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We don't know yet if 2010 will go down as one of those legendary years in cinema, like 1939, 1974 or 1994, where everything came together to produce a magical and enduring collection of films. True classics may not be evident yet in this year's films. Even if we haven't had those transcendent moments, we've also had a deeper roster of quality films to support, all of whom are worthy of championing.

That depth is reflected in this year's tenth annual Calvin Awards balloting, with five out of our eight major categories (Picture, Director, Cast, Screenplay and the four acting awards) being decided by a single vote, and a few of those going down to the wire four or five selections deep. Given our tendency to pick a front-runner and rally behind it, this represents something remarkable. Although with the plethora of films this year from some of the staff's favorite filmmakers (Fincher, Nolan, the Coens, Pixar), and the discovery of some new talent, maybe this was inevitable. Personally I'm a bit discomfited by the tightness of some of these races, and would be more satisfied by having some of our closer races battle it out in hand to hand combat for our praise.

Then again, for all the year giveth in top notch cinema, the year also taketh, as this year's crop of Worst Picture and Performance contenders are as strong as any in recent memory. Any of our bottom four films could easily have won in a lesser (better?) year. Hey, at least it gave us something to be passionate about.

This year's awards see one category go by the wayside, with a new one filling its place. Reflecting the move away from physical media to digital downloads and cloud storage, Best DVD bows out of the Calvins, replaced by Best Character, designed to recognize those creations that were fully realized from the page to the screen and made the year memorable, even if they may not have made sense to reward with acting votes. Trust us, it'll make sense once you see the list. (Reagen Sulewski/BOP)


Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Album
Best Cast
Best Character
Best Director
Best Overlooked Film
Best Picture
Best Scene
Best Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best TV Show
Best Use of Music
Best Videogame
Breakthrough Performance
Worst Performance
Worst Picture


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See our 2002 Awards