What made 2007 a memorable year at the movies

As we say goodbye to 2007, let's remember some of the events and people who made the year's movies special.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis as an obsessed oil baron in "There Will Be Blood." Runner-up: George Clooney as a frayed attorney in "Michael Clayton."

Best Actress: Ellen Page as a sassy pregnant teen in "Juno." Runner-up: Julie Christie as an Alzheimer's victim in "Away From Her."

Best Supporting Actor: Jeremy Sisto as the cluelessly abusive husband in "Waitress." Runner-up: Philip Seymour Hoffman as a loose cannon CIA agent in "Charlie Wilson's War."

Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton as an amoral capitalist in "Michael Clayton." Runner-up: Jennifer Jason Leigh as the slighted sister in "Margot at the Wedding."

Best Score: "Atonement" by Dario Marianelli. Runner-up: "Michael Clayton" by James Newton Howard.

Best Ending: The shockeroo final minutes of Stephen King's Armageddon tale "The Mist," which I argue makes the best case for never giving up on hope. Runner-up: James M. Barrie would love the finale to the ghost story "The Orphanage."

Biggest Box Office Loser: Guy Ritchie's crime drama "Revolver" earned $75,000 at the box office in 10 days, roughly the cost of a toe ring for his wife, Madonna.

Biggest Embarrassment: The names of both Orson Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland are misspelled on a production clapper board on the set of "Citizen Kane" in Michael Schroeder's "Man in the Chair."

Best Case Against Improv on Movie Sets: "Reno 911: Miami."

Stupidest Beauty Aid: In the sophomoric thriller "Invasion," Nicole Kidman fixes her face -- genetically altered by alien spores -- by wiping off the mutated flesh with a wash cloth. Looking good!

Worst Waste of an Oscar Winner: Nicolas Cage in "Ghost Rider," "Next" and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." Runners-up: Roman Polanski in "Rush Hour 3," Jon Voight in "Bratz" and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Daddy Day Camp," Sissy Spacek in "Hot Rod," Hilary Swank in "P.S. I Love You," Halle Berry in "Perfect Stranger" and Robin Williams in "License to Wed."

Best Re-Bonding Experience: Pierce Brosnan, upon hearing that he would be replaced by Daniel Craig as James Bond in "Casino Royale," said the 007 producers "are probably scared (poop)less, thinking, 'What have we done?' " Earlier this year, Brosnan gave his replacement his due: "Daniel Craig is the greatest Bond ever and deservedly so. He was a great choice."

The Power of Cinema Compels Them: Algeria's Oscar-nominated "Days of Glory" prompted French officials to end decades of injustice by bumping up pensions to war vets of North African origin to the same levels of native French vets. It only took 60 years.

Dumbest Movie Idea That Worked: "Lars and the Real Girl," about a quiet man in love with an anatomically correct mail-order doll.

Most Embarrassed Film Critic: Steve O'Brien of CBS-FM who, after seeing "The Golden Compass," said, "This is the holiday season's can't-miss hit!" The $180 million film made a disappointing $26 million on its opening weekend, then dropped 65 percent the following week.

• Join me and former James Bond novelist Raymond Benson for "Dann and Raymond's Movie Club" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg. We'll talk about (and show clips from) great American Westerns. Free admission! Call (847) 985-4000 or go to www.stdl.org.

• The world premiere of Schaumburg resident David B. Grelck's first shot-on-digital feature "White Out" will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine. The premiere will feature the film, followed by outtakes and deleted scenes. At 10 p.m., the cast and crew will participate in a Q&A session. Tickets cost $10 ($8 for students). Go to www.white-out-movie.com.