Almost Famous Sweeps Boston Awards

December 18 -- Cameron Crowe's autobiographical rock valentine Almost Famous picked up four end-of-year awards from the Boston Society of Film Critics, including best picture and best director.

The Beantown critics also selected Frances McDormand as the best supporting actress for her role as a rock-hating mom in Famous and handed Crowe a best screenplay award — which he has to share with Steven Kloves for the Wonder Boys script.

McDormand was also previously hailed by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for her work in Famous and in Wonder Boys, directed by Curtis Hanson.

Newcomer Named Best ActorGoing against the tide of this year's already-announced critics' awards, Bostonians named newcomer Colin Farrell as best actor for his breakout role in the Vietnam-era indie Tigerland. Farrell's already been compared to such Hollywood hunks as George Clooney and Russell Crowe and has snagged high-profile roles in the upcoming films Phone Booth and Hart's War.

Burstyn, Willard HonoredEllen Burstyn earned best actress honors for her role as a drug-addicted housewife in the harrowing Requiem for a Dream.

The Boston Society of Film Critics, which regularly singles out the overlooked at awards time, also named Fred Willard as best supporting actor for his turn as a misguided announcer at the dog show spoof Best in Show.

The much-lauded Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was named as best foreign film and cinematographer Peter Pau was also recognized by the group.

The documentary award went to Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's The Eyes of Tammy Faye, about mascaraed televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, with honorable mentions going to The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg and Into the Arms of Strangers.

Roberts, Hanks Are Runners-upRunners-up in other categories included Edward Yang's Yi Yi (A One and a Two …) for best picture and best foreign film; Yang himself for best director; Erin Brockovich for best picture; Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me) for best actress; and Tom Hanks (Cast Away), Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls), and Mark Ruffalo (You Can Count on Me) for best actor.