Women critics honor Annette Bening

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The Women Film Critics Circle awarded U.S. actress Annette Bening three prizes for her work in "The Kids are All Right" and "Mother and Child."

Bening was honored Monday with the group's awards for Best Actress and Best Comedic Actress for her performance in "Kids."

The film is about a lesbian couple, played by Bening and Julianne Moore, whose family life is thrown into an uproar when their teenage children, played by Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson, try to get to know their previously anonymous sperm-bank father, played by Mark Ruffalo.

"Kids" also won the Best Woman Storyteller screenwriting award for Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg. Cholodenko directed the picture as well.

Written and directed by Debra Granik, "Mother and Child" was named Best Movie About Women. The adoption-themed drama's stars -- Bening, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson and David Morse -- also shared the title of Best Ensemble.

Colin Firth was declared Best Actor for his performance in "The King's Speech," which tied with "Another Year" for offering the Best Male Images in a Movie.

Jennifer Lawrence was named Best Young Actress for her work in "Winter's Bone," which was voted Best Movie by a Woman.

A tie was called between "Mother" and "Women Without Men" for Best Foreign Film by or about Women.

"Conviction" earned the honor for Best Female Images in a Movie and "Black Swan" garnered the distinction of having the Worst Female Images in a Movie.

"Jackass 3D" was voted as having the Worst Male Images in a Movie.

Characters in "Despicable Me" were named Best Animated Females and "Toy Story 3" was selected Best Family Film.

Helen Mirren was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award and Lena Horne posthumously received the group's Acting and Activism Award.