While veteran character
thespians Taraji P. Henson (The Curious
Life of Benjamin Button) and Viola Davis (Doubt) have generated Oscar buzz for their stellar support work,
Alicia Keys (The Secret Life of Bees)
proved that she has a big future in Hollywood,
should she ever opt to shift her focus from music to the big screen. Most of
the best black male performances were delivered by the usual suspects, brothers
like Jeffrey Wright and Rob Brown, although Evan Ross and Omar Benson Miller showed
themselves as rising stars to be reckoned with.
Of course, I have to include a little
coal in the stocking for those folks associated with offensive, lowest-common
denominator comedies such as First Sunday
and What Up? which portrayed black
people in the worst possible light. Let’s just hope that 2009 will signal the
end of the recent revival of this genre of disturbing, modern minstrel shows.
Ten Best Black Feature Films
1. The Secret Life of Bees
2. Cadillac Records
3. The Family That Preys
4. The Express
5. Miracle
at St. Anna
6. Meet
the Browns
7. Never
Back Down
8. Seven
Pounds
9. Soul Men
10. The Longshots
Best Independent Black Films
1. I’m
Through with White Girls
2. How She
Move
3. Ballast
4. All
about Us
5. Blackout
Best Black Documentaries
1. The
Souls of Black Girls
2. A Man
Named Pearl
3. America
the Beautiful
4. Meeting
David Wilson
5. All of
Us
6. Trouble
the Water
7. One
Bad Cat
8. The
Dhamma Brothers
9. Very
Young Girls
10. Disappearing Voices
Best African Films
1. Pray
the Devil Back to Hell (Liberia)
2. Rape in
the Congo (Congo)
3. We Are
Together (South Africa)
4. On the
Rumba River (Congo)
5. Youssou
N’Dour: Return to Goree (Senegal)
Best Actor (Lead Role)
1. Rob Brown (The Express)
2. Evan Ross (Gardens of the Night)
3. Anthony
Montgomery (I’m Through with White Girls)
4. Djimon Hounsou (Never Back Down)
5. Derek Luke (Miracle at St. Anna)
6. Bernie Mac (Soul Men)
7. Boris Kodjoe (All about Us)
8. Don Cheadle (Traitor)
9. Forest
Whitaker (Ripple Effect)
10. Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
Best Actor (Supporting Role)
1. Jeffrey Wright (Cadillac Records, W., Quantum of Solace & Blackout)
2. Omar Benson Miller (Miracle at St. Anna & The Express)
3. Columbus Short (Cadillac Records)
4. Michael Ealy (Miracle at St. Anna)
5. Rick Fox (Meet the Browns)
6. Tyler Perry (The Family That Preys)
7. Eamonn Walker (Cadillac Records)
8. Laz Alonso (Miracle at St. Anna)
9. Lamann
Rucker (I’m Through with White Girls
& Meet the Browns)
10. JimMyron Ross (Ballast)
Best Actress (Lead Role)
1. Lia Johnson (I’m Through with White Girls)
2. Rutina Wesley (How She Move)
3. Sanaa Lathan (The Family That Preys)
4. Thandie Newton (Run, Fatboy, Run)
5. Angela Bassett (Meet the Browns)
6. Danai Jekesai Gurira (The Visitor)
7. Keke Palmer (The Longshots)
8. Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees)
9. Alfre Woodard (The Family That Preys)
10. Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds)
Best Actress (Supporting Role)
1. Alicia Keys (The Secret Life of Bees)
2. Taraji Henson (The Curious Life of Benjamin Button)
3. Viola Davis (Doubt & Nights in Rodanthe)
4. Beyonce’ (Cadillac Records)
5. Sharon
Leal (Soul Men)
6. Tre’ Armstrong (How She Move)
7. Kellee Stewart (I’m Through with White Girls)
8. Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield)
9. Tasha Smith (The Longshots)
10. Gabrielle Union (Cadillac Records)
Best Director (Studio)
1. Gina Prince-Bythewood (The
Secret Life of Bees)
2. Tyler Perry (The Family That Preys & Meet the Browns)
3. Spike Lee (Miracle at St. Anna)
4. Malcolm Lee (Soul Men)
5. George C. Wolfe (Nights in Rodanthe)
Best Director (Independent or
Documentary)
1. Jennifer
Sharp (I’m Through with White Girls)
2. Daphne
Valerius (The Souls of Black Girls)
3. Darryl
Roberts (America the Beautiful)
4. David A.
Wilson (Meeting David Wilson)
5. Christine
Swanson (All About Us)
Worst Movie
1. First
Sunday
2. What
Up?
3. Nora’s
Hair Salon 2
4. Cover
5. Three
Can Play That Game
Worst Actor
1. Tracy
Morgan (First Sunday)
2. Katt
Williams (First Sunday)
3. Mos Def
(Be Kind, Rewind)
4. Kadeem
Hardison (What Up?)
5. Raz
Adoti (Cover)
Worst Actress
1. Tatyana
Ali (Nora’s Hair Salon 2)
2. Stacey Dash (Nora’s Hair Salon 2)
3. Malinda
Williams (First Sunday)
4. Aunjanue
Ellis (Cover)
5. Vivica
A. Fox (Three Can Play That Game)
Worst Director
1. David E. Talbert (First Sunday)
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