'Tree of Life' tops in nominations from Chicago critics

Terrence Malick's slice of 1950s family drama “The Tree of Life” Friday earned seven nominations from the Chicago Film Critics Association including nods for Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain), Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) and Most Promising Performer (Hunter McCracken).

Nicholas Winding Refn's violent neo-noir “Drive” and Alexander Payne's domestic comic drama “The Descendants” each earned six nominations, including Best Picture.

“Drive” stars Ryan Gosling as a classic Hollywood loner who works as a stunt driver by day and as a freelance getaway driver by night. It's a virtual updating of the classic “Shane” nominated for Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Score and Supporting Actor (comedian Albert Brooks as a violent crime boss who hates loose ends).

“The Descendants,” a comic drama about a Hawaiian land baron struggling with domestic tragedies, earned nods for Director, Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor (for George Clooney). Newcomer Shailene Woodley received nods for both Supporting Actress and Promising Performer.

Tied for five nominations each are two films dealing with the history of silent cinema.

Martin Scorsese's “Hugo,” a great 3-D family film, tells about a boy in 1931 Paris who meets French film pioneer Georges Melies. “The Artist,” a silent comedy from France, follows a big-time Hollywood star struggling to transition into the talkies.

Winners of the 2011 Chicago Film Critics Awards will be announced around 6:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 19, on the ABC 7 News Morning Show.

The 2011 Chicago Film Critics Awards nominees are:

Best picture: “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “Drive,” “Hugo,” “The Tree of Life” 

Best director: Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist,” Terrence Malick for “The Tree of Life,” Alexander Payne for “The Descendants,” Nicolas Winding Refn for “Drive,” Martin Scorsese for “Hugo”

Best actor: George Clooney in “The Descendants,” Jean Dujardin in “The Artist,” Michael Fassbender in “Shame,” Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Michael Shannon in “Take Shelter”

Best actress: Kirsten Dunst in “Melancholia,” Elizabeth Olsen in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” Anna Paquin in “Margaret,” Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady,” Michelle Williams in “My Week With Marilyn”

Best supporting actor: Albert Brooks in “Drive,” Nick Nolte in “Warrior,” Patton Oswalt in “Young Adult,” Brad Pitt in “The Tree of Life,” Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”

Best supporting actress: Jessica Chastain in “The Tree of Life,” Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids,” Carey Mulligan in “Shame,” Octavia Spencer in “The Help,” Shailene Woodley in “The Descendants”

Best original screenplay: “The Artist.” “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” “Midnight In Paris,” “A Separation,” “The Tree of Life”

Best adapted screenplay: “The Descendants,” “Drive,” “Hugo,” “Moneyball,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best animated feature: “The Adventures of Tintin,” “Arthur Christmas,” “Puss In Boots,” “Rango,” “Winnie the Pooh”

Best documentary: “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” “The Interrupters,” “Into the Abyss,” “Pina,” “Project Nim,” “Tabloid”

Best foreign film: “In a Better World,” “Incendies,” “A Separation,” “The Skin I Live In,” “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives”

Best cinematography: “Drive,” “Hugo,” “Melancholia,” “The Tree of Life,” “War Horse”

Best original score: “The Artist,” “Drive,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Hanna,” “Hugo”

Most promising performer: Liana Liberato in “Trust,” Brit Marling in “Another Earth,” Hunter McCracken in “The Tree of Life,” Elizabeth Olsen in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” Shailene Woodley in “The Descendants”

Most promising filmmaker: J.C. Chandor for “Margin Call,” Simon Curtis for “My Week With Marilyn,” Drake Doremus for “Like Crazy,” Sean Durkin for “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” Tate Taylor for “The Help”