With seven of its 10 picks in 2013 going on to earn Oscar nominations, the American Film Institute’s annual best-film list is considered a bellwether of what will succeed in awards season – and 2014’s list has been expanded to 11 titles, presumably to accommodate extra quality.
The selected films, published in alphabetical order rather than ranked, include early Oscar favourites Boyhood, Birdman, Selma and American Sniper – all of which have already had nods for films of the year from various critics’ organisations.
The Imitation Game, which with producer Harvey Weinstein’s notoriously vociferous backing could find Oscar success, was also picked by the AFI, as was Interstellar, whose sheer ambition could find favour with an Academy not prone to awarding science fiction. Into the Woods, an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s postmodern fairytale mashup starring Meryl Streep, also got a rare nod.
The other selected films were Foxcatcher, Nightcrawler, Unbroken and Whiplash. In a rather grand statement announcing the winner, Bob Gazzale of AFI said: “We celebrate these films … as more than just milestones in a year of excellence. They are a part of our American cultural heritage – collectively, a new chapter in the story of the art form and of our nation.”
The AFI also gave its picks of 2013’s best TV, dominated by heavyweight dramas including Fargo, Game of Thrones, and Orange is the New Black. Space was found however for comedy-dramas such as Mike Judge’s Silicon Valley and Jane the Virgin, an acclaimed adaptation of a Venezuelan soap.
