It was a rough year for good movies…

Little Miss Sunshine

I love Toni Collette and adore every movie I’ve seen her in. Then you add Steve Carell, Alan Arkin and Greg Kinnear? This tiny little independant movie was the most enjoyable thing I saw from the silver screen all year.When all the critics starting raving I was skeptical – because I always am. But this time I agree with them. This movie was an absolute delight from beginning to end, and if I don’t see it showered with awards I will be bitter. It has the one of the more unique story lines in independant film that actually reflects real life without being dull or pretentious. You know how hard that is to come across? It is for this reason, I call Little Miss Sunshine the stand-out movie of the year.

Others worth mentioning (or not):

Comedy: Talladega Nights

Best Title: Kinky Boots

Best Animated: Cars

Biggest Surprise: Click

Who the Hell Thought That Would Ever Make a Good Movie?: Snakes on a Plane

Wondering What All the Hype Was About: Mission Impossible III (This is probably a direct result of my hatred of Tom Cruise)

Best Story with the Worst Production Value: End of the Spear

Dying to See but I have to Wait Because I Live in the Sticks:

Sherrybaby
Aurora Borealis
The Departed
Little Children
Notes from a Scandel

Best Ad Campaign: Apple Computers. (Like I would say anything else.)

Best New TV Show: Heroes, without a doubt. I also really love The Nine.

Best Season Finale: Grey’s Anatomy. The Office runs a fairly close second, but only because I discovered the show late.

TV Series I’m Glad to See Go: Charmed

TV Series I’m Most Sorry to See Go: Alias, but only in the Season 1 & 2 state, not present state at the time of the finale.

Annoying “News” Item of the Year: Tom and Katie

Best Reality Show Personality that Keeps Getting Better: Tim Gunn

Funniest Idea that Emerged: Recutting classic movie trailers into creepy horror movies and vice versa on YouTube. (The Shining is my favorite so far.)

Guiltiest Pleasure: So You Think You Can Dance

Funniest Political Moment that Shouldn’t Have Been Funny: Cheney shooting his hunting “buddy”.

Most Shocking Death: Coretta Scott King

Really Going to Miss Them: Robert Altman and Paul Gleason

Best Worship Album: Paul Baloche’s A Greater Song

Best Worship Song: Desperation Band’s Treasure (From Live-At the Rooftops)

Best Christian Album of the Year: This is tough, but I have to say Derek Webb’s Mockingbird. But Mute Math and Jar of Clay’s Good Monsters are right behind them

Best Mainstream Song: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Best Mainstream Album: Amos Lee’s Supply and Demand

Best Rearrangement of a Hymn: Kristen Standfill’s Jesus Paid it All. (But I must mention Chris Tomlin’s Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone. It’s also very good.)

Most Fun Christian Song: MercyMe’s One Trick Pony

Best Crossover: Mat Kearney, followed very closely by The Fray

Best Use of Strings: Skillet’s Rebirthing

Best Return to the Scene: Plumb

Song that Captured the Year Best for Me: Stained Glass Masquerade by Casting Crowns.

And Happy New Year.