TORONTO, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The Toronto Film Critics Association has named "Sideways" the best film of 2004.
Writer-director Alexander Payne's road-trip comedy has been a favorite among critics groups during the current awards season. It led the field with seven nominations when this year's Golden Globe nominees were announced on Monday, and also had a leading six nominations when nominees for this year's Independent Spirit Awards were announced in November.
The New York Online Film Critics named "Sideways" best film of 2004, and it also made the list of Top 10 movies of the year issued by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
The Toronto critics named "Sideways" stars Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madsen best actor and supporting actress, respectively.
Michel Gondry was named best director for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which also earned a screenplay award for Charlie Kaufman.
Imelda Staunton was named best actress for "Vera Drake" and Clive Owen won the supporting actor award for his performance in "Closer."
The Toronto critics named "Hero" best foreign-language film of the year, and gave their prize for best documentary to "The Fog of War."
