Movies that moved us Movies that moved us (January 07, 2005)

Hits and misses of 2004
This year, only one film impressed all three Weekly critics: "Sideways," Alexander Payne's funny and poignant exploration of male friendship.

Our Gang of Three -- Jeanne Aufmuth, Tyler Hanley and Susan Tavernetti -- all cited "Sideways" as one of the best films of 2004, with kudos going to stars Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madsen.

However, none of the critics listed it as the top film of the year. That honor went to three different films: "Million Dollar Baby" (Aufmuth), "Finding Neverland" (Hanley) and "A Very Long Engagement" (Tavernetti).

Though it wasn't a banner year for truly outstanding films (see Aufmuth's sidebar), all three critics still managed to come up with 10 solid films. Several even made multiple lists, including "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Million Dollar Baby," "Spider-Man 2," "Vera Drake" and "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... And Spring."

Also noteworthy this year: each critic had a unique "Worst 5" list, a testament to the abundance of mediocre films this year. Aufmuth's list is the most controversial, citing several films -- "Passion of the Christ," "I Heart Huckabees" and "Napoleon Dynamite" -- that some national critics and audiences liked.

Please note that to qualify, movies had to have opened in the Bay Area by the end of 2004. Each critic's list begins with the best movie of the year, followed in alphabetical order by other selections.

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