2002 Leaman Awards

One Sentence Summary: A deep and diverse year of cinema with several legitimate films that can claim classic status.

2002 Films Seen: 88

2002 Films Seen in the Theater: 41

Number of Films with A or A+ Grade: 5

-2002 Ambassador's List-
(Top 25 Films)

Honorable Mentions: The Rookie, Equilibrium, The 25th Hour, Star Trek: Nemesis

25. Jackass: The Movie (B)

24. Treasure Planet (B)

23. Blade II (B)

22. The Pianist (B)

21. Gangs of New York (B)

20. Panic Room (B)

19. About a Boy (B)

18. About Schmidt (B)

17. Punch-Drunk Love (B)

16. Frida (B)

15. Bloody Sunday (B)

14. Changing Lanes (B)

13. Signs (B)

12. Insomnia (B+)

11. Chicago (B+)

Top Ten Movies: 

10. K-19 The Widowmaker  (B+)

9. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (B+)

8. Spirited Away (B+)

7. Y Tu Mama Tambien (A-)

6. Road to Perdition (A-)

5. Catch Me If You Can (A)

4. Bourne Identity, The (A) 

3. Minority Report (A)

2. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (A)

1. Adaptation (A+)

-Superlative Awards-
(Winners Bolded)

Most Surprising Film

• Adaptation
• Chicago
• Y Tu Mama Tambien

Most Disappointing Film

• Die Another Day
• Master of Disguise
• Orange County

Most Underrated Film

• Changing Lanes
• K-19: The Widowmaker
• Treasure Planet

Most Overrated Film 

• About Schmidt
• Orange County
• Spider-Man

Worst Film

• Master of Disguise
• Mr. Deeds
• The Rules of Attraction
• Scooby-Doo
• Super Troopers

Eric Bana Award: Reese Witherspoon Sweet Home Alabama 

Best Compilation of Work: Steven Spielberg for Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report 

Guilty Pleasure of the Year: Jackass: The Movie 

-Technical Awards-
(Winners Bolded)

Best Make-Up and Hair Design 

• Adaptation
• Frida
• Gangs of New York
• The Hours
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Best Costume Design 

• Chicago
• Frida
• Gangs of New York
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Road to Perdition

Best Sound Design 

• The Bourne Identity
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Minority Report
• Road to Perdition
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Best Original Score 

• The Bourne Identity
• Catch Me If You Can
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Road to Perdition
• Spirited Away

Best Visual Effects 

• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Men in Black II
• Spider-Man
• Star Trek: Nemesis
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Best Art Direction 

• Chicago
• Gangs of New York
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Minority Report
• Road to Perdition

Best Cinematography 

• Gangs of New York
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Minority Report
• Road to Perdition
• Y Tu Mama Tambien

Best Film Editing 

• Adaptation
• The Bourne Identity
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Minority Report
• Y Tu Mama Tambien

-Major Awards-
(Winners Bolded)

Best Documentary Feature: n/a
Best Animated Feature:

• Ice Age
• Lilo & Stitch
• Return to Neverland
• Spirited Away
• Treasure Planet

Best Adapted Screenplay 

• Adaptation
• Catch Me If You Can
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Minority Report
• Road to Perdition

Best Original Screenplay 

• Bloody Sunday
• Changing Lanes
• Punch-Drunk Love
• Spirited Away
• Y Tu Mama Tambien

Best Supporting Actress 

• Julianne Moore The Hours
• Samantha Morton Minority Report
• Meryl Streep Adaptation
• Emily Watson Punch-Drunk Love
• Catherine Zeta-Jones Chicago

Best Supporting Actor 

• Chris Cooper Adaptation
• Daniel Day-Lewis Gangs of New York
• Andy Serkis The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Christopher Walken Catch Me If You Can
• Forrest Whitaker Panic Room

Best Actress 

• Selma Hayek Frida
• Nicole Kidman The Hours
• Ana Lopez Mercado Y Tu Mama Tambien
• Nia Vardolos My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Renee Zellweger Chicago

Best Actor 

• Adrian Brody The Pianist
• Nicholas Cage Adaptation
• Tom Cruise Minority Report
• Leonardo DiCaprio Catch Me If You Can
• Jack Nicholson About Schmidt 

Best Ensemble Acting 

• Adaptation
• Catch Me If You Can
• Chicago
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Y Tu Mama Tambien

Best Director 

• Alfonso Cuaron Y Tu Mama Tambien
• Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Spike Jonze Adaptation
• Sam Mendes Road to Perdition
• Steven Spielberg Minority Report

Best Picture 

• Adaptation
• The Bourne Identity
• Catch Me If You Can
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Minority Report

-Great Dramatic/Comedic/Musical Sequences of 2002-
(In Alphabetical Order by Movie & All-Time Great Sequences are Bolded)

• "Three Reactor Crews Brave the Radiation to Repair the Leak" –K-19 The Widowmaker
• “Sam recalls to Frodo why they continue to go on” –The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• “Smeagol tells Gollum to leave and never come back” –The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• "Anderton is confronted with the Man he is to kill...and arrests him" –Minority Report

• “Warren receives a letter from his adopted child” –About Schmidt
• “John Laroche discusses with Susan the troubles of his past” –Adaptation
• “Kaufman attends McKee’s Seminar” -Adaptation
• "Grief and Misery in the Hospital as the Names are Passed Out to their Families" –Bloody Sunday
• “Bourne finally remembers that he is the attempted Wombosi assassin” –The Bourne Identity
• "Ben Affleck and Amanda Peet discuss going to the edge at Lunch" –Changing Lanes
• “Give Them the Ol’ Razzle Dazzle” -Chicago
• “Mr. Cellophane” -Chicago
• “Adult Sedgewick is exposed after an overheard conversation in the bathroom” -The Emperor’s Club
• “Bill and Amsterdam have a conversation after Bill can’t sleep” –Gangs of New York
• “Szpilman plays the piano for a German” –The Pianist
• "Barry see's his girlfriend in an accident, beats up the perps and calls the owner and asks for his name" –Punch-Drunk Love
• “Michael takes out Rooney and his son, then returns home to his son” –Road to Perdition
• “Watching the news in shock as an alien appears at a birthday party” -Signs
• “A ‘Stink Spirit’ arrives at the bathouse” -Spirited Away
• “Picard is forced to kill his clone and Data saves Picard” –Star Trek: Nemesis
• “Julio and Tenoch learn Luisa’s secret and share a final discussion, their lives drifting apart” –Y Tu Mama Tambien

-Top 10 Action Sequences of 2002-

Honorable Mentions: 

• “Blade vs. Shock Stick Troopers” -Blade II
• “Surfing to Change the Portal and Escape from the Exploding Planet” -Treasure Planet 

10. “Three On One Space Battle/Battering Ram” -Star Trek: Nemesis

9. “Bus Station Brawl” -The Transporter 

8. “War in the Desert” -The Four Feathers 

7. “Speeder Chase through Coruscant For An Assassin” -Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones 

6. “Ultimate Gun-Kata/Vanquishing an Entire Hallway/Killing Father” -Equilibrium 

5. “Anderton Runs from Jet Pack PreCrime and Escapes the Car Factory” -Minority Report 

4. “Paris Chase in a Mini-Cooper” -The Bourne Identity 

3. “Pen vs. Knife Fight” -The Bourne Identity 

2. “Keeping the Towel On...From Turkish Baths to the Markets” -The Accidental Spy 

1. “Finale: The Battle of Helm's Deep” -Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers