The AARP Movies for Grownups have hoisted “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” onto their shoulders and declared it their Best Picture winner. Along with that win, Aaron Sorkin won a pair of awards for directing and writing “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” something that could play much closer to what’s predicted in terms for the Oscars. Anthony Hopkins winning Best Actor and Jodie Foster winning Best Supporting Actress all both in the realm of possibilities at the Oscars as well. Let me note that as soon as I found out Sophia Loren was in “The Life Ahead,” I started having a gut feeling that she also might grab an Oscar nomination. The Academy loves honoring actors and actresses for a lifetime of work. Loren was able to win the Best Actress Award here.
BEST PICTURE
(Best Movie for Grownups)
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
NOMINEES
- “Minari”
- “Nomadland”
- “One Night in Miami”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
- “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
BEST DIRECTOR
Aaron Sorkin
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
NOMINEES
- Lee Daniels — “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
- Regina King — “One Night in Miami”
- Spike Lee — “Da 5 Bloods”
- Aaron Sorkin — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
- George C. Wolfe — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
BEST ACTOR
Anthony Hopkins
“The Father”
NOMINEES
- Ralph Fiennes — “The Dig”
- Tom Hanks — “News of the World”
- Anthony Hopkins — “The Father”
- Delroy Lindo — “Da 5 Bloods”
- Gary Oldman — “Mank”
BEST ACTRESS
Sophia Loren
“The Life Ahead”
NOMINEES
- Viola Davis — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- Sophia Loren — “The Life Ahead”
- Frances McDormand — “Nomadland”
- Michelle Pfeiffer — “French Exit”
- Robin Wright — “Land”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Demián Bichir
“Land”
NOMINEES
- Demián Bichir — “Land”
- Bill Murray — “On the Rocks”
- Clarke Peters — “Da 5 Bloods”
- Paul Raci — “Sound of Metal”
- Mark Rylance — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jodie Foster
“The Mauritanian”
NOMINEES
- Candice Bergen — “Let Them All Talk”
- Ellen Burstyn — “Pieces of a Woman”
- Glenn Close — “Hillbilly Elegy”
- Jodie Foster — “The Mauritanian”
- Yuh-Jung Youn — “Minari”
BEST ENSEMBLE
“One Night In Miami…”
NOMINEES
- “Da 5 Bloods”
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- “One Night in Miami”
- “Promising Young Woman”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Intergenerational
“Minari”
NOMINEES
- “The Father”
- “Hillbilly Elegy”
- “The Life Ahead”
- “Minari”
- “On the Rocks”
Best Buddy Picture
“Da 5 Bloods”
NOMINEES
- “Bad Boys for Life”
- “Bill & Ted Face the Music”
- “Da 5 Bloods”
- “Let Them All Talk”
- “Standing Up, Falling Down”
Best Screenwriter
Aaron Sorkin
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
NOMINEES
- Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee — “Da 5 Bloods”
- Paul Greengrass & Luke Davies — “News of the World”
- Kemp Powers — “One Night in Miami”
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- Aaron Sorkin — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Time Capsule
“Mank”
NOMINEES
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- “Mank”
- “One Night in Miami”
- “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
- “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Grownup Love Story
“Supernova”
NOMINEES
- “Emma.”
- “Ordinary Love”
- “Supernova”
- “Wild Mountain Thyme”
- “Working Man”
Best Documentary
“A Secret Love”
NOMINEES
- “Crip Camp”
- “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy”
- “Dick Johnson Is Dead”
- “A Secret Love”
- “Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Collective”
Romania
NOMINEES
- “Another Round” (Denmark)
- “Bacurau” (Brazil)
- “Collective” (Romania)
- “The Life Ahead” (Italy)
- “The Weasels’ Tale” (Argentina)
BEST SERIES
“This Is Us”
NOMINEES
- “The Crown”
- “Perry Mason”
- “Succession”
- “Ted Lasso”
- “This Is Us”
Best TV Movie/Limited Series
“The Queen’s Gambit”
NOMINEES
- “Mrs. America”
- “The Queen’s Gambit”
- “Small Axe”
- “Unorthodox”
- “Watchmen”
Best ACTOR (TV/Streaming)
Mark Ruffalo
“I Know This Much Is True”
NOMINEES
- Jason Bateman — “Ozark”
- Ted Danson — “The Good Place”
- Hugh Grant — “The Undoing”
- Ethan Hawke — “The Good Lord Bird”
- Mark Ruffalo — “I Know This Much Is True”
Best Actress (TV/Streaming)
Catherine O’Hara
“Schitt’s Creek”
NOMINEES
- Jennifer Aniston — “The Morning Show”
- Cate Blanchett — “Mrs. America”
- Regina King — “Watchmen”
- Laura Linney — “Ozark”
- Catherine O’Hara — “Schitt’s Creek”
Career Achievement Award
George Clooney
QUICK LIST
Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups: “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Best Director: Aaron Sorkin — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins — “The Father”
Best Actress: Sophia Loren — “The Life Ahead”
Best Supporting Actor: Demián Bichir — “Land”
Best Supporting Actress: Jodie Foster — “The Mauritanian”
Best Ensemble: “One Night In Miami…”
Best Intergenerational: “Minari”
Best Buddy Picture: “Da 5 Bloods”
Best Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Time Capsule: “Mank”
Best Grownup Love Story: “Supernova”
Best Documentary: “A Secret Love”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Collective” (Romania)
Best Series: “This Is Us”
Best TV Movie/Limited Series: “The Queen’s Gambit”
Best Actor (TV/Streaming): Mark Ruffalo — “I Know This Much Is True”
Best Actress (TV/Streaming): Catherine O’Hara — “Schitt’s Creek”
AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards
AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards grew from a modest idea: Editors wanted to encourage Hollywood to make more movies of interest to an audience 50 and older. In 2002, with a magazine feature honoring 10 top talents in that year’s films, the Movies for Grownups Awards were born. Each of the honorees was sent their award, a golden movie seat.
By 2006, the awards, showcased in the magazine every year, grew into a Hollywood ceremony, the first of which was hosted by Angela Lansbury and Shelley Berman at the Bel-Air Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Dana Delany, Michael York, Jacqueline Bisset and about 125 other guests applauded winners including Jeff Daniels, Joan Plowright and Steven Spielberg.
Hollywood really did start making more films with and for grownups, and the list of nominees each year grew from 10 to over 60 with no diminution of standards for artistic excellence. In subsequent years the Movies for Grownups celebration has grown to become an important part of award season in Hollywood, a bellwether for Oscars and a ceremony that draws top talent and major media coverage. Relocated to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the ceremony became a dinner with a far bigger guest list, where A-list filmmakers mix and mingle. In 2018, the award show was televised for the first time, with Alan Cumming as host. Career achievement winner Helen Mirren walked the red carpet crowded with media members from dozens of outlets. This year, television awards in six categories will be given for the first time.
The annual Movies for Grownups Awards continue to advocate for talent and viewers over 50, and raise funds for AARP Foundation, AARP’s affiliated charity, which helps 50-plus Americans transform their lives through programs, services and vigorous legal advocacy. The foundation works to increase economic opportunity and social connections to prevent and reduce senior poverty.
