: A sharp decline in overall quality, but this year is best known for launching the franchises that would come to define the 2000's commercially: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Shrek, Ocean's, and the Fast and the Furious.

2001 Films Seen: 71

2001 Films Seen in the Theater: 28

Number of Films with A or A+ Grade: 2

-2001 Ambassador's List-
(Top 25 Films)

Honorable Mentions: Enemy at the Gates, Frailty, Heist, Moulin Rouge!, Monsters Ball

25. Rush Hour 2 

24. Joy Ride

23. The Man Who Wasn't There

22. In the Mood for Love

21. The Score 

20. Bandits

19. Kiss of the Dragon 

18. The Others

17. Iris

16. Tape

15. The Royal Tenenbaums

14. Sexy Beast (B+)

13. In the Bedroom (B+)

12. Ali (B+)

11. Training Day (B+)

Top Ten Movies: 

10. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (B+)    

9. Monsters, Inc. 

8. Shaolin Soccer (B+)

7. Black Hawk Down (B+) 

6. Ocean's Eleven (B+)

5. Memento (A-)

4. Shrek (A-)

3. A Beautiful Mind (A-)

2. Gosford Park (A)

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (A)

-Superlative Awards-
(Winners Bolded)

Most Surprising Film

• Gosford Park
• Kiss of the Dragon
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Most Disappointing Film

• Hannibal
• K-Pax
• Pearl Harbor

Most Underrated Film

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Kiss of the Dragon
• The Score

Most Overrated Film 

• Amelie
• Mulholland Dr.
• Wet Hot American Summer

Worst Film

• Bully
• Freddy Got Fingered
• Hannibal
• Mulholland Dr.
• Scary Movie 2

Eric Bana Award: Naomi Watts Mulholland Dr.

Best Compilation of Work: Jim Broadbent for Iris & Moulin Rouge!

Guilty Pleasure of the Year: The Mummy Returns

-Technical Awards-
(Winners Bolded)

Best Make-Up and Hair Design 

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Gosford Park
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Moulin Rouge!

Best Costume Design 

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Gosford Park
• In the Mood for Love
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Moulin Rouge!

Best Sound Design 

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Black Hawk Down
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Mummy Returns
• Pearl Harbor

Best Original Score 

• A Beautiful Mind
• Gosford Park
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Pearl Harbor

Best Visual Effects 

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Jurassic Park III
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Pearl Harbor

Best Art Direction 

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Gosford Park
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Moulin Rouge!

Best Cinematography 

• Ali
• Black Hawk Down
• In the Mood for Love
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Man Who Wasn't There

Best Film Editing 

• Amelie
• Black Hawk Down
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Memento
• Ocean's Eleven

-Major Awards-
(Winners Bolded)

Best Documentary Feature: n/a
Best Animated Feature:

• Atlantis: The Lost Empire
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
• Monsters, Inc.
• Osmosis Jones
• Shrek

Best Adapted Screenplay 

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• A Beautiful Mind
• Iris
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Ocean's Eleven

Best Original Screenplay 

• Bandits
• Gosford Park
• Memento
• Monster's, Inc.
• Shaolin Soccer

Best Supporting Actress 

• Cate Blanchett Bandits
• Jennifer Connelly A Beautiful Mind
• Helen Mirren Gosford Park
• Marisa Tomei In the Bedroom
• Kate Winslet Iris

Best Supporting Actor 

• Sean Bean The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Jim Broadbent Moulin Rouge!
• Ben Kingsley Sexy Beast
• Jude Law A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Ian McKellan The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Best Actress 

• Halle Berry Monster's Ball
• Maggie Cheung In the Mood for Love
• Judi Dench Iris
• Sissy Spacek In the Bedroom
• Naomi Watts Mulholland Dr.

Best Actor 

• Jim Broadbent Iris
• Russell Crowe A Beautiful Mind
• Will Smith Ali
• Denzel Washington Training Day
• Tom Wilkinson In the Bedroom 

Best Ensemble Acting 

• A Beautiful Mind
• Gosford Park
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Ocean's Eleven
• Sexy Beast

Best Director 

• Robert Altman Gosford Park
• Ron Howard A Beautiful Mind
• Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Christopher Nolan Memento
• Steven Soderbergh Ocean's Eleven

Best Picture 

• A Beautiful Mind
• Gosford Park
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Memento
• Shrek

-Great Dramatic/Comedic/Musical Sequences of 2001-

(In Alphabetical Order by Movie & All-Time Great Sequences are Bolded)

• “A clever final score is revealed” -Bandits
• “Nash discovers his governing dynamics theory” –A Beautiful Mind
• "Five Men with Five Shots: Hiding with the Comrade Comissar" -Enemy at the Gates
• “The house soaks in a Hollywood star’s songs” -Gosford Park
• “The sisters console each other in the end” -Gosford Park
• “You’re the Reason” -In the Bedroom
• “The Son is Murdered” –In the Bedroom
• “Rehearsing the Moment She Ask her husband of his infidelity” –In the Mood for Love
• “Gandalf consults Frodo in the Mines of Moria” –The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• “The Fall of Boromir” –The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• “Natalie’s Double Take Bait” -Memento
• "Pushing his son a little too far: Taking his own life" –Monster's Ball
• “Swat Team Exits – the Team Enjoys the Bellagio” -Ocean’s Eleven
• “Hospital Takes the Casualties of the Attack on Pearl Harbor” –Pearl Harbor
• "Trying to understand the truth: was it rape?" –Tape
• "Hoyt sits down for a hand of cards and finds himself at the end of a shotgun" –Training Day

-Top 10 Action Sequences of 2001-

Honorable Mentions: 

• “One Musketeer Fights Tim Roth in a Ladder Match” -The Mummy Returns 
• “New Recruits are Thrown Right Into the Battle of Stalingrad” -Enemy at the Gates

10. “Helicopters Descend, Extract Prisoners and Head Out Ending with a Black Hawk Down” -Black Hawk Down 

9. “Massage Parlor Scuffle” -Rush Hour 2 

8. “Routine Flight is Interuppted as Missles are Fired at the Jet” -Behind Enemy Lines 

7. “Boat Meeting on the Seine Ends in a Chase to the Subway” -Kiss of the Dragon 

6. “Double Decker Bus Chase” -The Mummy Returns 

5. “Escape from the Hotel: Down the Laundry Chute and Out the Laundry Room” -Kiss of the Dragon 

4. “Battle of Amon Hen: Orcs Attack the Fellowship at the Fords of Isen” -The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 

3. “Police Station Finale: Lobby, Dojo, and Twins Single Handedly” -Kiss of the Dragon 

2. “Mayhem in the Mines of Moria” -The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 

1. “Pearl Harbor Attack & Counterattack” -Pearl Harbor