Skandies: #1 (Patreon)

Picture: First Cow (223/16)

Our first female-directed winner, though our first female Best Director will have to wait. (One might also note, with eyebrow raised, that it's a film with virtually no female characters.) Believe it or not, this marks the first time in the survey's history that we've picked the same winner as the New York Film Critics Circle (unless one counts our Oscar-style first year, which did give Leaving Las Vegas the trophy; I feel certain that Exotica would have won had the Pazz & Jop system been in effect). It's also the fifth time (out of 25) that my own favorite film of the year came out on top, following 25th Hour (2002), Dogville (2004), Holy Motors (2012), and Burning (2018). More often, my top choice comes in right around third. 

Director: Steve McQueen, Lovers Rock (195/15)
Skandie history: #3, Hunger (2009); #19, Shame (2011); #12, 12 Years a Slave (2013).

I was really rooting for Reichardt here, both because I like First Cow significantly more than I do Lovers Rock and because, as noted above, we've never had a female winner. (Debra Granik likewise placed 2nd, for Winter's Bone.) Whereas we have had Spike Lee. Still, it's hard to deny that this film is primarily a directorial achievement. 

(Yes, I realize that the photo probably shows him on the set of Mangrove. It's the closest thing I could find.)

Actress: Carrie Coon, The Nest (207/16)
Skandie history: #7s, Gone Girl (2014).

Wouldn't have predicted this after seeing (and loving) the film at Sundance 2020, but I'm by no means unhappy about it. 

Actor: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods (392/22)
Skandie history: None (though I feel like he'd have placed for Clockers had we not used an Oscar-style system that first year).

This year's sole acting landslide (and one of only two period). He got 160 more points than any of the other acting winners, was on roughly 75% of the ballots (mine included). 

S. Actor: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal (175/15)
Skandie history: None.

Can't say that I get the widespread acclaim for this performance. Not that he's bad, but the character is such a bog-standard tough-love counselor that there's just no opportunity for excellence imo. (Virtually all of my points in this category went to the Ma Rainey ensemble—Boseman included, though he wound up in Actor.) Would have loved to see the late Michael Martin win. 

S. Actress: Norma Kuhling, Fourteen (230/14)
Skandie history: None.

My single favorite performance of 2020, in a walk. Not only is it emotionally precise and devastating, but I could teach an entire acting workshop based on her ability to make Dan's dialogue sound utterly naturalistic (which none of his other actors ever manage, even when they're otherwise quite good). It's uncanny. 

Screenplay: Jon Raymond & Kelly Reichardt, First Cow (239/18)
Skandies history: #16, Old Joy (2006); #14, Certain Women (2016) [Reichardt only].

A rare Screenplay winner that's not particularly dialogue-driven. 

Scene: "Silly Games," Lovers Rock (279/18)

Here's the other blowout, with second place receiving only 128 points. Not since Holy Motors' accordion interlude and Wolf of Wall Street's quaalude fiasco have we seen such an overwhelming consensus in this category. Unfortunately, it's not online anywhere that I can find; YouTube's automatic copyright narc instantly caught my attempt to add it. 

Complete results available here. Thanks to all voters, and especially to Mark Pittillo for programming the automated ballot and maintaining the website. The big post-mortem will be up in the next day or two. (I'll probably post it on my blog rather than here, just because it's ginormous.)