Cosmo voters often ask for guidance about how to interpret and define particular categories. In part, the definitions are left to the voters themselves to interpret; in a way, the interpretation is part of the question.

But to provide some assistance, the Board of Governors has compiled a brief explanation for each category, along with some comments about the category and a list of ideas for nominations. The list of ideas should only be considered suggestions for sparking the voter's imagination; the nominees are by no means restricted to those that appear here as suggestions. Voters who don't see their favorites listed (or even if they do, but want to drum up more support) are encouraged to join the discussion group and lobby their peers on the message boards.

Lifetime Achievement

Best Film of All Time Hall of Fame

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to be one of the best films of all time. The winning film will be inducted into the Cosmique Movie Hall of Fame, and will not be eligible in subsequent years to be re-nominated to this category. There are no restrictions on the film's era, nationality, language, or genre. All films, except previous winners (The Wizard of Oz, All About Eve, Gone With the Wind, and Citizen Kane) are eligible for nomination. In addition, a film cannot be nominated in the same year that it is first released.

Comments: As a fan-based movie awards, the Hall of Fame and other awards are as much a measure of popularity among the voters as they are of the film's quality. This can result in some interesting nominations, with Harold and Maude nominated side-by-side with Citizen Kane and The Lion in Winter. One film in particular, The Women, has been nominated every year even though it is overshadowed in the minds of most critics by its more popular 1939 films, The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind (both of which have already been inducted into the Cosmo Hall of Fame). The regular nominations for The Women may tell you much about the sensibilities of the Cosmo voters. The suggested nominees that follow are purely illustrative; they are culled from the list of films that received nomination votes last year, with the actual nominees bolded.

Ideas for Nominees: 12 Angry Men, Amélie, Apocalypse Now, Auntie Mame, Better Off Dead, Big Eden, Blazing Saddles, Bonnie and Clyde, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Bringing Up Baby, Cabaret, Casablanca, Chinatown, Dangerous Liaisons, Dead Again, Doctor Zhivago, La Dolce Vita, Duck Soup, Frankenstein, The Godfather, The Godfather II, Goldfinger, The Great Escape, Harold and Maude, Heathers, His Girl Friday, How Green Was My Valley?, Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, It's a Wonderful Life, I've Heard the Mermaid Singing, Jaws, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Last Picture Show, Lawrence of Arabia, A Letter to Three Wives, The Lion in Winter, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Manchurian Candidate, Midnight Cowboy, Mondo New York, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, My Best Friend's Wedding, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Poseidon Adventure, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Psycho, Ran, Rebel Without a Cause, Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion, Shy People, Singin' in the Rain, Some Like It Hot, Splendor in the Grass, The Stepford Wives, Tootsie, Vertigo, Victor/Victoria, and The Women

 

Best Actress of All Time Hall of Fame

Summary: Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to be one of the best of all time. The winning actress will be inducted into the Cosmique Movie Hall of Fame, and will not be eligible in subsequent years to be re-nominated to this category. There are no restrictions on her era, nationality, or language. All actresses except previous winners (Katharine Hepburn, Maggie Smith, and Bette Davis) are eligible for nomination.

Comments: The nominees here have typically spanned all eras - classic screen legends like Bette Davis have been nominated side-by-side with contemporary legends like Meryl Streep and more recent actors like Cate Blanchett. Even silent-era actresses have received nomination votes (though none to date have received enough votes to achieve a nomination). The list that follows is culled from those who received votes during last year's nominations, with the actual nominees bolded.

Ideas for Nominees: Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Adrienne Barbeau, Kathy Bates, Anne Baxter, Ingrid Bergman, Cate Blanchett, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland, Judi Dench, Eleonora Duse, Jane Fonda, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Lillian Gish, Goldie Hawn, Audrey Hepburn, Anjelica Huston, Diane Keaton, Grace Kelly, Jessica Lange, Angela Lansbury, Vivien Leigh, Jennifer Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Marilyn Monroe, Julianne Moore, Agnes Moorehead, Maureen O'Hara, Geraldine Page, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Pickford, Rosalind Russell, Susan Sarandon, Sissy Spacek, Barbara Stanwyck, Meryl Streep, Barbra Streissand, Jessica Tandy, Shirley Temple, and Dianne Wiest

Best Actor of All Time Hall of Fame

Summary: Awarded to the actor deemed by Cosmo voters to be one of the best of all time. The winning actor will be inducted into the Cosmique Movie Hall of Fame, and will not be eligible in subsequent years to be re-nominated to this category. There are no restrictions on his era, nationality, or language. All actors except previous winners (Dustin Hoffman, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart) are eligible for nomination.

Comments: As with the Best Actress nominees, the candidates here have included both screen legends like Cary Grant along with contemporary actors like Al Pacino. The following list comes from those considered for nomination last year, with the actual nominees bolded.

Ideas for Nominees: Marlon Brando, James Cagney, Michael Caine, Montgomery Clift, Sean Connery, Hume Cronyn, Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert De Niro, James Dean, Dom DeLuise, Gerard Depardieu, Vin Diesel, Rupert Everett, Henry Fonda, Harrison Ford, Clark Gable, Richard Gere, John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, Gene Hackman, Tom Hanks, Richard Harris, Rock Hudson, Barry Humphries, Buster Keaton, Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemmon, John Lithgow, Ewan McGregor, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Laurence Olivier, Peter O'Toole, Al Pacino, Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Spencer Tracy, and Orson Welles

 

Best Comedic Actress of All Time

Summary: Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have delivered, across the span of her entire career, the best cinematic comedic performances of all time.  

Comments: Naturally, many actors will choose a variety of roles throughout their career, some dramatic and some comedic. For this category, voters must ignore the dramatic performances and focus solely on the comedies. Voters must also ignore television performances and focus only on those roles that made it to the big screen. In addition, as a Lifetime Achievement award, voters must consider the actress's entire career. Can a single comedic performance, however brilliant, match up against strings of successful comedies from another actress? The list of ideas below is merely illustrative, culled quickly from a few lists of comedic actresses (in particular, frequent Golden Globe Best Actress in a Comedy nominees).

Ideas for Nominees: Julie Andrews, Lucille Ball, Anne Bancroft, Carol Burnett, Doris Day, Goldie Hawn, Audrey Hepburn, Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, Marilyn Monroe, Gilda Radner, Debbie Reynolds, Rosalind Russell, and Lily Tomlin

 

Best Comedic Actor of All Time

Summary: Awarded to the actor deemed by Cosmo voters to have delivered, across the span of his entire career, the best cinematic comedic performances of all time.  

Comments: As with the Best Comedic Actress of All Time category, voters must ignore the dramatic performances and focus solely on the comedies. Voters must also ignore television performances and focus only on those roles that made it to the big screen. As a Lifetime Achievement award, voters must consider the actress's entire career. Can a single comedic performance, however brilliant, match up against years of comedies? The list of ideas below is merely illustrative, culled quickly from a few lists of comedic actors (in particular, frequent Golden Globe Best Actor in a Comedy nominees).

Ideas for Nominees: Alan Alda, Woody Allen, Albert Brooks, Mel Brooks, Charlie Chaplin, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Jack Lemmon, Jerry Lewis, Steve Martin, Walter Matthau, Dudley Moore, Donald O'Connor, Peter O'Toole, Peter Sellers, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Wilder, Robin Williams, and Jonathan Winters

 

Best Films Overall of 2003

Best Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to be the best movie released in the United States in 2003. Films that received limited release in 2003 are still eligible for consideration, provided that it received sufficient distribution early enough in 2004 to have a chance to be seen by Cosmo voters. However, films that were only screened at film festivals are generally only considered at the year they were first released in theaters or on video.  

Comments: This may be one of the most wide-open categories available to voters. It's available to art films and blockbusters alike, without regard to genre, language, or box office. But some films still fall into a gray area. Films that were of such limited release that it would have been impossible for a majority of Cosmo voters to see, particularly films not released in the San Francisco Bay Area, may instead be eligible in the year they were released on video. One example for 2003 is Sonny, which was released on six screens in New York and Los Angeles at the end of December 2003, but then disappeared from theaters. Cosmo voters didn't have a legitimate chance to consider it last year, since it wasn't released on video until after the nomination season ended. The film is now available on video, and therefore eligible in 2003 for Cosmo consideration. The list of ideas below comes from four sources: Golden Globe nominees, odds-makers' lists of possible Oscar nominees, top box-office draws for 2003, and films for which we have already heard of lobbying from some Cosmo voters.

Ideas for Nominees: 21 Grams, Big Fish, Bruce Almighty, Camp, Cold Mountain, Finding Nemo, The Girl With the Pearl Earring, House of Sand and Fog, In America, The Last Samurai, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, Love Actually, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, Mystic River, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Seabiscuit, Sonny, and X2: X-Men United

 

Best Director of a 2003 Film

Summary: The Best Director candidates are not selected by nominations from Cosmo voters. Instead, they are selected through a formula that considers their nominations and wins at the major movie awards (Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Directors Guild of America, and the Oscars) as well as the number of nominations their film received at the Cosmos, with extra weight given to a Best Picture Cosmo nominee.

Comments: The use of a formula to select the Best Director nominees began as an accident. At the 2001 Cosmique Movie Awards, the category was created after the nomination ballots had already been released, and so the formula was necessary to avoid foregoing the category. The next year, the Board of Directors chosen to retain the formula. The director's role is somewhat behind-the-scenes, and it's not always easy for a movie fan to determine how much of a movie's success is based on the director rather than the actors or script. Once the field has been narrowed, it's easier to fans to make that determination, but it's harder for them to assess the top five nominees. The formula helps give credit to the directors that the film industry is recognizing, while also paying credence to the Cosmo voters' favorite films. For the most part, it's impossible to tell the difference, but there have been some important upsets. In 2002, Todd Haynes was ignored by every major movie awards for directing Far From Heaven, though he won several movie critics awards. But Far From Heaven was hugely popular with Cosmo voters, and its ten nominations, including one for Best Film of 2002, helped him surpass Roman Polanski to win the Cosmo nomination. Polanski's film The Pianist was a critical success, and he received nominations from the major awards (including a BAFTA win as well as an Oscar, though the latter win didn't factor into the formula due to the timing of the nominations). But the film was barely noticed by Cosmo voters, receiving only a single nomination for actor Adrien Brody (who went on to win the award). Meanwhile, Gangs of New York and My Big Fat Greek Wedding both received six Cosmo nominations, and Greek Wedding even won a Best Film Cosmo nomination. But Martin Scorsese's recognition from the other film awards help him surpass both Polanski for The Pianist and Joel Zwick for Greek Wedding, giving him the fifth Cosmo nomination slot.

 

Best Script for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the best script for an eligible 2003 film. No distinction is made been original versus adapted screenplays.

Comments: Although we like honoring multiple screenwriters like the Oscars do, movie fans aren't always certain which films came from an original script and which were adapted from a book, play, or other medium. For that reason, the Cosmos offer a single script award regardless of original source. The ideas suggested below come from the Golden Globe nominees as well as the ones being handicapped for the Oscars.

Ideas for Nominees: 21 Grams, American Splendor, The Barbarian Invasions, Bend It Like Beckham, Big Fish, Calendar Girls, Cold Mountain, Dirty Pretty Things, Finding Nemo, The Girl With the Pearl Earring, House of Sand and Fog, In America, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, Love Actually, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Matchstick Men, Mystic River, Open Range, Seabiscuit, Something's Got to Give, The Station Agent, The Last Samurai, The Missing, Thirteen, and Whale Rider

 

Best Cinematography or Art Direction for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the best cinematography or art direction for an eligible 2003 film. Cinematography covers the actual filming of scene, including the choice of cameras and lenses, camera angles, the lighting design and placement, and the like. Art Direction involves the creation of sets and the use of furnishings and props within the set. Taken together, Cosmo voters consider this category to be the visual appeal of the film separate from special effects and costuming.

Comments: At the Oscars, it can be a little difficult to assess what constitutes art direction versus cinematography versus film editing versus the other more technical categories. Fortunately, the Cosmos simplify by reducing it to single "visual appeal" category. Unfortunately, the Golden Globes don't offer technical awards, and the odds-makers focus on the higher-profile categories. This list simply represents what wowwed the Cosmo Board of Directors or which we think might be popular. But like all of these suggestions, they are merely presented to spark ideas.

Ideas for Nominees: 28 Days Later, Gothika, Kill Bill, Volume 1, The Last Samurai, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Under the Tuscan Sun, Winged Migration, and X2: X-Men United

 

Best Costume Design or Make-Up for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the best costume design or make-up for an eligible 2003 film. This covers anything that the performers wear, including clothing, wigs, prosthetics, make-up, and the like.

Comments: Costuming is a significant part of a film's visual appeal, particularly when combined with make-up, prosthetics, and similar visual tricks. Historically, the Cosmos have tended to favor science fiction/fantasy films as well as period pieces from centuries before. But voters shouldn't forget more contemporary pieces that achieve great effects with costuming. Two of last year's nominees, Chicago and Far From Heaven, were technically historical films, but occurred within the last century.

Ideas for Nominees: Cold Mountain, Down With Love, The Last Samurai, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Luther, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, The Missing, Mona Lisa Smile, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and X2: X-Men United

 

Best Visual Effects for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the best visual effects for an eligible 2003 film. This covers any extraordinary effects used in the film other than costumes and make-up, including those that are staged and filmed (such as a car crash), those that are filmed using miniatures or stop-action, and those that are imposed digitally after filming is done.

Comments: Visual Effects is another category that tends to favor the science fiction/fantasy genre - and that's not so surprising, since as a genre, it relies more on special effects than any other genre. Still, Cosmo votes shouldn't forget the physical effects employed by many action/adventure films as well as those needed to simulate storms and other effects. When done on an epic scale, such as for Titanic or Master and Commander, they can be just as challenging, if not more, than the effects needed for a fantasy film.

Ideas for Nominees: 28 Days Later, Daredevil, Freddy vs. Jason, The Hulk, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, The Order, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Timeline, Underworld, and X2: X-Men United

 

Best Trailer for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film whose theatrical trailer is deemed to be the best among Cosmo voters.

Comments: Movie trailers are an important part of the cinematic experience. They appear before every movie in the theaters (and increasingly on videos and DVDs) and help get us in the mood to watch movies. More importantly, they help us decide what to go see. Some expose us to films we might not have heard about otherwise. Some open our eyes to something possibly interesting that we might otherwise ignore or prejudge. Some serve to "rally the troops," to get us excited about something we already planned to see anyway. And some trailers are pure art in their own right - trailers that suck us in, trick us, captivate us, make us excited about the movies even if we never plan to see that particular one. To help voters decide, the Board of Governors has provided almost 50 trailers for voters to review.

Ideas for Nominees: 21 Grams, 28 Days Later, American Splendor, American Wedding, Cabin Fever, Camp, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Cheaper by the Dozen, Cold Mountain, The Company, Die, Mommie, Die!, Down With Love, Elephant, Finding Nemo, Freddy vs. Jason, Identity, Kill Bill, Volume 1, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, Love Actually, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Matchstick Men, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, Monster, Mystic River, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Runaway Jury, Scary Movie 3, Secondhand Lions, Shattered Glass, Something's Got to Give, Spellbound, Step Into Liquid, Stoked, Stuck on You, Sylvia, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Battle for Shaker Heights, The Last Samurai, Thirteen, Timeline, Under the Tuscan Sun, Underworld, Veronica Guerin, Winged Migration, and X2: X-Men United

 

Worst Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to be the worst of an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: Naturally, there are some dreadful films out there that never attempted to do anything other than appeal to the absolute lowest common denominator. (Freddy Got Fingered comes to mind.) Cosmo voters are not specifically constrained to ignore deliberate monstrosities, but of particular interest are films that actually tried to be good.

Ideas for Nominees: Beyond Borders, Boat Trip, The Cat in the Hat, Daddy Day Care, Daredevil, Darkness Falls, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Dreamcatcher, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Elephant, From Justin to Kelly, Garage Days, Gigli, The Guru, In the Cut, Kangaroo Jack, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Masked and Anonymous, The Medallion, Old School, The Order, The Real Cancun, Spider, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions,

 

Best Performances of 2003

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a leading role an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: Cosmo voters must carefully decide whether the performance was in a leading or supporting capacity. Not all films will have both a male and a female lead, and it is theoretically possible in ensemble films for every role to be considered a supporting role. It is theoretically possible for an actress to be nominated in both leading and supporting categories for the same performance if the Academy voters seem divided about their interpretation of the role (as they did with Richard Gere in Chicago). The following lists come from the Golden Globe nominees, as well as the actresses who are on critics' short-list of Oscar handicaps.

Ideas for Nominees: Cate Blanchett in The Missing, Cate Blanchett in Veronica Guerin, Jennifer Connelly in House of Sand and Fog, Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday, Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation, Diane Keaton in Something's Got to Give, Nicole Kidman in Cold Mountain, Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun, Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls, Samantha Morton in In America, Charlotte Rampling in The Swimming Pool, Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile, Charlize Theron in Monster, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Volume 1, Naomi Watts in 21 Grams, Evan Rachel Wood in Thirteen, and Renee Zellweger in Down With Love

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actor deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a leading role an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: As with the Best Actress award, Cosmo voters must carefully decide whether the performance was in a leading or supporting capacity. Not all films will have both a male and a female lead, and it is theoretically possible in ensemble films for every role to be considered a supporting role. It is also theoretically possible for an actor to be nominated in both leading and supporting categories for the same performance if the Academy voters are divided about their interpretation of the role (as they did with Richard Gere in Chicago). The following list of suggestions come from the Golden Globe nominees, as well as the actresses who are on critics' short-list of Oscar handicaps.

Ideas for Nominees: Jack Black in The School of Rock, Jeff Bridges in Seabiscuit, Hayden Christensen in Shattered Glass, Russell Crowe in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Paul Giamatti in American Splendor, Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog, Jude Law in Cold Mountain, Ewan McGregor in Big Fish, Ewan McGregor in Down With Love, Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, Jack Nicholson in Something's Got to Give, Sean Penn in 21 Grams, Sean Penn in Mystic River, Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa, and Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a supporting role an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: As with the Best Actor and Actress categories, Cosmo voters must carefully decide whether the performance was in a leading or supporting capacity. Not all films will have both a male and a female lead; a woman may have the largest role in a film and yet her role may still be considered supporting. It is also theoretically possible in ensemble films for every role to be considered a supporting role. And it is theoretically possible for an actress to be nominated in both leading and supporting categories for the same performance. The following ideas came from Golden Globe nominees as well as the handicappers' lists of possible Oscar nominees.

Ideas for Nominees: Shohreh Aghdashloo in House of Sand & Fog, Maria Bello in The Cooler, Sarah Bolger in In America, Keisha Castle-Hughes in Whale Rider, Patricia Clarkson in Pieces of April, Hope Davis in American Splendor, Marcia Gay Harden in Mystic River, Holly Hunter in Thirteen, Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation, Melissa Leo in 21 Grams, Laura Linney in Love Actually, Ludivine Sagnier in The Swimming Pool, Emma Thompson in Love Actually, Julie Walters in Calendar Girls, and Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actor deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a supporting role an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: As with the Best Actor and Actress categories, Cosmo voters must carefully decide whether the performance was in a leading or supporting capacity. Not all films will have both a male and a female lead; a man may have the largest role in a film and yet his role may still be considered supporting. It is also theoretically possible in ensemble films for every role to be considered a supporting role. And it is theoretically possible for an actor to be nominated in both leading and supporting categories for the same performance (remember Richard Gere? Chicago?). The following ideas came from Golden Globe nominees as well as the handicappers' lists of possible Oscar nominees.

Ideas for Nominees: Sean Astin in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Kevin Bacon in Mystic River, Alec Baldwin in The Cooler, Paul Bettany in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Benicio Del Toro in 21 Grams, Albert Finney in Big Fish, Djimon Hounsou in In America, William H. Macy in Seabiscuit, Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, David Hyde Pierce in Down With Love, Tim Robbins in Mystic River, Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass, Omar Sharif in Monsieur Ibrahim, and Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai

 

Best Ensemble Cast for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to be have best ensemble cast in an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: In choosing the nominees, Cosmo voters consider the entire cast, leads and supporting roles alike, in terms of both their individual performances as well as their interactions with one another. It should be based on the strength of the collective ensemble, not just a few performers. It is possible for a voter to choose to nominate a particular film's cast here even if the voter doesn't consider any of the actors or actresses to be worthy alone for an individual nomination.

Ideas for Nominees: Cold Mountain, Down With Love, House of Sand and Fog, Le Divorce, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, Love Actually, Mona Lisa Smile, Mystic River, Shattered Glass, Spellbound, and X2: X-Men United

 

Sexiest Ensemble Cast for a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the sexiest or most attractive ensemble cast in an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: In choosing the nominees, Cosmo voters consider the entire cast, leads and supporting roles alike. But this time, the cast's acting talents are ignored; the voters are strictly concerned with how sexy they find the cast members. Consider it a vote for "the cast you would most like to play strip poker with." Voters are free to discard the underage cast members and some of the other actors from their imaginary game of strip poker, but should otherwise consider the bulk of the cast. Voters should also remember that they are voting for the characters as portrayed by the actors, not the actors in real life. 

Ideas for Nominees: American Wedding, Cabin Fever, The Core, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Love Actually, Mambo Italiano, Shattered Glass, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Timeline, Winged Migration, and X2: X-Men United

 

Favorite Male Hero of a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actor who has provided the best or favorite portrayal of a heroic character, regardless of whether it was a leading or supporting role.

Comments: Not all protagonists are heroes, and not all heroes are leading characters. In this context, heroic characters are those who through their actions perform feats of great difficulty to achieve an important result. Their feats may have been performed individually or as an important member of an ensemble. They may have been performed through tremendous strength, agility, cunning, magical or mutant powers, stamina, courage, or even luck. Their actions may affect a large outcome, such as saving the world or one's race, country, or city. They may be more personal, such as saving one's family or one's self, but against terrific odds. But it's important to remember that simply being the lead does not make one the hero. Heroes may be flawed, but voters must decide to what extent a character can perform villainous deeds in addition to their heroic ones and still remain a hero. Julianne Moore had the starring role in last year's Far From Heaven, but it was not a heroic character per se. But in contrast, the character played by her Best Actor counterpart, Adrien Brody in The Pianist, endured such hardships and managed to survive Nazi occupation against such odds that he could, in theory, be considered a heroic character.

Ideas for Nominees: Ben Affleck in Daredevil, Sean Astin in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Eric Bana in The Hulk, Orlando Bloom in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, Alan Cumming in X2: X-Men United, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Hugh Jackman in X2: X-Men United, Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Ian McKellen in X2: X-Men United, Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later, Keanu Reeves in The Matrix: Reloaded, Keanu Reeves in The Matrix: Revolutions, John Rhys-Davies in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Patrick Stewart in X2: X-Men United, Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai, and Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 

Favorite Female Heroine of a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actress who has provided the best or favorite portrayal of a heroic character, regardless of whether it was a leading or supporting role.

Comments: Women characters so rarely get to "save the day," that the Board of Governors felt it important to ensure that we have separate categories to honor the male and female heroic characters, rather than a single co-sexual category. Not all protagonists are heroes, and not all heroes are leading characters. In this context, heroic characters are those who through their actions perform feats of great difficulty to achieve an important result. Their feats may have been performed individually or as an important member of an ensemble. They may have been performed through tremendous strength, agility, cunning, magical or mutant powers, stamina, courage, or even luck. Their actions may affect a large outcome, such as saving the world or one's race, country, or city. They may be more personal, such as saving one's family or one's self, but against terrific odds. But it's important to remember that simply being the lead does not make one the hero. Heroes may be flawed, but voters must decide to what extent a character can perform villainous deeds in addition to their heroic ones and still remain a hero. Julianne Moore had the starring role in last year's Far From Heaven, but it was not a heroic character per se. But in contrast, the character played by her Best Actor counterpart, Adrien Brody in The Pianist, endured such hardships and managed to survive Nazi occupation against such odds that he could, in theory, be considered a heroic character.

Ideas for Nominees: Halle Berry in Gothika, Halle Berry in X2: X-Men United, Jennifer Garner in Daredevil, Naomie Harris in 28 Days Later, Famke Janssen in X2: X-Men United, Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Miranda Otto in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos in X2: X-Men United, and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Volume 1

 

Best Male Villain of a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actor deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a villainous role an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: Once we decided to have separate male and female heroic categories, it made sense to split the villain category as well. To a certain degree, Cosmo voters must decide for themselves how to define this category. Are villains necessarily intrinsically evil? Can a character be an inadvertent villain, or do they have to act with deliberate malice? Can they be considered a villain if they are redeemed in the end? Can they be considered a villain if they perform some villainous acts, even if they also perform some good ones? And to what extent is the voter basing his or her decision based on the character as written, or as performed by the actor (if that is, indeed, separatable)? Each voter will have to decide for himself or herself how to best interpret the category. Note: The Board of Governors has carefully avoided suggesting villains here where disclosing here could be considered a spoiler. But Cosmo voters should have no such scruples when casting their nominations.

Ideas for Nominees: Michael Clark Duncan in Daredevil, Robert Englund in Freddy vs. Jason, Colin Farrell in Daredevil, Gene Hackman in Runaway Jury, Masato Harada in The Last Samurai, Jason Isaacs in Peter Pan, Ken Kirzinger in Freddy vs. Jason, Ian McKellen in X2: X-Men United, Bill Nighy in Underworld, Geoffrey Rush in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Andy Sirkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Justin Theroux in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and John Voigt in Holes

 

Best Female Villain of a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best performance in a villainous role an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: To a certain degree, Cosmo voters must decide for themselves how to define this category. Are villains necessarily intrinsically evil? Can a character be an inadvertent villain, or do they have to act with deliberate malice? Can they be considered a villain if they are redeemed in the end? Can they be considered a villain if they perform some villainous acts, even if they also perform some good ones? And to what extent is the voter basing his or her decision based on the character as written, or as performed by the actress (if that is, indeed, separatable)? Each voter will have to decide for himself or herself how to best interpret the category. Note: The Board of Governors has carefully avoided suggesting villains here where disclosing here could be considered a spoiler. But Cosmo voters should have no such scruples when casting their nominations.

Ideas for Nominees: Katherine Bailess in From Justin to Kelly, Vivica A. Fox in Kill Bill, Volume 1, Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill, Volume 1, Kelly Hu in X2: X-Men United, Anna Kendrick in Camp, Lucy Liu in Kill Bill, Volume 1, Kristanna Loken in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Demi Moore in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and Sigourney Weaver in Holes

 

Best Cameo

Summary: Awarded to the actor or actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have achieved the best cameo performance in an eligible 2003 film, appearing in a role generally considered to be smaller than what they would generally accept.

Comments: A cameo is generally considered to apply to situations where a well-known actor or actress has accepted a role that is generally smaller than a role they would normally accept, or where the performer is a famous personality not known for acting. Sometimes it is done to poke fun at themselves by exaggerating a characteristic the performer is known for, or to reprise a beloved role. The performance is usually limited to only a few scenes, may be uncredited, and is often set up as a surprise to the audience. Sometimes - but not always - the actor or actress in the cameo role will be portraying themselves. Note: the suggestions that follow may be considered spoilers in some cases.

Ideas for Nominees: Tori Amos in Mona Lisa Smile, Tony Bennett in Bruce Almighty, Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Senator Robert Byrd in Gods and Generals, Cher in Stuck on You, Simon Cowell in Scary Movie 3, Griffin Dunne in Stuck on You, Carrie Fisher in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Dave Foley in Grind, Rudy Giuliani in Anger Management, Tom Green in Grind, Paris Hilton in The Cat in the Hat, Paris Hilton in Wonderland, Lainie Kazan in Gigli, Bobby Knight in Anger Management, Don Knotts in Haunted Mansion, Jay Leno in Calendar Girls, Jay Leno in Stuck on You, Bam Margera in Grind, John McEnroe in Anger Management, Frankie Muniz in Stuck on You, Jack Nicholson in Stuck on You, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Al Pacino in Gigli, Regis Philbin in People I Know, Pink in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Randy Quaid in Grind, Claudia Schiffer in Love Actually, Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Rundown, Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Stephen Sondheim in Camp, Meryl Streep in Stuck on You, Christopher Walken in Gigli, Bruce Willis in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and Luke Wilson in Stuck on You

 

Actor’s Character You Would Most Like to be Intimate With

Summary: Awarded to the actor deemed by Cosmo voters to have portrayed the character from a 2003 film whom they would most like to be intimate with.

Comments: Voters will be indicating the name of the actor on their ballot, but are really nominating the character, at least as portrayed by that actor. Also, voters may interpret "intimate" however they want. For some, it may be a candlelight dinner, a furtive fumble, a passionate affair, or a lifelong romance. (Or, for possible nominees from at least several different films, a love that lasts for all eternity.) For the purpose of this award, voters will be ignoring the character's stated or perceived sexual orientation. But voters must be mindful that they are voting for the character, not the actor, even though the actor's appearance and mannerisms will be informing how the character acts. If the character is mad, violent, or has physical traits that turn you off (like dirty fingernails?), he may not be the best pick, even if the actor in other circumstances is dreamy. 

Ideas for Nominees: Jason Biggs in American Wedding, Orlando Bloom in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Raoul Bova in Under the Tuscan Sun, Hayden Christensen in Shattered Glass, Russell Crowe in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, James D'Arcy in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Hugh Grant in Love Actually, Justin Guarini in From Justin to Kelly, Shin Koyamada in The Last Samurai, Andrew Lincoln in Love Actually, Ewan McGregor in Big Fish, Ewan McGregor in Down With Love, Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later, Jason Priestley in Die, Mommie, Die!, Jason Ritter in Freddy vs. Jason, The Rock in The Rundown, Rodrigo Santoro in Love Actually, Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass, Seann William Scott in The Rundown, Scott Speedman in Underworld, Pawel Szajda in Under the Tuscan Sun, Stuart Townsend in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Paul Walker in Timeline, and Shane West in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

 

Actress’ Character You Would Most Like to be Intimate With

Summary: Awarded to the actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have portrayed the character from a 2003 film whom they would most like to be intimate with.

Comments: Voters will be indicating the name of the actress on their ballot, but are really nominating the character, at least as portrayed by that actress. Also, voters may interpret "intimate" however they want. For some, it may be a candlelight dinner, a furtive fumble, a passionate affair, or a lifelong romance. (Or, for possible nominees from at least several different films, a love that lasts for all eternity.) For the purpose of this award, voters will be ignoring the character's stated or perceived sexual orientation. But voters must be mindful that they are voting for the character, not the actress, even though the actress' appearance and mannerisms will be informing how the character acts. If the character is known to have killed at least seven of her johns, or has the power to suck away your power and possibly your life with a touch, she might not be the best pick, even if the actress in other circumstances is hot. On the other hand, if the character has the power to assume the shape and voice of anyone she wants, male or female, what's not to love? 

Ideas for Nominees: Jennifer Anistan in Bruce Almighty, Drew Barrymore in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Kate Beckinsale in Underworld, Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Jennifer Garner in Daredevil, Naomie Harris in 28 Days Later, Nicole Kidman in Cold Mountain, Keira Knightley in Love Actually, Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun, Lucy Liu in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Lúcia Moniz in Love Actually, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos in X2: X-Men United, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Volume 1, Peta Wilson in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Renee Zellweger in Down With Love

 

Worst Performance in a 2003 Film

Summary: Awarded to the actor or actress deemed by Cosmo voters to have delivered the worst performance in an eligible 2003 film.

Comments: This is now one of the few remaining co-sexual categories open to both men and women. 

Ideas for Nominees: Ben Affleck in Gigli, Kelly Clarkson in From Justin to Kelly, Justin Guarini in From Justin to Kelly, Heath Ledger in The Order, Jennifer Lopez in Gigli, Jerry O'Connell in Kangaroo Jack, Keanu Reeves in The Matrix: Reloaded, Keanu Reeves in The Matrix: Revolutions, Meg Ryan in In the Cut, Shannyn Sossamon in The Order, and David Spade in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

 

Best Films by Genre of 2003

Best Action/Adventure Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the been the best in the action/adventure genre.

Comments: Naturally, films may be eligible for nomination in more than one genre.

Ideas for Nominees: 28 Days Later, Beyond Borders, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Hulk, Kill Bill, Volume 1, The Last Samurai, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Recruit, Shanghai Knights, and X2: X-Men United

 

Best Comedic or Musical Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the been the best in the comedy and/or musical genres.

Comments: Of course, not all musicals are comedies, but there are, unfortunately, far too few musicals released these days. Therefore, we follow the lead of the Golden Globes here, and even dramatic musicals are nevertheless be eligible for inclusion. In addition, a film could be considered as a comedy even if it also had dramatic elements. Voters will have to decide for themselves whether the film is primarily a comedy or a drama, and a split could allow a film to be nominated in both categories (as Igby Goes Down can attest). Films may be eligible for nomination in more than one genre.

Ideas for Nominees: American Wedding, Anything Else, Bringing Down the House, Bruce Almighty, Camp, Die, Mommie, Die!, Down With Love, Find Nemo, From Justin to Kelly, Le Divorce, Legally Blonde 2: Red White, and Blonde, Love Actually, Mambo Italiano, Matchstick Men, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Scary Movie 3, and Something's Got to Give

 

Best Documentary of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the been the best in the documentary genre.

Comments: This category includes any film that would normally be consider reality-based, which explains how Jackass: The Movie was nominated last year. The Board of Governors may decide once nomination ballots are returned to have fewer than five nominees in this category.

Ideas for Nominees: Lost in La Mancha, The Real Cancun, Spellbound, Step Into Liquid, Stoked, and Winged Migration

 

Best Dramatic Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the been the best in the dramatic films genre.

Comments: Any film with sufficient dramatic appeal is eligible in this category. Many films will have both comedic and dramatic elements; voters will have to decide whether the film is primarily a comedy or a drama (though it is conceivable to be nominated in both). It still baffles us, though, why Lost in Translation is considered a comedy.

Ideas for Nominees: Cold Mountain, The Girl With the Pearl Earring, House of Sand and Fog, The Last Samurai, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Matchstick Men, The Missing, Monster, Mystic River, Seabiscuit, Secondhand Lions, Thirteen, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Veronica Guerin

 

Best Historical Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have best covered a historical person, event, or era.

Comments: Voters will need to decide for themselves how expansive or narrow they wish to define this category. It clearly includes the film representation of a specific historic event, including the portrayal of historic people, even if some liberties are taken with historical accuracy for plot reasons. ("Best" does not necessarily need to mean "Most Historically Accurate," though for some voters that may be a consideration.) For some voters, the category may also include fictional characters set against the backdrop of a historical event (such as "Gone With the Wind"). It might also include historical figures set in a completely fictional setting (such as a previous winner, Gosford Park, which included the appearance of the historic actor Ivor Novello in an otherwise fictional plot). And finally, for some voters it could include completely fictional characters involved in completely fictional events, so long as those characters are set in a recognizable historic setting where the setting plays an important role in the film (such as last year's winner, Far From Heaven).

Ideas for Nominees: Gods and Generals, The Last Samurai, Luther, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Mona Lisa Smile, Seabiscuit, Shattered Glass, Sylvia, and Veronica Guerin

 

Best Mystery, Suspense, Horror, or Thriller Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the been the best in the mystery, suspense, horror, and/or thriller genres.

Comments: This category has the greatest breadth of any of the genre categories. Its nominees must fall into at least one of the genres, but need not fall into all four to quality. As a result, this category can yield a diverse array of nominees, from slasher films to high-brow whodunnits.

Ideas for Nominees: 28 Days Later, Cabin Fever, Die, Mommie, Die!, Freddy vs. Jason, Gothika, Identity, Matchstick Men, Phonebooth, The Recruit, Runaway Jury, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Film of 2003

Summary: Awarded to the 2003 film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the been the best in the science fiction or fantasy genres.

Comments: This category is open to any sort of legitimate "speculative fiction," though the nominees typically focus on films involving magic or futuristic technology.

Ideas for Nominees: 28 Days Later, Daredevil, Freddy vs. Jason, Gothika, The Hulk, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, The Order, Peter Pan, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Timeline, Underworld, and X2: X-Men United