L.A. Film Critics Select 'Brokeback' as Best Picture

LOS ANGELES – "Brokeback Mountain," a gay Western about two ranch hands who share a summer of love and then conceal their ongoing affair, was picked as 2005's best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the group announced Saturday.

The movie, which stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, also earned director Ang Lee the critics' award for best director, and Ledger was the runner-up for the best actor's award.

"A History of Violence," a thriller starring Viggo Mortensen, was the runner up for best film, and its director, David Cronenberg, was runner up for the directing award.

The award for best actor went to Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his work in "Capote," which chronicled author Truman Capote as he pursued his true-crime book "In Cold Blood."

Vera Farmiga won the best actress award for portraying a wife and mother who falls deeper into drug addiction in "Down to the Bone." Judi Dench was the runner up for best actress for "Mrs. Henderson Presents."

In the best supporting actress category, Catherine Keener won the award for her work in "Capote," "Ballad of Jack and Rose, "The 40 Year old Virgin," and "The Interpreter." Amy Adams, who played a pregnant Southern waif captivated by her new sister-in-law from up north in "Junebug" was the runner up.

William Hurt won the best supporting actor award for "A History of Violence," while Frank Langella was runner up for his role in "Good Night, And Good Luck."

There was a tie for the best screenplay award between Dan Futterman for "Capote" and Noah Baumbach for the divorce tale "The Squid and the Whale."

The awards ceremony was scheduled for Jan. 17 in Los Angeles.

Other 2005 picks:

Foreign language film: "Cache."

Documentary/nonfiction film: "Grizzly Man."

Animation: "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

Music/score: "Howl's Moving Castle."

Cinematography: "Good Night, And Good Luck."

New generation: Terrence Howard, actor in "Hustle & Flow."

Career Achievement: actor Richard Widmark.

Independent/experimental: "La Commune (Paris, 1871)."

Special citations: Film critic Kevin Thomas for his contributions to film culture in Los Angeles; and David Shepard, Bruce Posner and the Anthology Film Archive to honor "Unseen Cinema", a DVD collection of avant-garde films from 1894-1941.