DFW Film Critics Name ‘The Shape of Water’ Best Picture of 2017

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the fantasy romance THE SHAPE OF WATER as the best film of 2017, according to the results of its 24th annual critics’ poll released today.

Rounding out the composite list of the top 10 films of the year were THE POST (2), LADY BIRD (3), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (4), GET OUT (5), DUNKIRK (6), THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (7), I, TONYA (8), THE FLORIDA PROJECT (9) and DARKEST HOUR (10).

For Best Actor, the association named Gary Oldman for DARKEST HOUR. Runners-up included James Franco for THE DISASTER ARTIST (2), Daniel Day-Lewis for PHANTOM THREAD (3), Timothee Chalamet for CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (4) and Tom Hanks for THE POST (5).

Sally Hawkins was voted Best Actress for THE SHAPE OF WATER. Next in the voting were Frances McDormand for THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2), Margot Robbie for I, TONYA (3), Saoirse Ronan for LADY BIRD (4) and Meryl Streep for THE POST (5).

In the Best Supporting Actor category, the winner was Sam Rockwell for THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. He was followed by Willem Dafoe for THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2), Richard Jenkins for THE SHAPE OF WATER (3), Armie Hammer for CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (4) and Woody Harrelson for THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (5).

For Best Supporting Actress, the association named Allison Janney for I, TONYA. Runners-up were Laurie Metcalf for LADY BIRD (2), Mary J. Blige for MUDBOUND (3), Holly Hunter for THE BIG SICK (4) and Octavia Spencer for THE SHAPE OF WATER (5).

Guillermo del Toro was voted Best Director for THE SHAPE OF WATER. Next in the voting were Greta Gerwig for LADY BIRD (2), Christopher Nolan for DUNKIRK (3), Steven Spielberg for THE POST (4) and Jordan Peele for GET OUT (5).

The association voted THE SQUARE as the best foreign-language film of the year. Runners-up included THELMA (2), BPM (3), FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (4) and IN THE FADE (5).

CITY OF GHOSTS won for Best Documentary over JANE (2), AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL (3), EX LIBRIS: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY (4) and LAST MEN IN ALEPPO (5).

COCO was named the best animated film, with LOVING VINCENT as the runner-up. Greta Gerwig won the Best Screenplay award for LADY BIRD over Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor for THE SHAPE OF WATER.

The award for Best Cinematography went to Dan Laustsen for THE SHAPE OF WATER, followed by Roger Deakins for BLADE RUNNER 2049. The association gave its award for Best Musical Score to Alexandre Desplat for THE SHAPE OF WATER, beating out Hans Zimmer for DUNKIRK.

The association voted THE FLORIDA PROJECT as the winner of the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association consists of 34 broadcast, print and online journalists from North Texas. For more information, visit dfwcritics.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @dfwfilmcritics.

 

SUMMARY OF AWARD WINNERS

2017 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

(Choices listed in order of votes received)

 

BEST PICTURE

Winner: THE SHAPE OF WATER

Runners-up: THE POST; LADY BIRD; CALL ME BY YOUR NAME; GET OUT; DUNKIRK; THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI; I, TONYA; THE FLORIDA PROJECT; DARKEST HOUR

 

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Gary Oldman, DARKEST HOUR

Runners-up: James Franco, THE DISASTER ARTIST; Daniel Day-Lewis, PHANTOM THREAD; Timothee Chalamet, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME; Tom Hanks, THE POST

 

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Sally Hawkins, THE SHAPE OF WATER

Runners-up: Frances McDormand, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI; Margot Robbie, I, TONYA; Saoirse Ronan, LADY BIRD; Meryl Streep, THE POST

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Winner: Sam Rockwell, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Runners-up: Willem Dafoe, THE FLORIDA PROJECT; Richard Jenkins, THE SHAPE OF WATER; Armie Hammer, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME; Woody Harrelson, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Winner: Allison Janney, I, TONYA

Runners-up: Laurie Metcalf, LADY BIRD; Mary J. Blige, MUDBOUND; Holly Hunter, THE BIG SICK; Octavia Spencer, THE SHAPE OF WATER

 

BEST DIRECTOR

Winner: Guillermo del Toro, THE SHAPE OF WATER

Runners-up: Greta Gerwig, LADY BIRD; Christopher Nolan, DUNKIRK; Steven Spielberg, THE POST; Jordan Peele, GET OUT

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Winner: THE SQUARE

Runners-up: THELMA; BPM; FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER; IN THE FADE

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Winner: CITY OF GHOSTS

Runners-up: JANE; AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL; EX LIBRIS: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY; LAST MEN IN ALEPPO

 

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Winner: COCO

Runners-up: LOVING VINCENT

 

BEST SCREENPLAY

Winner: Greta Gerwig, LADY BIRD

Runner-up: Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, THE SHAPE OF WATER

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: Dan Laustsen, THE SHAPE OF WATER

Runner-up: Roger Deakins, BLADE RUNNER 2049

 

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Winner: Alexandre Desplat, THE SHAPE OF WATER

Runner-up: Hans Zimmer, DUNKIRK

 

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)

Winner: THE FLORIDA PROJECT