It’s hard to believe every year (though perhaps not as hard this year given the prolonged season), but it’s time to close the book on 2013 in film. The Oscars will have their say, and then history will either smile or frown on their decision. No matter the outcome, tonight ought to be an exciting exclamation point on a fantastic year in film. But remember, their favorite movie does not do anything to change YOUR favorite and whatever it may mean to you.
So in that spirit, I give out my superlatives, both the good, the bad, and everything in between!
MOVIES
The Best
- “American Hustle”
- “Stories We Tell“
- “Spring Breakers”
- “The Past”
- “Inside Llewyn Davis”
- “Blue Jasmine“
- “Philomena“
- “12 Years a Slave”
- “The Hunt“
- “Enough Said”
The Worst
- “Post Tenebras Lux“
- “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues“
- “The Butler“
- “The Hangover Part III“
- “Jobs“
- “The Internship“
- “Prince Avalanche“
- “See Girl Run“
- “The Spectacular Now“
- “Man of Steel“
Surprising
- “Philomena“
- “The Purge“
- “Drinking Buddies“
- “Spring Breakers”
- “Stories We Tell“
Disappointing
- “The Hangover Part III“
- “Only God Forgives“
- “Gangster Squad“
- “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues“
- “Trance“
Forgettable
- “What Maisie Knew“
- “Cutie & The Boxer”
- “The Invisible Woman“
- “Stoker”
- “Violet & Daisy“
- “Parkland”
- “Admission“
- “The Company You Keep“
- “The Iceman“
- “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“
Rewatchable
- “American Hustle”
- “Spring Breakers”
- “The Bling Ring“
- “Enough Said”
- “Blue Jasmine“
Glad to See Once … But Never Again
Underrated
- “The Great Gatsby“
- “Lone Survivor“
- “The Book Thief”
- “The Way Way Back“
- “The Kings of Summer“
Overrated
Better Over Time
- “Blue Jasmine“
- “Inside Llewyn Davis”
- “Spring Breakers”
- “The Past”
- “Frances Ha“
Worse Over Time
- “Fruitvale Station“
- “The Spectacular Now“
- “To The Wonder”
- “The Place Beyond the Pines“
- “The Butler“
Felt Shorter
- “American Hustle”
- “12 Years a Slave”
- “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire“
- “Enough Said”
- “Warm Bodies”
Felt Longer
- “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues“
- “The Act of Killing“
- “The Great Beauty“
- “Man of Steel“
- “I’m So Excited“
ACTING
Breakout Performances
- Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
- Oscar Isaac, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
- Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips“
- Brie Larson, “Short Term 12”
- Tye Sheridan, “Mud“
Breakthrough Performances
- Greta Gerwig, “Frances Ha“
- Joel Edgerton, “The Great Gatsby“
- Dane DeHaan, “The Place Beyond the Pines“
- Olivia Wilde, “Drinking Buddies“
- Sam Rockwell, “The Way Way Back“
Breakdown Performances
- Sean Penn, “Gangster Squad“
- Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street“
- Rachel Weisz, “Oz the Great and Powerful”
- Ashton Kutcher, “Jobs“
- John Goodman, “The Hangover Part III“
Best Body of Work
Matthew McConaughey, “Mud“/”Dallas Buyers Club”/”The Wolf of Wall Street”
Worst Body of Work
Michael Shannon, “The Iceman“/”Man of Steel”
Most Similar Body of Work
- Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Great Gatsby“/”The Wolf of Wall Street“
- Melissa McCarthy, “Identity Thief“/”The Hangover Part III“/”The Heat“
Most Disparate Body of Work
- James Franco, “Oz the Great and Powerful”/”Spring Breakers”/”This Is The End“/”As I Lay Dying”
- Bradley Cooper, “The Place Beyond the Pines“/”The Hangover Part III“/”American Hustle”
Best Ensemble
“American Hustle”
Worst Ensemble
“Oz the Great and Powerful”
Best Performance in a Bad Movie
Kristin Scott Thomas, “Only God Forgives”
Worst Performance in a Good Movie
Paul Dano, “12 Years a Slave”
Needed More Screen Time
- Carey Mulligan, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
- Josh Gad, “Frozen“
- Matthew McConaughey, “The Wolf of Wall Street“
- Emma Watson, “This Is The End“/”The Bling Ring“
- June Squibb, “Nebraska“
Needed Less Screen Time
- Colin Farrell, “Saving Mr. Banks“
- Steve Carell, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues“
- Terrence Howard, “The Butler“
- Olivia Wilde, “Rush“
- Ken Jeong, “The Hangover Part III“
Most Obvious Casting
- Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine“
- Emma Thompson, “Saving Mr. Banks“
- Sean Penn, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“
- Tina Fey, “Admission“
- Shailene Woodley, “The Spectacular Now“
Least Obvious Casting
- Will Forte, “Nebraska“
- Ellen Page, “The East“
- Amy Adams,”Man of Steel“
- Sandra Bullock, “Gravity“
- Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Most Random Casting
- Taran Killam, “12 Years a Slave”
- Catherine Keener, “Captain Phillips“
- Jerry Ferrara, “Lone Survivor“
- Spike Jonze, “The Wolf of Wall Street“
- Christopher Meloni, “Man of Steel“
Best Hero
Judi Dench, “Philomena”
Worst Hero
Forest Whitaker, “The Butler”
Best Villain
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
Worst Villain
Guy Pearce, “Iron Man 3”
Best Comedic Performance
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Worst Comedic Performance
Zach Galifianakis, “The Hangover Part III”
Best Cameo
(tie) Channing Tatum, “This Is The End” and Robert DeNiro, “American Hustle”
Worst Cameo
Leonard Nimoy, “Star Trek Into Darkness”
OTHERS
Best Lines
- “Look at all my s–t!” – Spring Breakers
- “Maybe all we have in life are poisonous, f—ed up choices.” – American Hustle
- “I wanna rob.” – The Bling Ring
- “I’m the captain now.” – Captain Phillips
- “Take yo panties off!” – This Is The End
Best Singing
- Oscar Isaac, “Hang Me, Oh, Hang Me,” Inside Llewyn Davis
- Keith Stanfield, “So You Know What It’s Like,” Short Term 12
- Craig Robinson feat. Rihanna, “Take Yo Panties Off,” This Is The End
- Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” Saving Mr. Banks
- “Baby One More Time,” Spring Breakers
Best Worst Singing
- James Franco, “Everytime,” Spring Breakers
Best Karaoke
- Jennifer Lawrence, “Live and Let Die,” American Hustle
Worst Karaoke
- Ken Jeong, “Hurt,” The Hangover Part III
Best Music Montage
- “I Can’t Stop,” The Great Gatsby
- “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” American Hustle
- “Modern Love,” Frances Ha
- “Crown on the Ground,” The Bling Ring
- “The Moon Song,” Her
Worst Music Montage
“Mrs. Robinson,” The Wolf of Wall Street
Marshall and the Movies 
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